steward

Specific tasks of a steward depend on the employer and the business sector. Some of the everyday tasks include:

• taking and managing reservations or waitlists: as a steward, you handle reservations made through various channels and organise them into the reservation system. It is crucial to keep the reservations organised to avoid disappointing clients. You also ensure clients make their appointments by following up on guests who didn't show up and managing cancellations.
• greeting guests: you should welcome guests to the ship or restaurant with a friendly smile and find someone to help them with their luggage. If they are dining at the hotel, locate their seats and help them settle in before the meal. Greeting guests is important in creating a warm and inviting space to visit another time.
• communicating wait times: if your restaurant doesn't have a reservation list, you need a waitlist to manage the traffic in and out of the hotel. Organising the waitlist ensures equality for guests and improves the dining experience. You are responsible for communicating the wait times to visitors. Hence, it is crucial to communicate accurate wait times to avoid misunderstandings and poor customer service.
• managing the seating chart for your event: as a steward, you work with the event host to allocate tables to guests and ensure every visitor sits in the correct section. You need an organised and balanced seating chart to avoid overwhelming the waiters. It is also your job to seat the guests and hand them menus before a waiters take over.
• monitoring hygiene, health and safety standards: as a steward, you are responsible for the cleanliness of the restaurant. Hence, you monitor the cleaning and sanitisation of the dining areas and kitchens. You also set the safety standards and ensure the staff adhere to the hygiene regulations.
• administrative tasks: when you are the executive steward, you oversee all the operations in the eatery related to foodservice and customer services. That means you are in charge of administrative tasks like managing procurement and inventory. Sometimes, you have to administer payroll and handle staffing issues like hiring and training new workers.
   

As a steward, your work environment depends on the industry sector you work in and your employer. For instance, a hotel and kitchen steward works in hotels or restaurants and often stays at the reception to receive new guests or take reservations. If you are a kitchen steward, your work environment is the kitchen. While classic kitchens are hot and uncomfortable to work in, most restaurants have modern kitchens with good ventilation and air conditioning systems. Your job involves outdoor work environments, especially during events or if the hotel is an outdoor dining space. You may also need to lift heavy cartons or wear company uniforms. 
 

As a steward, you work in the hospitality sector, which means your colleagues include event planners, coordinators, front office managers and who work as catering assistant. You will also be working in close proximity to chefs, restaurant managers and other specialists like bridal consultants, position on food service workers, housekeepers and waiters.
 

The work schedule of a steward varies depending on the employer. When you work in a hotel, you are likely to work over 40 hours a week on a full-time basis. Shift schedules are also available in hotels or restaurants with high traffic. You need to be ready to work less sociable hours since hotels open until late, and some have bars that open throughout the night. You may also have to cover your shift on weekends and public holidays since most eateries don't close during holidays. A steward can work fewer than 30 hours a week on a part-time basis.
 

Most people join the career as assistant stewards before becoming executive stewards. Your career progression doesn't stop there, and you can join management positions in the hospitality industry. For instance, it is easy to become the front office manager, restaurant/hotel manager, or club general manager when you are the head steward. Stewards can also explore other roles like kitchen steward, shop steward or quality assurance manager.
 

Finding your steward job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a steward is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
 

A steward is employed to take care of passengers in a train, ship or aircraft. The role also applies to people responsible for supervising activities in an event or eatery. 

 

A steward is in charge of waiters and servers in a restaurant or mansion. For example, a head butler is a steward. 

 

A steward focuses on making the guest happy by providing a good dining experience. They ensure visitors know their rooms or tables and are served by waiters and other workers.

A steward is responsible for the money or property of another person. For instance, governments are stewards of a country's resources. 

 

Applying for a steward job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!