The French Room restaurant in Dallas’ Adolphus Hotel sports an inimitable pedigree, including Five Diamonds from AAA, Zagat’s rating as the number-one hotel restaurant in America, and a Travel + Leisure spot among the 25 world’s best dining experiences.

Last year, the restaurant served 15,000 covers, 75 percent of which were local clientele. “This year, covers are down 10 percent,” says Jim Donohue, manager and maitre d’. “But regulars say they keep coming because, if they plan to drop $200 on a meal, they want to do it somewhere they trust.

“There is prestige in working here,” Donohue says, and that prestige contributes to nearly no turnover among a staff that [on a Saturday night] includes a maitre d’, a hostess, four captains, four waiters, four bussers, a food runner, and a kitchen staff of seven to ten. Six months ago, Donohue hired a busser for the first time in three years. Last year, he received several applications for a sommelier position that had not been vacant in five years.

THE PROCESS
In addition to the restaurant’s prestige, a significant factor contributing to the nearly nonexistent turnover is a rigorous hiring process that includes multiple interviews, extensive staff involvement, and a written exam for sommeliers. In-depth participation of existing staff as a means toward vetting potential colleagues is crucial.

From the outset, existing staff inform the French Room’s hiring efforts, first by putting likely candidates up for consideration. “I only hire people recommended by staff members,” Donohue says.

Recommended candidates who make it to the interview stage begin with a preliminary meeting over coffee with Donohue and a captain. A subsequent interview over lunch typically includes two captains. An intensive written test for a sommelier candidate can last up to two hours. Next, the candidate meets with the chef and F&B director and later the GM. Finally, the whole crew gathers for a formal introduction before an employment offer is made.

AFTER THE OFFER
Far from being over, the hiring process has only begun when an offer is made. Donohue says the 30-day probationary period and subsequent 60 days mark the true heart of the process. “The ‘hiring’ is not as important as whether they will stay,” says Donohue, “and that has to be determined through weeks of hands-on effort and observation. We really know nothing about an individual until we see them under fire.”

EMPLOYEE ATTITUDES
“When I think about hiring someone,” Donohue says, “I always ask, can they get along with the staff?” Criteria applied to a new inductee are “by necessity subjective,” says Donohue. “Is he a nice guy? Does she take direction? Is he a good person? And ‘good person’ has a broad definition. Is she willing to learn? Is he approachable? How does he deal with mistakes?”

This is where staff observation and participation kick into high gear. Donohue relies on ongoing feedback from front-line staff. There is no formal reporting mechanism, but staffers know to keep Donohue in the loop regarding performance and demeanor. “An employee’s attitude toward everyone in the restaurant must be one of respect,” says Donohue. “If he treats me properly but then treats other people poorly, I’ll hear about it.” Donohue has fired waiters based on the testimony of bussers, for example, such as when a busser asked a waiter to give him a hand serving coffees and the response was a brusque, “That’s not my job.”

While the rules may be gray, Donohue safeguards his decision-making by seeking consensus from all interested parties. When he heard a cashier was slacking off, “I went to every captain, waiter, sommelier, and hostess. I got everyone’s feedback before I talked to her.”

On those infrequent occasions when the hiring process is invoked at the French Room, it’s not strictly regimented from one hire to the next. But there is one common feature: From the initial recruiting effort to the watchful evaluations that cement the deal, existing staff play a critical role. Under Donohue’s watch, this approach has resulted in staff with real staying power.

Based in Annapolis, Maryland, freelance writer Adam Stone covers hospitality, technology, healthcare, and economic development.