Restaurant Managers Solve Problems

How to uncover a valuable problem solver

Is there one major quality that stands above all the rest when it comes to hiring a capable restaurant manager who will give you more business and less headaches?

How about problem-solving?

Sure, it may seem a bit abstract, but the ability to identify problems and figure out viable solutions are often the difference between success and daily frustration struggles. But how do you uncover this gem of a skill as you search for a top-notch manager? The best way is to have conversations and look for clues in your top candidates.

For instance, when you first turn your eyes to internal employees, seek out those who have shown the skills of adaptability and improvisation on the job, especially those workers who have found ways to save themselves time in processes. Now, those employees may not be going “by the book” in how they cook products, clean the restaurant or cater to customers, but they may be doing you a favor by eliminating inefficiencies – saving you money. What if you gave them a larger landscape to work on? Could they make your entire operation better by seeing something upper management doesn’t?

When interviewing potential restaurant managers, don’t let them get away with just speaking in the most general terms about their past employment or in what they would do for you. Keep track of sticky situations in your restaurant and how your existing staff took care of them. Play those scenarios out for the prospective manager. How unique their answers are will reveal their problem solving abilities. If someone has a totally original idea on how to tackle an issue that has been dogging you for a long time, that should stand out to you.

Online there are many tools for ferreting out these problem solvers. Sites like psychologytoday.com give you access to many simple test to discover creative problem solving. An example can be found here.

Companies like Microsoft and Google that have become infamous for throwing all sorts of crazy questions and scenarios at the job applicants. Here’s what Microsoft has to say about creative problem solving.

Don’t be afraid to make the questions you have for applicants more difficult.  Those who really want to work for you in a leadership role will work toward an answer. Even if it’s not exactly right (and it’s best to ask a question that doesn’t have a definitive right answer, let it be open to interpretation), then you will be able to see how their mind works.

Your ideal candidate should be a problem solver who is well-rounded, understands how to communicate, how the world is changing (like how technology like Skype works, my blog on that here) and how all that benefits your restaurant.