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Hiring the Right Chef for Your Restaurant

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A chef might be called the heart of the kitchen.  They are the lead creative force of a business, no matter how casual or upscale the place may be.  This important role brings with it the responsibility of overseeing all kitchen operations.  When you are interviewing a candidate for a chef position, make sure to ask these questions:

1.) What is your philosophy on _____________?

You could be broad in filling in the blank asking about the candidates philosophy on food.  Or you could be specific and inquire about their thoughts on customer service.  It is important that you and your new chef agree on philosophy in order to create the most enjoyable and tasty experience for your employees and patrons.

2.) How would cook this dish?

John Stableforth, the director of a successful catering consultancy firm, encourages employers to share a part of their menu with a candidate.  Ask them to describe how they would prepare and serve one of the dishes.  This will show you their creative side as well as introduce their cooking methods.  Always ask if you don’t understand an answer about the cooking.  If you are not a chef, it is ok to ask them to explain.  Remember to ask about speed.  If you restaurant prepares large quantities of food, be sure your chef has experience and comfort in this area.

Check out Stableforth’s thoughts on hiring the right chef here.

3.) What experience do you have as a leader?

Bruce Buschel, an avid blogger featured on the NYTimes website in 2010, calls chefs “creative people who create in stressful situations and are given a wide berth by most colleagues.”  Your chef candidate may be able to cook and serve amazing dishes, but that is only one side of the job which you seeking to hire them.  Ask your potential employee about their experience leading a team.  You will want someone who you trust to supervise and train others; confident and commanding.

Check out Buschel’s article here.

 

Finding the right chef for your business is a time consuming task.  Take the time to ask the important questions to ensure your new chef can deliver quality plates and smoothly run your kitchen.

Dressing For An Interview

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No matter the industry you are interviewing for, dressing professional tops any list of important interview tips.  If you are interviewing for a restaurant manager or chef position, it’s important to remember that these positions hold the primary day-to-day responsibilities of a business.  Interview candidates who look the part will be treated as such, as a professional.  It is important that you look the part.  Show that you have experience, education, and knowledge through your dress.  You must remember, looks are important.  An employer will be more likely to believe that you are ready and capable to execute excellent work if you appear in professional attire.

Here’s a few of our Do’s and Don’ts for interview dressing:

DO dress for success!

DO wear dark pants/skirt.

DO wear a tie (red is an excellent choice).

DON’T wear a short skirt.

DO shave facial hair.

DO pull back long hair.

DON’T over apply make up.

DON’T wear heavy perfume/cologne.

DO limit jewelry.

DON’T drink or smoke before the interview.

DO dress to cover your tattoos.

DON’T wear cooking attire.

 

You only have one chance to make a first impression.  Make it the best you can!

5 Great Questions to Ask During Restaurant Interviews:

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We love interviewing. It’s part of who we are and what we do. We recruit the best, most qualified leadership talent for top hospitality organizations across the western U.S. and British Columbia and get to know them in an interview. We know that interviews can be dry and boring, never really telling the characteristics and commitment of each candidate – so we ask the good questions. Questions that will enable you to choose and hire the best for your staff.

Asking revealing questions during each interview reduces the risk of making a bad hire.  Apart from traditional interview questions reviewing previous employment rolls, etc. there is more to each candidate that matters and should be discussed in an interview.

 

  1. Describe a stressful evening at the restaurant of your previous employment and how you handled it.  Asking for previous examples shows their true colors- what happens when they are in leadership and how do they respond to stress.  Without a doubt, stress will come from a variety of situations and you want to hire someone who can manage the stress well.
  2. What issues to you disagree most often with your current (or most previous) boss? It’s a good idea to understand how each candidate responds to authority.
  3. What ideas and ways are you committed to ensuring your restaurant staff is motivated and working their hardest each shift? A restaurant manager has to be able to “drive the car when it’s low on gas”…. What can be done to make it a great evening of serving, even when no one wants to be there?
  4. Explain a situation in which last minute changes happened, and how did you respond? It’s essential to have a restaurant manager that can wear many hats and has a variety of talents. Changes will come- problem solving is essential for moments like this.
  5. What drove you to apply for this positions? Is he/ she looking for more money? A different location? Small/ larger business? Whatever is the reason for the application is, ensuring it’s a good one will help to decipher if this candidates is looking to commit and make a difference in their employment, verses living a lifestyle the is come and go at the best offer possible.
GET IN TOUCH WITH PACIFIC COAST HOSPITALITY FOR YOUR IMMEDIATE STAFFING NEEDS:
write to us: askus@pacificcoasthospitality.com
give us a call: 503-720-5174