Olive Garden Application Online
Olive Garden is an American chain of restaurants known for its Italian-American cuisine. It is one of the restaurant brands owned and operated by Darden Restaurants, Inc., and accounts for 45% of the revenue generated by the company. If you are interested in seeking employment with Olive Garden, you can find a link and instructions on how to apply for jobs at Olive Garden below.
Darden Restaurants, Inc., began when William Darden opened a restaurant called The Green Frog in Georgia in 1968. He later went on to found Red Lobster before selling the company to General Mills in 1970. General Mills went on to greatly expand the company with a number of new restaurant chains, including opening the first Olive Garden in 1982 in Orlando.
Olive Garden prides itself on being considered a family restaurant, and on bringing a taste of “modern Italy” to its customers. They extend this policy to apply to employees; in order to help guests feel comfortable and welcomed, the company expresses a focus on nurturing team members and fostering a positive work environment.
Nowadays, there are more than 800 Olive Garden locations operating globally. It accounts for almost half of Darden’s sales, matching former sister restaurant chain Red Lobster. It is the largest Italian-themed full-service restaurant chain in the US. They are always hiring for Olive Garden jobs at a variety of levels and responsibilities, so if you are interested, check out how to apply for Olive Garden online today.
Olive Garden Careers
Olive Garden is a big company, with locations all over the US, and like most companies of its size it always has job opportunities available for those looking for a career in the food service industry. Jobs begin at entry level, with floor positions available at various restaurant locations. These require minimal experience and are good for those just starting out; applications for these positions, as well as at the management level, are handled through online application portals on their website.
As far as corporate careers go, the Olive Garden website contains a link to apply online for positions with Darden support centers. Through this system, you can search job opportunities and either submit a direct application for a specific opening you are interested in, or just submit your resume and application form for general consideration.
How old do you have to be to work at Olive Garden?
You must be at least 16 years old to be eligible for Olive Garden jobs. Many upper-level opportunities require more experience, a high school diploma or GED, or an advanced degree. However, if you meet the requirements for a given position, go ahead and submit your free application.
Olive Garden careers come with a number of possible benefits. Their “Total Rewards” system offers an exhaustive list, including medical, dental, and life insurance, short and long term disability, paid vacation time, flexible spending accounts, and some more unusual offerings such as pet insurance and the Darden Employee Credit Union.
Olive Garden Job Descriptions
Host – The host (or hostess) is the first line of contact with customers, and as such are responsible for maintaining a positive first impression. They must be warm and friendly when greeting guests, taking reservations, and answering customer inquiries. They are also responsible for distributing guests among servers and acting as backup for servers when necessary. Hosts make between $8 and $12 per hour.
Server – Servers are the team members who spend the most time interacting with customers, and as such are responsible for making sure the guests have a positive, welcoming experience. Their job description includes greeting guests, taking food and drink orders, ensuring the orders they collect from the kitchen are accurate, and refilling drinks and appetizers when necessary, as well as fielding customer complaints. Servers make around $5 an hour, plus tips.
Line Cook – Line cooks, while they do not interact directly with customers, are perhaps the most responsible for their ultimate satisfaction. They are responsible for preparing food according to standardized recipes while following all food handling and sanitation procedures. They must also ensure that all food in a given order is completed at the same time, is arranged to be visually appealing, and is hot when delivered to the servers. Line cooks make an average of $11 per hour.
Service Manager – The service manager is responsible for the overseeing of the restaurant team. They handle hiring and scheduling on the restaurant level, ensuring that the team works together smoothly and competently, building connections with guests, completing weekly beverage inventories and orders, and writing and delivering performance reviews. Service manager salary rates vary, but are generally around $40k per year.
Olive Garden Interview Questions
Once your Olive Garden application has been reviewed, if the hiring manager decides that your experience fits what they are looking for, you may be contacted for an interview. Here are some commonly asked questions:
Tell me about the most difficult customer you’ve ever dealt with. The interviewer wants to know how you handle pressure, and that you can deal with difficult customers without losing your temper or escalating the situation. Honesty is the best policy, even if your previous experience didn’t end well. If that is the case, explain what you learned from the incident, and what you would do differently now.
What interests you about working in the food service industry? The interviewer is interested in finding out your career priorities, such as if you are interested in advancement or just a short-time gig. They also want to know if you are specifically invested in the food service industry, or just looking for any job that pays the bills. Have an answer prepared that sounds smooth but not overly-rehearsed.
Why should we hire you? The interviewer has already selected your resume from however many others they received; now they are looking for reasons to hire you over the other candidates they are interviewing. They also want to figure out your temperament: can you talk about yourself without bragging? What makes you special? This is a good question to rehearse your answer to.
What are your coworker pet peeves? This question is meant to explore how you work in a team, and if you are a good team player. Since Olive Garden is all about the sense of family and welcoming, it is important for them to figure out if you will be a disruptive influence. Don’t harp on old grievances, and be prepared for this to segue into a question about how you handle coworker disagreements.
What was the last movie you saw for fun? The interviewer wants to know a little more about you as a person, maybe to see if you will be a good subjective fit for the team already in place. Be honest with your choice, but stay away from movies that are too offensive or political if you can.
Advice for Application Process
There is no printable application for Olive Garden, nor is there any way for you to download application form. Instead, you must submit your Olive Garden job application online through their careers website, which allows you to filter by level, job title, and location so that you can find local opportunities that suit your qualifications and interest.
In order to apply for Olive Garden jobs online, you must make an account on their website, which then allows you to upload your application materials. The site helps keep everything organized on both ends of the hiring process. For you, it will keep records of what jobs you applied to and when, as well as saving your resume for multiple applications.
Once your materials have been reviewed, if you are what Olive Garden is looking for, you may be contacted to schedule an interview with a local administrator or manager. You should dress nicely for the interview, even if it is only an entry-level position. Err on the side of too formal if you’re not sure, and definitely avoid any rips, tears, or offensive slogans.
There is no printable application form for you to bring along, but do bring a copy of your resume on quality paper to use as a reference or to leave with the interviewer when you leave. Rehearse your answers to the common questions above and others in advance, and come prepared with questions of your own. A good go-to if you don’t know what to ask is “What does a typical day in this position look like?”
After your interview, it’s not a bad idea to send a follow-up email reiterating your interest in the position, asking any questions you may have forgotten, and thanking the contact for their consideration. The extra reminder may be all it takes to set you apart from the other candidates for the job, and it may even get your contact to remember you the next time an opening rolls around.