A Head Chef manages the entire operations of a kitchen. Their duties are versatile and include budget management, menu creation, staff scheduling and training and overseeing daily operations.
For a detailed overview of duties and responsibilities check out the Head Chef Career Overview.
If you are looking to hire a Head Chef, you came to the right place. These questions will show hiring managers how to assess their candidates’ skills. At the same time, the example answers will help aspiring Head Chefs prepare for the upcoming interview.
Overview of Our Head Chef Interview Questions
A lot of the things hiring managers require for a Head Chef position can’t be found on the candidates’ resumes. It is very important that both sides prepare for the interview by considering what are the best ways to check and prove leadership skills, business orientation and resourcefulness.
We divided the Head Chef Interview questions into three categories that will help you prioritize and prepare.
Head Chef Interview Questions About Skills and Experience
This category will help you understand the candidate’s motivation and overall alignment with your requirements.
As a candidate, you can use these questions to go into detail about the skills you are particularly proud of but didn’t have space to describe on your resume.
What motivated you to pursue a culinary career?
The goal of this question is to understand motivation and ambition. It will show the hiring manager if your career goals align with the establishment’s vision and mission.
Example answer: “I have always loved cooking. For as long asI can remember, I have been sneaking around my mother and father in the kitchen trying to help them out.
It was obvious that I had a passion for it since a young age. I didn’t immediately know I could make a career out of passion, because my parents were not in the industry.
As soon as I got to know that you can specialize in this industry I started signing up for classes and courses. That is how I ended up with a culinary arts degree.
Over the years I also loved leading the team and helping everyone achieve their goals and become better at wat they do. What I love the most is seeing the team work as one while making the customers happy.”
What type of training do you have and how does it relate to the position?
Training and certifications will help the hiring manager understand your overall qualifications. Some of the establishments might search for a specific skillset so read the job requirements thoroughly and prepare the matching certification.
Example answer: “I obtained my culinary arts degree at the Culinary Institue of America. As I continued progressing in my career, I also continued learning. When I was about to get promoted to the Sous Chef position, I obtained a Kitchen Leadership certificate from Typsy.”
What were the most important skills that got you promoted on your career path?
This is where you need to show you understand what the Head Chef position entails. By asking the question you will know if the candidate matches the needs of the role.
Example answer: “I know that being talented at cooking might be an entrance ticket, but it doesn’t bring you far ahead in your career.
The skills that helped me progress and that I will utilize if I get selected as the Head Chef are terrific organizational skills, outstanding communication and leadership skills.
I believe that all the skills required to be a successful Head Chef need to support the main goal of serving high-quality food and a high customer satisfaction rate. To make this happen the Head Chef needs to know everything, from ordering and pricing, to keeping team members happy.”
Situational Head Chef Interview Questions
Situational questions can be the trickiest to answer and assess. There are no right or wrong answers here.
As a hiring manager, you need to ensure that the candidate’s reactions and ideas match your establishment’s way of operating.
If you’re a candidate, you can use these questions to showcase your problem-solving skills. The most important piece of advice here is to be true to yourself and speak led by your instinct and previous experience.
Would you allow customers to request ingredient substitutions?
For hiring managers, this question is the ultimate tell whether the person in front of you is in the job to serve people or for other reasons.
On the other hand, if you’re a candidate, we get that requests like this might cause discomfort. However, our advice would be to put your ego aside and remember that you are in the industry to feed people and provide an unforgettable experience.
Example answer: “Depending on the establishment’s policies I would try to accommodate any customer request. The end goal for us as employees is to provide customers with an unforgettable experience.
As there is a rising need for dietary requirements, I would try to speak to the customer personally and check if the requested change is due to an allergy or a matter of preference. If the reason behind the change is an allergy, I would ensure that the meal doesn’t get cross contaminated.
If the reason behind the change is a matter of preference, I would explain that it will change the overall taste of the meal but still try to accommodate it.
The restaurant has been experiencing a slow period for a long time. How do you decide if you need to lay off people or not?
This is the ultimate test for leadership skills, which any Head Chef candidate should possess.
