HOSPO HEADHUNTER BLOG

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A NEW HIRE, VEGAS STYLE

Posted by Hospo Headhunter on Feb 14th, 2012 | 0 comments home title

: Harley Carbery was born in Victoria, BC. He grew up in his families Dairy Queen slinging burgers and ice cream. After attending Camosun College in Victoria he graduated with a Hotel & Restaurant Management Diploma. Working for Fairmont Hotels & Resorts across Canada for 7 years took him from the Banquet Rooms at the Algonquin in St. Andrews, New Brunswick to the kitchen in Mt. Tremblant, Quebec to Managing The Wildflower and Wine Room Restaurants at the Chateau Whistler. While in Whistler he fell in love with wine and became a Sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild. Now in Las Vegas, after a short stint as F&B Manager at the Ritz Carlton Hotel he made the move to L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon as AGM/Sommelier and finally Wine Director of Joel Robuchon Restaurants, Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino.

Hello again fromLas Vegas!

Having lived in this fantastic city now for almost 5 years and working in hospitality management positions the entire time I have had the opportunity to hire many employees.

Las Vegashas a deep workforce and large array of options in the hospitality sector, because of this it is always important to really think about what makes a good employee, this can differ of course depending on the position and place of work, but does it need to?

Check out Questus Hospitality’s Career Opportunities here.

I do get asked one question fairly frequently ‘What do you look for in a new hire?’ I always answer this thoughtfully and carefully as it’s always dependent on the position and there is not one simple answer.

Being the Wine Director at 1 & 3 Michelin Star, 4 & 5 Forbes Star and 4 & 5 AAA Diamond restaurants, I must be very specific when it comes to hiring. What makes a good employee in my restaurants can be very different than others.

I have had to hire several sommeliers to join my team over the last few years (due to work visa’s expiring and promotions).It has proven to be a challenge to find the right person each time I have been hiring in the past. This is due to my specific requirements as well as the lack of truly qualified candidates out there (most of the very qualified have jobs and are happy of course!).

I look for more than just a certification; in the sommelier world there are many different schools that certify sommeliers (The Court of Master Sommeliers, The International Sommelier Guild and WSET just to name a few). Just because someone is certified though does not mean they are a good sommelier. I am more interested in experience (directly related to the position or not) and a true desire to provide an amazing guest experience, this is gauged by one on one interviews and discussions with the candidate.

So; what makes a good employee? I believe it is a person who is wholly involved in providing an exceptional guest experience while showcasing the business they are promoting or selling. This is true in the hospitality industry but can be carried over to other industries as well. As long as the guest is happy and has received an experience that goes above and beyond what they expected they will come back time and time again.

Check out Questus Hospitality’s Career Opportunities here.

Until next time;

Cheers!
Harley Carbery - Wine Director l Joël Robuchon Restaurants
http://www.linkedin.com/in/harleycarbery
P.S. Follow me on twitter @harleywine1