As one of the largest barbecue franchises in America, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit is an incredibly popular place to work. With over 500 locations across the United States, Dickey’s is constantly hiring new team members who are passionate about serving up delicious, authentic barbecue.
If you have an interview coming up with Dickey’s you’re likely wondering what questions you’ll be asked. Since Dickey’s values candidates with excellent customer service skills, flexibility positivity, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, their interview questions are tailored to assess those qualities.
In this article, I’ll cover the top Dickey’s interview questions so you can wow your interviewers and land the job. With the right preparation, you’ll be ready to ace any question they throw your way!
Common Dickey’s Interview Questions
Here are some of the most frequently asked interview questions at Dickey’s Barbecue:
1. Why do you want to work at Dickey’s Barbecue?
This is often one of the very first questions asked. Don’t just say you need a job – talk about why you’re specifically excited to work at Dickey’s. Mention your passion for barbecue, interest in working for a growing franchise, or how you’re drawn to Dickey’s fun, family-like atmosphere.
2. What makes you a great fit for Dickey’s?
Highlight your strongest qualities that align with what Dickey’s looks for, like your customer service skills, teamwork, ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment, and positive attitude. Give specific examples of how you’ve demonstrated these qualities.
3. How would you handle an unhappy customer?
Stay calm, actively listen, apologize, and offer solutions to resolve their complaint. Emphasize that the customer’s satisfaction is your top priority. Provide an example of a time you pacified an unsatisfied customer.
4. How do you handle stress in a fast-paced workplace?
Discuss stress management tactics like staying organized, taking deep breaths, and asking colleagues for help when needed. Convey that you embrace the hustle and bustle of a busy restaurant. Give examples of flourishing in other fast-paced jobs.
5. What do you know about our company?
Show you’ve researched Dickey’s history, values, menu, and recent news. Mention facts like their 1941 founding in Dallas and expansion to over 500 locations. This demonstrates your genuine interest.
6. Why should we hire you over other applicants?
Highlight your most relevant skills and experiences. For example, if you have restaurant experience, emphasize how that’s made you an incredibly hard worker with top-notch customer service abilities who can handle the dinner rush.
7. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
While Dickey’s wants long-term staff, say you hope to still be with Dickey’s, having advanced to greater responsibilities through hard work. Mention aspirations that align with growth opportunities at Dickey’s.
8. How well do you work under pressure?
Describe excelling under pressure by staying focused on priorities. Provide an example of a high-pressure situation you calmly and successfully navigated.
9. How do you ensure great customer service?
Ways to provide exceptional service include greeting customers warmly, listening attentively, understanding needs, and exceeding expectations. Offer a specific story demonstrating your commitment to exceptional service.
10. Tell me about a time you worked effectively as part of a team.
Recount a time you collaborated successfully on a team project. Discuss your specific contributions while emphasizing positive interactions with teammates. Demonstrate your teamwork skills.
Dickey’s Interview Questions About Availability
Since restaurants need staff during peak hours, expect questions about your schedule. Be flexible – they may accommodate school or another job but need nights and weekends covered.
1. What is your availability?
Provide your schedule, emphasizing wide availability, especially on weekends and evenings when restaurants are busiest. If your availability is limited, stress your willingness to be flexible.
2. Are you open to working holidays, evenings, and weekends?
Say you have no issues working busy evenings and weekends and understand holidays are all-hands-on-deck times. If your availability is limited, reiterate your flexibility.
3. How much notice do you need for schedule changes?
While more notice is appreciated, convey that you can adapt to last minute schedule changes if the restaurant needs you. This shows flexibility.
4. If scheduled outside your availability, how would you handle it?
Politely remind your manager of your restrictions but stress you’ll make it work because you know schedules can change and providing excellent customer service is critical.
5. How would you handle needing time off at the last minute?
Explain you’d provide as much notice as possible and do your best to find someone to cover the shift. Apologize for the inconvenience and assure it won’t be a regular occurrence.
Dickey’s Interview Questions About You
Dickey’s wants to determine if you’ll fit their culture. Prepare for personal questions that assess your motivations, values, and temperament.
1. How would your friends describe you?
Pick positive traits your friends would highlight, like funny, loyal, and hard-working. Share a short story illustrating one of those qualities in action.
2. Why did you leave your last job?
Even if you had issues, stay positive. Say you sought career growth opportunities, returned to school, or moved. If your previous role ended badly, briefly explain while maintaing professionalism.
3. What are your strengths?
Share strengths that would add value to Dickey’s, like customer service skills, positivity, organization, time management, and work ethic. Provide examples.
4. What are your weaknesses?
Mention a minor flaw you’ve taken steps to improve, like previously struggling with punctuality and implementing daily reminders. Then pivot to a strength.
5. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Reiterate long-term aspirations that align with growth opportunities at Dickey’s, like culinary training or entering management.
6. Why do you want to be a server/bartender/shift lead?
Tie your motivations to the role. For server, discuss your passion for customer service. For bartender, mention your mixology interests. For shift lead, express your leadership skills.
7. What motivates you?
Share motivations like positive feedback from customers, achieving team goals, job stability and growth opportunities, and collaborating with kind coworkers.
8. How do you handle criticism?
Explain you listen politely, reflect on the critique, and ask questions to understand how to improve. Staying positive, you value feedback for growth.
9. How do you handle stress?
Reiterate healthy stress management tactics like exercising, talking to loved ones, practicing deep breathing, and maintaining organization. Convey you stay cool under pressure.
10. Where do you see this job taking you?
Express your excitement to master your role’s responsibilities, gain new skills, and advance within Dickey’s through hard work over time.
Dickey’s Scenario-Based Interview Questions
Dickey’s may present hypothetical situations you could encounter on the job to assess your critical thinking and judgement.
1. A customer complains their ribs are cold. Their table looks irritated. How do you handle this?
Apologize, offer to replace the order immediately, and ask if you can bring complimentary appetizers for the inconvenience. Convey you aim to make it right.
2. Your shift replacement hasn’t arrived yet but you need to leave. What do you do?
Notify the manager immediately, offer to contact the absent employee, and ask if another staff member could cover until they arrive. Reassure you won’t leave until the shift is covered.
3. You notice a coworker struggling to keep up during an extremely busy, understaffed shift. What should you do?
Ask your coworker if they need any help and offer to take on some of their lighter tasks or cover a table. Check in frequently and have their back.
4. A large party arrives at closing time and insists on being seated. How do you respond?
Politely explain you’re unable to seat them as you’re closed for the evening, but if they come back tomorrow, you’ll ensure they have an amazing dining experience.
5. Your manager asks you to mop the floors but you have 10 tables waiting. What now?
Respectfully ask if the floors can wait until after the rush since you have quite a few tables. If not, quickly mop while tending to customers.
6. A guest seems unimpaired but is acting extremely rowdy. Other customers look uncomfortable. What do you do?
Calmly explain their behavior is disturbing others. If it persists, notify the manager while ensuring excellent service to all customers.
7. You notice a coworker giving away free food to friends. How do you handle this?
Why does Lionel work at Dickeys BBQ Pit?
FAQ
Why is Dickeys BBQ so expensive?
How does dickeys bbq cook their meat?
Does Dickey’s smoke their own meat?
How much does a dickeys franchise make?