Example answer: “Before I would proceed with laying off people, I would try to speak to the sales and marketing people and get some promotions and deals that would end the slow period for our restaurant.
If those efforts wouldn’t bring the desired results, I would approach this unpleasant and challenging task in a professional way. As I would implement a performance review system this task wouldn’t catch me off-guard.
I would communicate openly with team members and let them know what was happening from the start, as this the perfect way to keep the brand reputation intact. Then, I would try to give the team members that will be laid off enough time to find another job.
The things I would include are performance assessments, overall fit in the team, contribution, motivation and willingness to learn.”
Business Operation Questions for a Head Chef Interview
A Head Chef must understand all the business elements at the same level as the owners. Those this position will be in charge of ensuring smooth operation and that requires cost efficiency.
That said, the following set of questions will determine if a candidate has what it takes to run the kitchen operations.
Does food cost play a role in menu creation?
This question will determine if a candidate’s business acumen is as good as they claim. It is also a great point to remind them that revenue is an important factor in a Head Chef’s success.
Example answer: “Yes, food price is one of the key factors when it comes to menu creation and overall revenue.
But one thing I wouldn’t compromise on when it comes to food price is quality. I would do my best to find high-quality food with acceptable prices that will keep the establishment profitable.”
How do you choose vendors?
This question speaks volumes about the relationship with key stakeholders as well as how good a candidate’s network is.
Example answer: “When it comes to choosing vendors, I try to work with local ones that have a better chance of providing high-quality fresh food. I would always try to find vendors that follow organic production, as well as vendors that respect sustainability.
Additionally, I would review the current vendor list and suggest improvements.”
How do you ensure constant food quality?
Ensuring constant quality of dishes is one of the main tasks of a Head Chef, so it’s important to assess a candidate’s approach to this.
Example answer: “I would train the team members to maintain a high-quality standard of food preparation and presentation. However, I would still adhere to the food tasting procedure.
In my previous position we had a quality-control checklist, that allowed the team members to be creative and decision makers, while never compromising on the food quality.”
How To Prepare for a Head Chef Interview
Gordon Ramsay’s Head Chef Interview Test
Tips for Candidates
Research the establishment: Make sure you know which type of food the restaurant prepares. Go to their website, check customer feedback and if possible, eat there. This way, you will be able to incorporate your answers more with the establishment’s values and its requirements.
Showcase unique skills: Always emphasize the facts that prove that you are unique among all the candidates. Whether it is a unique certification which you have earned, a distinctive technique that you have applied in the preparation of food or even any interesting thing which has happened, ensure that you prove your added values effectively.
Prepare situational responses: To be ready to answer situational questions, reflect on the situations that occurred in your practice. STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) is a strategic approach that will help to organize your response. This includes describing the situation, the task or your role, the action you took and the result you achieved.
Tips for Hiring Managers
Create a comfortable environment: When beginning the interview, immediately introduce the organization. Take some time to make small talk to help the candidate feel more at ease. Relaxed candidates will be more candid in their answers and provide more depth and thought into their answers.
Ask for practical demonstrations: If possible, one may include a practical section in which the candidate may be asked to prepare a dish or even design a sample menu. This will help you see how good they are in the kitchen, how creative and the kind of pressure they can handle.
Evaluate cultural fit: Finally, check whether the candidate has the right personality as well as the work attitude for your organization and the restaurant.
Tips From a Head Chef
While we gave you thorough interview preparation for the Head Chef position, there is nothing that speaks louder than personal experience.
We asked Jimmy Chill, the Head Chef at Branja Miami, to share his insights on the most rewarding aspects of being a Head Chef.
Pro Tip
“In perspective, and after all, I’m an entertainer. I love being hospitable, and curating experiences. The greatest satisfaction and the most rewarding aspect of my work takes place when the boundaries and formalities are broken between myself and the guests, as it makes them feel a part of an inner circle, and thanks to food that’s not a very difficult task.”
Keep these words at heart, and if you are ready to dive into the job market check out the open Head Chef Positions now.
