How to hire a chef

Your chef is the main star of your restaurant. If you want to run a successful business in the restaurant industry, you need to understand that your menu is what will keep people coming back and your menu is only as good as your chef. 

Learning how to hire a high quality chef for your company is one of the cornerstones for growing your business. 

Hiring kitchen staff and especially hiring a chef can be a challenging experience, but there are ways to improve your hiring process so you can overcome the obstacles easier, from knowing how to assess skills to asking the right interview questions for cooks. 

When you’re looking to hire a chef, keep in mind that employment of chefs and head cooks is projected to grow by 15% from 2021 to 2031, which is a much faster rate than the average for most occupations. There’s a lot of competition for qualified chefs and many restaurants try to get a piece of them. This is why you should be smart about hiring a chef for your restaurant and do your best to streamline the hiring process, making it as smooth, fast, and effective as possible.

Just because chefs are in high demand doesn’t mean that you have to rush things and hire the first available professional for your restaurant. 

This role is fundamental for your business — a chef brings their own culinary vision and experience into your establishment, manages and oversees all kitchen operations, trains and inspires new staff, and provides invaluable input in marketing decisions. 

Hiring someone who is motivated to create a delightful culinary experience for your guests can transform any restaurant into a thriving business. 

But how do you do that? In this guide, you’ll find all the information you need about how to hire a chef. 

We’ll explain a chef’s role, the different types of chefs, the essential hard and soft skills a good chef needs, and how to assess them effectively. You’ll also find information about the average salary of a chef, sample interview questions, a chef job description template, and multiple sources to find qualified chefs.

What is a chef?

A chef is the person who conceptualizes and creates your restaurant’s menu from scratch. You can call them the protagonist of the kitchen. Since they get to decide what comes in and out of it, they are the most fundamental employee for the reputation and success of your restaurant. 

Chefs need to be able to do more than just mix ingredients and cook. 

A great chef must have vision and experience — chef positions usually require at least five years of experience in the field. To create innovative menus that impress and intrigue the guests, a chef has to be intimately familiar with various flavors and ingredients and be able to put imagination and passion into their work. 

But don’t think that chefs only have to be creative. This job role requires a lot more than that — a successful chef needs to master the balancing act between being creative and being managerial. Chefs need to have strong management skills and be able to effectively guide and supervise the kitchen’s staff in a fast-paced, dynamic work environment. 

Creating recipes that can win your guests’ hearts is not just about imagination and understanding how different tastes relate to and complement each other. Mixing ingredients requires a lot of calculations — and so does making a menu while keeping your budget in check. 

A chef’s main duties are to:

• Plan menus

• Handle inventory

• Create new recipes

• Take care of quality control

• Improve plate presentation

• Coach and hire restaurant staff

• Ensure safety standards and cleaning practices are followed in the kitchen

However, the responsibilities of your chef depend on the kind of chef you’re looking for. It’s important to clearly outline which type of cooking skills you need for the specific kind of food you’ll be offering in your restaurant. 

For example, which food styles do you want your restaurant to focus on? Is there some type of cultural cuisine or a specific kind of cooking you want to offer in your establishment? 

Some examples of cooking skills that a chef can specialize in are:

• Sushi. The preparation of this traditional Japanese dish is a whole art in itself so it’s best to look for someone who has a passion for this kind of cuisine. 

• Pastry. Making pastries, desserts, and other types of baked goods requires expertise in different activities than, say, cooking meat or Mediterranean cuisine. 

• Vegan food. Cooking nutritious and varied meals becomes more difficult when the products you can use are limited. That’s why it’s best to hire a chef who specializes in making vegan dishes if you have that kind of restaurant. 

• Pizza. Pizza dough is a tricky thing to master. It involves many specifics that a chef needs to spend the time and effort to learn. 

• Breakfast food. People can be picky about their breakfast food. It has turned into a type of cuisine as well, so it’s good to look for chefs who have expertise in preparing it if you’re hiring for a breakfast and brunch restaurant. 

• Wine and beverages. Some restaurant owners want to create a full experience for their guests’ palates by offering an extensive menu with different kinds of wine and beverages that go along with the dishes. For this kind of establishment, you need a chef who understands which drinks complement various types of food.

Aside from the types of food that your chef is going to be focusing on, you need to take into account the kitchen hierarchy as well. There are different kinds of chefs based on the type of commitment and involvement you expect them to have:

• Head chef or executive chef. This is the chef who oversees every process in the kitchen and is in charge of everyone working there.

