Think about standing on a patio overlooking a vineyard, holding a glass of Shiraz and feeling the warm breeze as sun goes down, the hygge lights around you twinkling to life. When visiting a winery, you oughta get this type of experience. As important as the wine, the architecture and the view is the staff, whose aim should be to help offer clients an elegant experience. There are characteristics to look for when hiring staff for a winery.
1. Attitude Is Everything
Among the most important winery hiring tips is to recruit people who are generally happy to work and happy to invest themselves in the winery profession. You can determine the level of a person’s alacrity for these things during the hiring process. Ideally, you’re looking for a social person who works well with others, takes instruction well and consistently establishes rapport with clients.
2. Sell, but Don’t Oversell
It’s okay to hire somebody that doesn’t know everything that a sommelier knows. That sort of knowledge can be learned over time. Rather, you want somebody who can converse comfortably with clients about any topic under the sun, and about the wines they are surrounded by.
3. Stay for Awhile
You want staff members who remain with you for a long time. Experience will help grow their wine knowledge and they can also be crossed trained.
When folks visit a winery, they expect to have a luxurious experience. While they might not want to be pampered, they want to be well taken care of by a welcoming, knowledgeable staff.