After three interviews for reception or housekeeping you often have a feeling, not a comparable assessment. A short scorecard with fixed criteria helps general managers, HR and department heads place candidates side by side fairly. Read how to set up and use that card.
13 October 2026
In hotels, several people often interview: the department head, someone from HR and sometimes the general manager. Without fixed criteria, one person scores on “chemistry”, another on experience, and a third on availability. By the end of the week it is no longer clear who fitted better. A scorecard forces you to weigh the same points, so you can compare candidates per role fairly even when interviews happen on different days.
Keep the list short: five to seven points that truly apply to the role. Typical criteria for hotel roles:
• Availability and shifts: whether the roster (weekends, nights, early shifts) matches what someone can and will do.
• Guest attitude: how they talk about guests, complaints and busy moments at the desk or in the outlet.
• Role skills: what the job needs, for example PMS, room cleaning, setting breakfast or bar work.
• Language: score only if the requirement really applies; test briefly in the relevant language.
• Teamwork: how they handle colleagues, handovers and peak moments in the team.
• Reliability signals: concrete examples of punctuality, finishing shifts and being reachable, not vague impressions.
• Optional per role: leadership for supervisors, or calm under pressure for night reception.
Use a 1 to 5 scale and write one short sentence for 1, 3 and 5 on each criterion. Then two interviewers score in a comparable way.
• 1: clearly not a fit (no weekend availability when that is required; no basis in the required language).
• 3: meets the basics, with support or onboarding still needed.
• 5: strong match: proven experience or attitude that is ready to deploy.
For every score, note one concrete example from the interview. “Good vibe” is not a score; “named three ways to calm an angry guest” is.
Have the department head fill in skills and team criteria; HR or the recruiter watches availability, language and process. The general manager does not need to score every criterion, but should see the summary before an offer. Complete the card right after the interview, not days later. If two people interview, both fill in briefly and then compare, rather than inventing one shared mid-score without discussion.
Do not blindly total up a winner. Use the card to make differences visible: who scores high on shifts and language, who on craft. Agree beforehand which criteria are must-haves (for example weekends for F&B). A candidate with a low must-have score is out, even with a strong overall impression. When scores are close, the department that will work with the person weighs more. Record the choice: who, why, and which doubt you consciously accept.
• Too many criteria: fifteen points get filled in at random; five to seven are enough.
• No anchors: then “4” means something different for each interviewer.
• Filling in only after the last interview: earlier candidates fade into a vague memory.
• Using the scorecard to excuse a gut rejection: do not adjust scores afterwards to justify a preference.
• Illegal or irrelevant points: age, family or accent without a language requirement do not belong on the card.
• Do you have a fixed scorecard with five to seven criteria per hotel role?
• Are there short anchors at 1, 3 and 5 so scores are comparable?
• Does the department head cover skills and team, and HR availability and process?
• Is the card completed right after each interview?
• Are must-haves agreed beforehand, separate from the total score?
• Do you record the final choice and reason briefly in your ATS or hiring file?
AXXAZ Hospitality supplies reliable hospitality staff to hotels across Europe. If you have open roles and want candidates already pre-screened on availability, language and function, we work from a clear staffing brief. Get in touch if you want to fill a role.
Use a short scorecard per hotel role with fixed criteria and 1 to 5 anchors, fill it in right after the interview with the department head and HR, and decide on must-haves plus comparable scores instead of gut feel alone.