• Chef de cuisine. They prepare specialty dishes that require more narrow expertise and help develop new recipes.

• Sous chef. The sous chef focuses on food preparation and delegating tasks to junior staff. Sous chefs are known as the right hand of the head chef or the chef de cuisine.

• Chef de partie. Chefs de partie are in charge of a particular line of production in your restaurant. They are also known as line chefs or station chefs and can be in charge of production areas such as fish or grill dishes. 

• Commis chef. These are the junior chefs who handle tasks in one part of the kitchen and are usually supervised by a chef de partie.

What is the difference between a chef and a cook?

Many people confuse the term cook with the term chef. If you’re hiring a chef, you need to make sure you’re aware of the differences between the two and that you’re looking to fill the right job role.

The main differences between the two job roles are:

• Tasks. Cooks have a good mastery of cooking techniques and can follow a recipe well, producing delicious food. Chefs create recipes from scratch and understand the art of combining flavors to craft a mind-blowing experience for the taste buds. Chefs build the menu while cooks execute it.

• Responsibilities. Chefs take responsibility for the reputation of the restaurant and whatever comes out of their kitchen. They oversee and manage the kitchen crew and must be able to jump into any position and guide their coworker. Cooks are focused on their work station and don’t have management duties.

• Experience. Chefs were usually cooks before they became chefs. Being a chef requires a lot more experience than being a cook. 

Chef hard skills

Hard skills are quantifiable skills gained through training and it’s essential to test them during your chef recruitment process. They can be easily proven because they can be demonstrated in a measurable way. 

Some of the hard skills that a chef must possess are:

Excellent knowledge of cooking techniques

A chef must know how to cook. Usually, becoming a chef means you already have five years of experience as a cook, though there are some exceptions to the rule. Knowledge of different cooking styles such as pastry baking is an advantage. 

However, no matter what type of cuisine a chef specializes in, they must have a thorough knowledge of the basic cooking techniques which include:

• Roasting 

• Grilling

• Boiling

• Steaming

• Braising

• Poaching

• Blanching

• Sautéing

Restaurant management skills

Chefs don’t just work on your menu. They also serve a managerial function for the rest of your team. The chef is the main star of the kitchen personnel and the team will look to them for inspiration and motivation. 

This is why you should hire a chef who knows how to guide and communicate well but also can handle any chaos in the kitchen with a firm hand. 

Someone with strong restaurant management skills can:

• Resolve conflicts

• Manage inventory

• Generate accurate reports

• Effectively manage employees

• Handle customer complaints smoothly

• Ensure health and safety regulations are being met

• Oversee all cooking operations and control food quality

Budgeting

Since your chef develops recipes for your menu and handles the inventory, they play a big part in maintaining your budget. Hiring a chef who has a strong grasp on finances and knows how to budget will help you spend less and earn more. 

Having budget management skills means your chef can:

• Plan costs effectively

• Regulate spending

• Make good financial decisions

• Improve the restaurant’s financial well-being

Flavor matchmaking

The art of creating a delightful dish is complex. When developing a recipe, you have to consider more than the cooking techniques — you need to match the flavors so they create a gratifying experience for the senses. According to pro chef Jason Arbusto, the challenge of being a great chef is identifying “what goes with what to make it taste good.” 

To build a successful business in the restaurant industry, you need to hire a chef who has strong flavor matchmaking skills and knows how to pair different foods and beverages. 

Computer skills

People don’t usually connect the occupation of a chef with the need for technical skills. However, hiring a chef with strong computer skills can be beneficial for your business in many ways:

• Excel proficiency allows them to calculate recipe costs and keep track of menu profits

• Inventory management software makes the managerial process much easier and more effective

• Knowledge of social media allows chefs to become an invaluable addition to the marketing team — they provide kitchen insights fresh from the oven

• Good computer skills mean chefs have more ways to interact with customers and consider their feedback, as well as improve customer satisfaction

Chef soft skills

It’s vital for chefs to have a variety of soft skills just like any other job role that involves a lot of interactions with people. Some soft skills to look for in a chef are:

Creativity

To develop a captivating recipe, a chef must be able to use their imagination in a creative way. Aside from some standard cooking rules such as adding garlic at the end of the food conduction, all good dishes have their own flair and unique taste. 

Creativity is the skill that allows chefs to think outside of the box and captivate people’s hearts with something special. 

Leadership

Chefs are the leaders of the kitchen. They must be able to lead the team effectively and guide their coworkers when things get tough. Good leaders can maintain a positive attitude while ensuring the cooking process runs smoothly. 

