As days lengthen and winter fades, many Mexican restaurateurs are preparing to hire summer help. This is an appropriate time to provide pointers about hiring. Instead of going through a deck of resumés and hiring the most experienced applicants, try looking for "ACES" to add to your staff — people with great Attitude, Communication Skills, Enthusiasm and Sales Ability.

Many operators want to hire experienced, previously-trained personnel, thinking it will save training time. They don't consider why the applicant left a previous position, or if the previous training would even translate to their restaurant. People with good attitudes and communication skills can be trained to effectively perform almost any task in the restaurant industry. But how do you find ACES in the stack of applications? You should look for:

Attitude. We've all heard people say they worked in foodservice until they got a "real" job or found some- thing better. That isn't the attitude you want! You need employees who enjoy the rapid pace of the Mexican restaurant industry, and who like interacting with all kinds of people. Ask the following questions to dis- cover an applicant's attitude about the job he or she is applying for:

• Why do you want this job?

• What makes you want to work here?

• What were the best and the worst jobs you've ever had? Why?

• Who were the best and worst bosses you've ever had (you don't need names; just experiences)? Why?

• What are your long-term goals?

Communication. You might be most comfortable working with people who speak the same language or dialect as you do, but remember your guests speak many other languages. Understand with whom your staff must communicate and make sure they have the capability to talk to their co-workers and to your guests. Ask a potential server to describe a dish — your Pollo Pibil, for example — that is "unknown" to you. At this point, since they're not an employee, it doesn't matter if they explain all the ingredients and the prepa- ration method correctly; you just want to listen for their ability to describe something to a guest who is unfamiliar with it. Also ask host staff applicants to give directions to your restaurant as if responding to a phone inquiry.

Pay attention to how potential employees phrase their responses, and if they use language that will be easily understood by others — language no one will find offensive. Slang should not be part of any communication in a restaurant environment!

Enthusiasm. This is the energy someone brings to a task. You'll get some idea of how much energy an applicant will bring to the job by the energy they bring to the interview. To really fire someone up, ask them about something they're really interested in. Possible questions include:

• What is your favorite sport (hobby, movie, musical group, baseball player, song, etc.)?

• What do you like about it? These questions should excite the applicant, which will help you see if they are capable of bringing enthusiasm and energy to your business. You can harness that energy and train much more easily than you can break bad habits or try and instill energy and enthusiasm in a dull person.

Sales Ability. When hiring service staff, remember a major part of their job is to sell. Have you ever over- heard a server say, "You don't want dessert, do you?" to a customer at the end of a meal? That question is too easily answered with a simple, emphatic, "No!"

Many servers think they're being pushy when they offer drinks, appetizers, or desserts. Consequently, they approach the add-on sale incorrectly and take "no" for an answer too quickly. They don't understand they have a sales job to do! They have the attitude of an order-taker, not of a service professional. This is a matter of both attitude and training.

To test their sales attitude and ability, ask them to sell you an appetizer, their favorite entree in your restaurant, or a dessert so you can see them in action.

If their eyes are downcast, if they mumble, they proba- bly won't be much different, or successful, with your guests. If they're enthusiastic, creative, energetic, make eye contact, and are convincing to you, they'll probably be the same with your guests. That will heighten your customers' dining experience, and you and your server will reap the rewards!

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Eric F. Nusbaum, Ph.D., CHA, is a foodservice consultant with more than 35 years experience in the business. A former restaurant manager, club manager, and hotel manager, he has taught hospitality management in the United States and Europe and specializes in improving customer service and satisfaction and operational profitability. He can be reached at (413) 774-2786.

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