For decades, walk-in interviews were the go-to option for hiring in restaurants, bars, cafés, and hospitality venues. A sign in the window, a stack of printed résumés, and candidates turning up mid-service hoping to speak to a manager were the norm. The process felt fast, informal, and practical, especially in an industry built on immediacy.

But the way hospitality businesses operate has changed. And so have job seekers.

Now, many restaurant owners and managers are debating the merits of walk-in interviews, whether they’re taking up too much time and resources, and what better options are available. 

The short answer is that while walk-ins haven’t disappeared entirely, they’re no longer the most efficient or effective way to hire. Online or virtual interviews are quickly becoming the smarter choice for hospitality teams.

The Problem With Walk-In Interviews 

At first glance, walk-in interviews seem convenient. You meet the candidate face-to-face, get a feel for their personality, and make an on-the-spot decision. But in practice, these interviews often create more problems than they solve.

 Just some of the issues they pose include:

Interrupting Service

In hospitality, timing is everything. Walk-in candidates often arrive during prep, peak service, or shift change. Managers are then forced to choose between the floor and the interview, and neither gets their full attention.

Limiting The Talent Pool

Walk-in interviews only attract candidates who live nearby, have flexible schedules, and feel confident showing up unannounced. That immediately excludes great applicants who are currently employed, juggling multiple jobs, or commuting from further away. 

Reliant On Chance, Not Strategy

With walk-in interviews, hiring decisions become reactive instead of intentional. You’re hiring the one who shows up, not necessarily the candidate who’s best for the role. Often, decisions are made under pressure and lack proper planning.

Time Wasting

Many walk-in interviews go nowhere for various reasons. Some candidates turn out not to be qualified or lack the experience needed for the role, others never follow up, and some don’t show up for their first shift.

In an industry already stretched thin for time, this approach is increasingly inefficient.

Face-to-Face Interviews Aren’t Always The Best Option

Even when scheduled, in-person interviews pose challenges in hospitality hiring.

Managers often spend hours coordinating availability, only for candidates to cancel or not show up. Subsequent rescheduling then means more emails, more calls, and more time lost. When you’re hiring for multiple roles at once, that time adds up fast.

Face-to-face interviews also require both parties to be available at the same time, which isn’t always realistic in an industry built around shifts, peak service hours, and unpredictable schedules. 

Even when interviews do happen, they’re often rushed or interrupted by unexpected events such as an understaffed shift, a sudden rush, a delivery issue, or a customer concern, making it difficult for either side to fully engage or make a fair assessment.

The Shift Toward Virtual Hiring in Restaurants & Hospitality

Virtual hiring removes many of these pain points.

Instead of asking candidates to come to you, you meet them where they already are, on their phone or laptop, on their own time. This is where StaffedUp’s one-way video interviews are invaluable. These interviews allow you to send links to applicants so they can record their first interview at their convenience. You can then view the recording when it suits you, with no back-and-forth, no shows, and no time wasted. 

Since the pandemic, virtual communication has become the norm rather than the exception, and hiring is no different. Virtual interviews allow both sides to engage when it suits them without disrupting service or daily responsibilities. This shift doesn’t remove the human element; instead, it uses technology to make better use of everyone’s time.

Advantages of Virtual Interviews

For restaurant and hospitality employers, virtual hiring offers several key advantages:

Access to a Much Larger Talent Pool

When you rely on walk-in interviews, you’re limited to whoever happens to walk through your door. With virtual hiring, you can reach:

• Candidates who are currently employed and can’t interview mid-shift
• Applicants who live further away but are willing to commute
• Students, caregivers, or people with limited availability
• Seasonal workers planning ahead
  

This broader reach is especially valuable in competitive labour markets where good hospitality staff are hard to find.

Convenience for All Parties

Hospitality schedules are unpredictable, but virtual hiring works around that reality. Candidates can apply and interview outside of service hours, without rushing, commuting, or taking time off from another job. As an employer, you can review candidates between shifts, after service, or whenever it suits your schedule.

Major Time Savings for Managers

With virtual tools such as one-way video interviews, the first interview can happen without live interaction. This means you only spend time on candidates who’ve already shown effort, interest, and communication skills.

Better First Impressions, Less Bias

One surprising benefit of one-way video interviews is consistency. Because every candidate answers the same questions, you can compare responses fairly, without the distractions of a busy dining room or rushed conversation.

You also get a clearer sense of candidates:

• Communication skills
• Attitude and professionalism
• Energy and personality
• How seriously the candidate takes the role

This makes the next step, whether it’s a live video call or an on-site trial shift, far more productive.

Demonstrates Basic Tech Readiness

From digital scheduling and POS systems to online training and team communication tools, tech confidence matters. Virtual hiring helps identify candidates who are comfortable with the newer ways of working and with technology. 

These are increasingly important skills in hospitality roles, and highlight which candidates are better prepared for tech-enabled workplaces.

Fewer No-Shows, Better Commitment

One of the biggest frustrations in hospitality hiring is no-shows, both for interviews and on the first shift. However, virtual hiring helps filter out low-commitment candidates early.

If someone can’t take a few minutes to record a one-way interview, they’re unlikely to show up reliably for shifts. Candidates who do complete the interview are already more invested in the role. This is also a good indication of retention potential, as those who are invested won’t just up and leave. 

The Future of Hospitality Hiring 

While walk-in interviews can still work, they’re no longer the best option for most restaurant and hospitality businesses.

Virtual hiring and tools like StaffedUp’s one-way video interviews give you more control, better candidates, and far less wasted time. This streamlines the hiring process so you can focus on running your business instead of chasing interviews.