A chef with excellent leadership qualities:

• Tutors the staff

• Delegates tasks effectively

• Monitors closely the junior kitchen staff

• Steps in to give directions when necessary

• Remains positive and motivated despite any obstacles

• Inspires the kitchen personnel to learn and achieve better results

Customer service

People expect to have a good time at a restaurant. This includes pleasant interactions with the staff and having their concerns addressed in an appropriate manner. 

Inevitably, as your chef manages all kitchen operations and creates the menu, your guests sometimes will require interactions with the chef, be it to ask for something, provide feedback, or express their gratitude. 

A chef with good customer service skills will:

• Be attentive to the guests’ needs

• Address any concerns or conflicts effectively

• Remember and appreciate regular customers

• Increase the guests’ satisfaction with your establishment

Eye for detail

Cooking involves a lot of portioning, measuring, and calculating. A little mishap when you’re measuring the spices or a few degrees change in the pan’s temperature makes all the difference between a disaster in the kitchen and a mouthwatering meal. 

After all, the process of preparing food is essentially an applied science. Cooking itself is chemistry that includes processes used both in the laboratory and the kitchen. Applying precision during those processes guarantees a satisfying result. 

Chefs who pay close attention to details can:

• Create fascinating recipes

• Read and order inventory correctly

• Manage the kitchen staff attentively 

• Apply various cooking techniques impeccably

Time management

If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen! This popular saying applies quite literally to a chef’s working process. Working in kitchens means working in a fast-paced and dynamic environment. 

The person in charge of the cooking process must have excellent time management skills to:

• Provide high quality dishes on time

• Optimize cooking times and food preparation

• Organize and prioritize tasks while taking into consideration multiple factors

Even temper

There will be many high-stress days in the kitchen. The kitchen staff spends long hours working together and inevitably, tensions can arise. 

Having someone you look up to remain calm and collected under pressure helps everyone respond with ease to stressful situations and challenges. Don’t underestimate the power of your kitchen leader’s even temper to inspire others to deal with things effectively. 

Multitasking

There’s a lot of responsibility on a chef’s shoulders. They are responsible for a large variety of tasks which they have to finish quickly. To help run things smoothly in the kitchen, a chef must be able to adapt to whatever situation arises and jump in to help without dropping their previous tasks. 

That’s why it’s important for chefs to be able to multitask and deal with multiple responsibilities at the same time.

Communication

As with any job role that requires people management skills, chefs must be good communicators. A chef who can express themselves clearly and concisely while using professional etiquette will:

• Increase customer satisfaction

• Encourage effective collaboration

• Boost employee morale and engagement

• Ensure a smoothly running working process

How to test chef skills

Making the right hiring decision when you’re looking for a chef is crucial for your business. Your chef is a central figure for your establishment’s reputation and success. There are different culinary recruitment strategies, but to ensure you’re hiring the right candidate, you can: 

1. Write an accurate and thorough job description. List clearly the responsibilities and requirements for the job role. Make sure you state the benefits you’re offering and that they’re competitive, because there is a high demand for quality chefs. 

2. Taste their dishes. No need to go for complex meals. What really tests a chef’s abilities is being able to do the very basics flawlessly. Frequently, the ultimate test of a chef’s cooking skills is how well they can prepare something as simple as an omelet.

3. Use pre-employment skills testing. Pre-employment skills testing is a standardized, science-based method to assess your candidates’ current job-relevant skills. Implementing them in your hiring process allows you to filter out the resumes of unqualified candidates quickly and efficiently. Build a skills assessment of up to five tests from TestGorilla to find your most qualified candidate. 

4. Ask the right questions at the interview. When interviewing chefs, you must customize your questions so you can learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of your candidates. Use the results from the skills assessment you administered earlier during the chef hiring process to create personalized questions for all of the approved candidates. 

Recommended tests for a chef’s skills assessment 

• Cooking techniques: This test evaluates a candidate’s abilities to use essential cooking techniques effectively. It’s suited for every level of chef in the kitchen hierarchy. 

• Restaurant management: Evaluate objectively your candidates’ skills for managing a restaurant successfully. 

• Budgeting: This test will help you identify candidates who can create recipes while monitoring and controlling your budget. 

• Microsoft Excel skills test: Chefs use spreadsheets to create recipes, keep track of ingredients and kitchen inventory, calculate menu profits and costs, and manage their staff. This test will evaluate their general proficiency with the most commonly used software for that, Microsoft Excel.

