The job interview—an age-old process that asks you to vet a candidate’s personality and qualifications in just an hour or so. How can you possibly assess what it’s like to work with someone long-term in such a short window?

It’s a challenge, to be sure. By following these tips, interviewers can get a clearer sense of the candidate and improve their chances of making the right hire. 

Look Beyond What They Tell You

The interview process begins before you ask a single question. How the candidate arrives can be a strong indicator of what it will be like to work with this person. Did they arrive a few minutes early, looking neat and clean? Or did they stumble in five minutes late in a wrinkled shirt, looking rushed and unkempt? If a candidate can’t arrive at their interview on time, you shouldn’t expect them to be reliable on the job.

After they leave, follow up with anyone they may have encountered. Were they polite to everyone they spoke to? A candidate who was rude to a receptionist or host is not someone you want as part of your team. 

Come Prepared With Interview Questions

Write up a list of 5-10 questions that you’ll ask each candidate. And consider skipping the clichéd questions, like “What are your biggest weaknesses.” Questions like this usually result in an overly rehearsed answer. Instead, design questions that will encourage them to think on their feet and provide insight into how they work.

You could tell the candidate about a recent challenge that the company faced, and ask them how they would have approached it. Or tell them about an upcoming initiative that you’ll be starting, and ask them to share their opinion. This effective interview approach gets them thinking about the company strategically and encourages some quick problem-solving. 

Dig Into Long Term Plans

A candidate’s goals can help you decide if they’re a good fit, even at entry-level. A server candidate who wants to be a restaurant manager may stick around for a while. That’s a very attractive proposition in such a high-turnover industry! 

On the other hand, a hotel manager candidate whose career goals are not in the hospitality industry at all may not be a great fit. When you know their plans in advance, you can assess the possibility of upward mobility and mentorship within the company.  

Look for Supplemental Skills and Experiences

You don’t want a team of carbon copies. A team that has the same background and experience will have large skills gaps. For example, let’s say all of your restaurant managers worked their way up through the ranks, from host to server to manager. All of that customer-facing work means they have fantastic customer service skills. But they may not be as skilled when it comes to business finances. 

Maybe for your next hire, you should look for someone without a traditional hospitality background. A candidate with some finance or accounting experience can help the team to keep a better eye on profitability. In turn, their colleagues can help them to become restaurant pros.

Include Their Peers in the Process

The person doing the interviewing isn’t always the person who will work closely with the candidate. By bringing in a few lower-level employees to sit in and ask some of their own questions, you can get a better sense of culture fit. 

Your “interview team” could consist of the role’s direct supervisor, someone from Human Resources, and one or two experienced peers. Each of these people will be looking for different attributes, which will give you a better sense of the candidate’s fitness for the role.

Walk the Candidate Through the Space

Effective interviewing isn’t all about talking. Get out of the office and into the customer-facing spaces. Is the interviewee engaged? Are they asking questions? If this is where they may come to work 40+ hours per week, they should be curious! An absence of questions may mean they’re not actually that interested in the position.

Don’t Skip the Reference Check

An interview is helpful, but it’s only a microcosm of the person’s true personality. Someone who has worked with the candidate in the past will have a much more accurate view of their strengths and weaknesses. Make sure to call their references to hear their thoughts.

If possible, try going beyond the references they provide. If the candidate has worked in hospitality before, chances are you have at least one shared contact. Call them up and ask for an honest opinion.

The More Responsibility, the Longer the Hiring Process Should Take

It’s tempting to hire quickly. You have a role that needs filling, and until it is, the rest of the team is struggling to keep up. But you’ll waste much more time if you hire the wrong person and face replacing them a year down the line.

In general, the more responsibility a role has, the longer the hiring process should take. Give yourself ample time to fill management roles and resist the urge to hire the “good enough” candidate. Hold out for someone great.