One of the best ways to get an idea of a prospective employee is to do a day’s trial and see them in action. You will find quite often that unless they have a lot of experience you may have to go through every detail with them. However this can be an advantage as they will do things as you would like them doing not as they were done in their previous position. However if you are new to the trade having a capable person who you can leave to get on with it is a brilliant bonus. As you become used to your staff you can expand their duties into other areas such as doing the shopping and answering the phone. It is also good to build up a group of people you can trust to sit in for you as this means that now and again you can have a night off. Plus I find that a lot of people quite enjoy sitting in and playing at being an inn keeper. It can also be a useful experience for anyone who is thinking of going into the trade. You may find yourself that you can gain experience in this way if you know anyone who operates a guest house or hotel. Also even if you don’t know anyone you can should you wish to ring round and offer your services as an inn sitter.