• Leadership: This test evaluates a candidate’s ability to lead others while using influence and guidance. 

• Customer service: Find out whether your candidates can respond to customer issues in an appropriate manner and improve customer satisfaction. 

• Communication: This test identifies candidates who can communicate clearly and thoroughly while following professional etiquette. 

• Time management: This test measures your candidates’ ability to use their time effectively and in an organized manner. 

• Attention to detail (textual): This skills test allows you to identify candidates who pay close attention when they’re processing written information. 

• Big 5 (OCEAN): This personality test is based on the five-factor model, a psychological theory that allows you to evaluate five different dimensions of character and find people with the desirable characteristics for any job role.

• Culture add: Administer the Culture add test to your candidates and find out whether their values and behaviors are aligned with your company’s organizational culture.

Where to find chefs

To find the right chef for you, first, you must decide whether you need an in-house or freelance chef. In-house chefs work full-time for one client, while freelance chefs serve several clients at the same time and usually prepare an entire week of meals in one day.

Hiring an in-house chef means you will have someone to manage your kitchen staff full time, as well as an employee who is fully devoted to and emerged in your company’s culture and able to dedicate their time to creating a varied menu for you. 

On the other hand, freelance chefs cost less and do a great job for smaller businesses, private events, or catering services.

Where to find in-house chefs

• LinkedIn: The largest business social media offers for hire a big variety of professional chefs who specialize in different cuisines. 

• iHireChefs: This platform offers a handpicked selection of culinary professionals for hire. 

• hCareers: hCareers specializes in hospitality job opportunities and has a revolutionized job matching system. 

Where to find freelance chefs

• ThumbTack: This platform offers a wide selection of private chefs.

• Craigslist: You can find anything locally on Craigslist, including chefs for hire. 

• HireAChef: Since 1991, HireAChef has been successfully connecting employers with personal chefs. 

Chef job description template

[YOUR COMPANY’S NAME] is looking to hire a creative and skilled chef to create delicious meals and an innovative menu for our guests.

As our chef, you will be required to plan and develop our menu and to guide and collaborate with our kitchen team to ensure all cooking processes are running smoothly.

Chef job responsibilities

1. Use a variety of ingredients and flavors to develop new recipes

2. Plan a nutritious and delicious menu 

3. Make ingredient and inventory purchasing decisions in accordance with the budget

4. Supervise and mentor the kitchen’s staff

5. Oversee the cooking operations and stepping in when necessary

6. Make sure that all health and safety procedures are being followed strictly 

7. Receive feedback and applying changes to the cooking process when necessary

8. Manage inventory

9. Ensure that all food is well prepared, presented in a pleasing manner, and served on time

10. Place orders to resupply insufficient ingredients 

Chef job requirements

1. A culinary school diploma

2. 3-5 years of cooking experience (or equivalent) 

3. Advanced knowledge of the culinary arts

4. Portfolio of unique dishes

5. Strong leadership qualities

6. Knowledge of sanitary and safety procedures

7. Attentive and motivated

8. Expert at multitasking and time management

9. A passion for cooking

How much does a chef cost?

So, how much does it cost to hire a chef? 

According to salary.com, the average salary for a chef in the US is $50,454, but it ranges from $43,553 to $59,411. High quality chefs are in high demand, so make sure to offer a competitive salary and list the following:

• Paid vacation time

• Benefits and bonuses

• Advancement opportunities

• Health insurance and retirement plans

Chef interview questions

After you’ve screened your candidates effectively with the help of pre-employment skills tests, invite the ones whose results were satisfying for your requirements to an interview. Here are some questions you can ask:

1. Which part of your culinary training was the most rewarding for you? What did it teach you?

2. Describe the most straining situation you handled when you managed kitchen staff. How did you deal with it?

3. What role do you believe you should play in the front of the house as a chef? 

4. What interests you the most about working here? 

5. What is the best dish you’ve ever made? How did you determine it’s the best — is your judgment based on your approval of the dish or on the guests’ reaction to it?

Optimize your hiring process to find the best chef for your restaurant

Your chef creates a big part of your establishment’s reputation. Find one that matches your company’s values and is devoted, creative, and organized in their work. The recruitment process may seem overwhelming but with the right tools, selecting a chef for your business doesn’t have to be difficult.

Pre-employment skills testing can help you screen candidates effectively and find the right one for your company. Sign up for TestGorilla and make hiring easier today.