How to hire a maitre d

How to hire a maitre d, step by step

Here's a step-by-step maitre d hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a maitre d job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new maitre d
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your maitre d job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a maitre d for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A maitre d's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, maitre ds from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   Here's a comparison of maitre d salaries for various roles:

   Type of Maitre D	Description	Hourly rate
   Maitre D	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$12-25
   Host/Hostess	In a restaurant setting, a host/hostess serves as the clients' primary point of contact as they enter the premises. They mostly greet and welcome clients, process reservations, and assist by escorting them to their tables, providing them menus, and responding to any inquiries or concerns... Show more	$9-15
   Event Host	An event host utilizes their organizational and people skills in making guests feel comfortable at various events and places. Most of their time is spent standing up and walking to greet and assist guests, facilitate programs and activities, answer inquiries, and supervise staff and other services... Show more	$10-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Reservations
   • Wine
   • Fine Dining
   • Cleanliness
   • POS
   • Culinary
   • Open Table
   • Customer Service
   • Front Door
   • OpenTable
   • Food Service
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • Seat Guests
   • Greeting Guests

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage delivery schedules, outside vendors, and budget requirement, operations, and culinary staff.
   • Handle special requests for VIP guests and celebrities.
   • Use of Rezbook, OpenTable, and ResyOS systems.
   • Set up floor plan, and assign servers to their proper section through OpenTable.
   • Balance seating guests between multiply dining rooms with providing staff and owners with VIP information.
   • Prepare daily floor plans, coordinate restaurant opening duties, assist to restaurant manager with all daily FOH operations.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your maitre d job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A maitre d can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, maitre ds' average salary in alaska is 50% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level maitre ds 50% less than senior-level maitre ds.
   • Certifications. A maitre d with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a maitre d's salary.

   Average maitre d salary

   $38,898yearly

   $18.70 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level maitre d salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a maitre d job description

   A maitre d job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a maitre d job description:

   Maitre d job description example

   Job DescriptionVic's is hiring a Maitre' D!
   
   We are creating an exciting hospitality experience in NOHO and we are seeking fun, professional individuals who have a genuine passion for hospitality, food, beverage, and above all else providing unparalleled guest service. Enthusiastic individuals with strong communication skills, that can work well under pressure and in a team environment. Our ideal candidates will bring genuine passion for service, hospitality, and enjoy working in a fast paced work environment.
   The Maitre' D will be responsible for the following:-Warmly and efficiently welcome and seat guests with the support of your team-Build and plot the reservation book to optimize seat utilization and to ensure positive guest experience
   -Direct the host staff to maintain high standards of service execution
   -Act to best resolve problems to the satisfaction of all parties involved
   -Ensure all information provided to guests and team members is current and accurate
   -Recognize regular and VIP guests, and learn their seating preferences
   -Maintain exceptional cleanliness at the host station
   -Communicate clearly and effectively with guests, managers, and fellow team members to ensure guests feel well taken care of
   -Possess knowledge of the local area to provide relevant directions, recommendations, and resources to successfully fulfill guest requests
   -Maintain a constantly professional, friendly, and hospitable work space
   What we offer:
   Flexible schedules
   Shared medical plan
   Transit check Dining incentives
   Paid time off
   Requirements:
   -Minimum of 2 years working in Hospitality or Guest Services, preferably in NYC
   -Excellent written and verbal communication skills
   -Previous experience with Resy and/or OpenTable
   -Schedule flexibility, willing to work mornings, nights, weekends, or holidays
   -A friendly, outgoing personality and enjoy social interaction with a can-do attitude
   -Passion for restaurants, food and hospitality, and the job
   -Able to think independently & collaboratively, with good judgement and problem solving skills-Have an eye for detail and care in regards to the restaurant's appearance and cleanliness-Able to provide proof of vaccination per current city mandate
   
   Full Time or Part Time Opportunities Available
   
   We look forward to meeting you!
   
   Vic's
   31 Great Jones St
   New York, NY 10012
   

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find maitre ds for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any maitre ds they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level maitre ds with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your maitre d job on Zippia to find and recruit maitre d candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit maitre ds, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new maitre d

   Once you've found the maitre d candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new maitre d. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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