The kitchen is the heart of your restaurant, and hiring a good Chef to manage it is one of the most important things you can do to guarantee your establishment’s success.
Chefs don’t just oversee the rest of your kitchen staff, but also create menus, plate dishes and are responsible for every meal that is served to your customers. That’s why it’s important to hire someone who can do a lot more than just whip up a good dish.
In this article, we’ll show you how to hire a Chef for your restaurant by highlighting how to write the job description, conduct the interview process, and ultimately make a compelling job offer.
What a Chef Job Description Should Look Like
A good Chef job description will attract the right candidates and weed out applicants you don’t want. Your job listing should state clearly what you’re looking for and what a candidate can expect if they apply.
Be specific about the duties that come with the Chef job and the minimum level of relevant industry experience required. Another thing you can do to attract more candidates is to list all the perks of working in your restaurant and talk more about your company’s culture.
When crafting your job description, keep in mind that there are different types of Chefs in the kitchen hierarchy and that their roles differ slightly in terms of key responsibilities.
For example, if you already have a Head Chef or Station Chef, and you want to bring in someone who’ll be in charge of desserts and sweet goods, make sure to post a Pastry Chef job description that is specific for the role.
Where to Find Qualified Chefs
To find qualified Chefs, turn to relevant job portals or a recruiting agency that can get you in touch with candidates in your area.
Since the role typically doesn’t require formal education, you can look at all the candidates’ resumes and see which ones meet your expectations. Look for candidates with previous experience in relevant positions and skills that matter the most for the role.
However, it’s a good sign if a candidate has a Chef certification as it shows they’ve received training in food safety and sanitation and have potentially learned more about working in the role.
Another thing you can do is think about an opportunity to hire internally. Instead of bringing a new Chef, you can promote a Cook from your team and give them a chance to prove themselves in a new position.
By helping your current employees to grow professionally, you’ll create a better work atmosphere and motivate them to prove themselves.
The Interview Process
After penning your job description, you’ll hopefully have many candidates apply for the job.
The interview process is where you’ll get to meet them and learn who they are as a person. It’ll also help you better understand their backgrounds and whether they’re a good fit for your restaurant.
Prepare for this step by going through common interview questions for Chefs and customize them so they suit your position and establishment. You can focus on both technical culinary skills and team management questions.
Evaluating Candidates
When evaluating candidates, look for key skills that’ll help them succeed in the role. We listed the most important ones below.
Cooking experience
Becoming a Chef typically requires some experience working in a kitchen environment. Most Chefs started their careers as Cooks and eventually transitioned into their current roles.
Chefs and Cooks aren’t the same, but you can consider giving an experienced Cook an opportunity to take on a Chef role. If you already have an Executive Chef, they can serve as their mentor and help them adjust to the new role.
Leadership skills
All Chef roles involve some form of team management. While strong leadership may be less relevant for a Pastry Chef, it’s an absolute must when hiring an Executive Chef.
Their job sees them manage the entire kitchen team, handle finances and come up with solutions to company-wide issues and problems. So, if you’re creating a job description for an Executive Chef, don’t forget to highlight leadership experience as one of the key requirements.
Eye for detail
The Chef role requires having a lot of attention to detail, especially when it comes to plating dishes and creating a menu for your restaurant.
While all Chefs have to possess meticulous attention to detail, this is something to focus on even more when hiring a Pastry Chef as well-plated desserts will determine how successful your restaurant is.
Making the Job Offer
Once you find your ideal candidate, it’s time to make a formal job offer. Before you contact them, work out the details of what you’ll be offering and think about whether there’s room for negotiation.
To get this right, learn what the average salary for Chefs in your state is and ensure your offer is competitive. Also, consider any major benefits that’ll come in the package and make sure to mention them to the candidate.
Other important details to discuss are the contract length, vacation leave policy and health insurance plan.
Lastly, if they accept the offer, inform other Chef candidates that the position has been filled.
Onboarding Your New Chef
The first onboarding step is to collect all the necessary paperwork from your new employee. This includes things like their Social Security Number (SSN), W-4 form, I-9 form and their emergency contacts.
After that, you should introduce them to the rest of the team, familiarize them with their workplace and give them their first tasks.
Being a new worker in the kitchen isn’t easy. You can help out your new Chef by providing them with constructive feedback after the first few weeks and asking them to voice any issues or inquiries they might have.
Retaining Your Chef
Hiring a good Chef is one thing, but keeping them in your establishment is arguably harder.
Remember to give them recognition for a job well done and hand out performance bonuses when they’ve earned them. This will go a long way towards making them stay in your restaurant and reducing the turnover rate.
Creating a safe and enjoyable work atmosphere in the kitchen can help as well. Invest in new cooking equipment like professional Chef knives and listen to any recommendations made by the Chef on what can be improved.
Final Thoughts
The right Chef can help build a name for your restaurant and lead the kitchen towards your shared goals.
It’s probably one of the hardest hires you’ll have to make as an owner or a Restaurant Manager, but when you get it right, there’s no doubt it’ll be rewarding.
