Getting the Ball Rolling
Nationwide Italian restaurant chain Fazoli's routinely adds reliable employees to its workforce through extensive job interviews and other hiring measures. With a total staff of around 5,000 associates, the restaurant chain remains slightly selective when interviewing possible associates. Job hopefuls must display the qualities that most restaurants desire: positive attitudes, accountability, responsibility, communication, and teamwork. By taking desired qualities into an interview, applicants increase hiring chances through preparation.
Interview Types to Expect
A majority of locations use similar interview formats for potential hires. During the submitting of all the necessary hiring materials for interview consideration, certain locations may call for applicants to take a personality test or initial assessment. Applicants who meet the initial qualifications may be invited to an official Fazoli's interview. Mainly taking place in a one-on-one setting, interviews include many questions regarding work ethic, job skills, and customer service, which comprise three of the most important aspects of employment with the restaurant chain. Additional interview discussions revolve heavily around the position, such as an extended description of duties and work environments.
Communication is Key
Employees must follow a specific set of wardrobe and appearance guidelines. Applicants serious about gaining employment with the restaurant chain should be more than willing to follow such stipulations. Demonstrate that willingness by attending all interviews in clean, professional-looking attire and good personal hygiene. Communication between applicants and interviewers should have a nice flow in conversation. Fazoli's hires employees who can thrive in just about any social setting. Several strategies that may show excellent communication skills during interviews include maintaining eye contact, using proper body language, speaking in an audible and positive tone, and using coherent thoughts at all times.
Fazoli’s Dining Room Attendant Interview Video
Video Transcript
Interviewer: Please describe your job title and primary duties.
Fazoli’s Employee: I started as a dining room attendant. Basically, stocking up the dining room tables, sweeping, handing out breadsticks, all that good stuff. I moved to cash register, where you literally sit at the register and working the drive-thru while you’re there. I moved to the kitchen, where you’re preparing the food and all that kind of stuff. Did prep work in the morning on the weekends. Getting everything ready for the day. Then I moved on to be a trainer, where I would train new employees, help employees with things they didn’t know how to do, or that they were doing wrong. Sort of be a supervisor in a way for the chef.
Interviewer: What was your favorite part about working there?
Fazoli’s Employee: I guess the best part about working there was being able to be flexible with my schedule. They were pretty laid back about that, because I was in school, I was going to high school at the time. They work around all of my extracurricular activities, and obviously my school schedule and stuff like that. So they would be able to give me enough hours to work there.
Interviewer: Please describe a typical day as an employee.
Fazoli’s Employee: Basically, you go in, make sure your station, or the area you were working in that day, was set up and ready to go for the next several hours. Prepare the food, stock up if you needed to, stuff like that. Once the dinner rush came in, you’d serve all the customers, and that was your primary goal then. After that, you get cleaned up and set up for the next shift, basically.
Interviewer: How would you describe the application and interview process?
Fazoli’s Employee: It was very quick and easy. I went into the specific restaurant I was applying to, filled out an application, turned it in, and about a week later, I got a call for an interview. I interviewed with one assistant manager, and they hired me. So, it was pretty easy.
Interviewer: What questions did the interviewer ask during the job interview?
Fazoli’s Employee: They were pretty interested in previous experience. They wanted to make sure that they weren’t 100% going to be training someone who had never worked in a restaurant environment before.
Interviewer: What set you apart from other candidates?
Fazoli’s Employee: I think I just seemed eager and willing at the time. I was young and energetic, and I think they liked that.
Interviewer: What other advice would you give to a job seeker looking to gain employment?
Fazoli’s Employee: Previous experience is going to help you out a lot. Knowing how to work in a restaurant, knowing the sort of methods that restaurants use, they’re large amount of food is going to help. I think they would like someone who is more willing to be flexible with their methods, basically do exactly what they want you to do, because it’s a huge company, they’re putting out a large amount of food, you need to be able to do it their way to get it done right.
yours truly. says:
I am sixteen and I just got a job at Fazoli’s. I dressed very professionally and prepared for anything they might have asked. It was a simple interview. They asked questions like what qualified me to work there and why I wanted to work there. If I was available for the summer and what I was looking to get out of working there. Remember you don’t appear to be as nervous as you may feel. 😉 Just put on a smile and be yourself.
Thomas says:
I am 18 and have an interview. How do i answer questions like what qualified me to work there, why should they hire me, and what i’m looking to get out of working there?
akil Edwards says:
Does Fazolis drug test?