A few years back, the company I was working for at the time expanded their sales division and promoted one of our best inside sales representatives to manager. Her first hire was a server from a well-known restaurant in the area. As I facilitated her orientation, I was fascinated with the idea that this could work. Afterall, she had no business to business or outside sales experience. She had, at that point, never held a corporate job, working for the last few years as a server. How would she manage the commission structure? I admit, it is the one thing that always held me back from going into sales.

However, as the months went by, she made immediate impact and was one of the rockstars in our company. Next orientation, I had two more restaurant employees from the same restaurant, as the experiment (in my mind it was an experiment. The manager knew exactly what she was doing) was a success. The two came in and immediately contributed. Charismatic, customer service oriented, and dedicated. Should we have been looking at restaurant employees the entire time? Here are some transferrable skills that restaurant employees have that could be very useful in a corporate structure.

Teamwork: If you have ever been out to eat you know that your experience comes down to a combination of a few people. The host who seats you (Were you waiting long? Did you get the seat by the window?), the waiter/server who takes your order and delivers your food (did they make good recommendations on the soup? Were they polite?), the chef/kitchen that prepares your meal (was your steak medium well, or no?), and even the valet who parks your car (did you notice if your radio station was changed when you got your car back?). Restaurant workers are well versed due to their training in teamwork. The ability for each of them to do their jobs correctly is critical as just one of those factors could result in a negative rating. I once had to get up and leave an unnamed restaurant because my date did not like the women’s bathroom! We preach in corporate America the importance of everyone mastering their role so that the customer has a wonderful experience and comes back for more!

Adaptability: Have you ever seen a waiter drop dishes or glasses? Were they the folks who often cleaned it up? Not in my experience. Both times I witnessed this, the manager or some other employees came over to clean it up while the waiter/server continued to complete their duty. What about a drink that is too strong? Or did it not taste like you thought? Was your waiter the person to resolve the issue or the bar tender? Restaurants experience many emergencies such as trips and falls, fires in the kitchen, and even customers sometimes having medical events. Through it all, they endure swift changes to maintain the customer experience. We often ask the same of our corporate employees that we want to endure swift changes to the workplace.

Customer Service: No one is as enthusiastic about their experience as a hungry human trying to eat! Restaurant employees are skilled in providing excellent customer service. They have experience in dealing with several types of customers and managing challenging situations with professionalism and empathy. These skills can be valuable in a corporate environment where customer satisfaction is crucial. Every company has values that include their customers.
Restaurant employees, particularly the managers and waiters, deal with some colorful personalities while maintaining professionalism.