The interview tells you who’s good at interviews. The trial shift tells you who’s good at the job.
The structure
- 15 mins: Tour the venue, explain the menu, hand them an apron.
- 1 hour: They shadow your strongest section lead.
- 45 mins: They run one section solo with the lead within view.
- Coffee + debrief. You ask: “Walk me through table 12 — what would you have done differently?”
Pay them
Trial shifts are legally work in Australia if any actual service happens. Pay the two hours at award rate. It’s under $100. The candidates who object are not the ones you wanted.
What you’re looking for
Curiosity, not competence. The skill is teachable. Whether they ask “what’s the difference between the merlot and the shiraz on the by-the-glass list?” is not.