How to hire a back-of-house specialist

How to hire a back-of-house specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step back-of-house specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a back-of-house specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new back-of-house specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The back-of-house specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect back-of-house specialist also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of backs-of house specialist.

   Type of Back-Of-House Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Back-Of-House Specialist	Material recording clerks track product information in order to keep businesses and supply chains on schedule. They ensure proper scheduling, recordkeeping, and inventory control.	$12-19
   Inventory Clerk	Inventory clerks or inventory control clerks manage and maintain all inventory coming in and out. They ensure that the items are stored and stocked in their proper places... Show more	$12-18
   Supply Clerk	A supply clerk works in a warehouse environment helping businesses maintain operations. Supply clerks' duties may vary from job to job... Show more	$11-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cleanliness
   • Dishes
   • Food Preparation
   • Food Handling
   • Dishwashers
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Service
   • BOH
   • Inventory Control
   • Cycle Counts
   • Stock Room
   • Product Assembly
   • Customer Orders
   • Stock Shelves

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage assign commodities by communicating MRP changes to the suppliers, minimizing obsolete inventory while achieving the optimum inventory targets.
   • Work with fryers, microwaves, oven, and the grill.
   • Use fryers and create handmade salads on request.
   • Assist in training new sales associates on BoH responsibilities.
   • Assist in POS transaction and fix mistakes in POS.
   • Maintain inventory using rf scanners to keep stock and numbers intact.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your back-of-house specialist job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A back-of-house specialist can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, backs-of house specialist' average salary in florida is 38% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level backs-of house specialist 38% less than senior-level backs-of house specialist.
   • Certifications. A back-of-house specialist with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a back-of-house specialist's salary.

   Average back-of-house specialist salary

   $15.37hourly

   $31,967 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level back-of-house specialist salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing a back-of-house specialist job description

   A good back-of-house specialist job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a back-of-house specialist job description:

   Back-of-house specialist job description example

   Chick-fil-A Legacy Village is looking for a BOH kitchen prep.
   
   Here at Legacy Village we love to have fun and work hard. Apply with us and lets see what is next for you!
   
   Thank you for your interest in a great career opportunity with Chick-fil-A. Here, you are taking the first step towards a very rewarding career. Every job at Chick-fil-A will prepare you to be the best you can be.
   
   We are currently looking for high energy, hard working team members to join our kitchen team. Must have a sense of urgency, focus on food safety and sending out a great food product people will love.
   
   Work directly with the Owner/Operator
   
   CLOSED ON SUNDAYS!
   
   Hours of operation are 6:30AM-10:00PM Monday-Saturday
   
   Bilingual applicants are encouraged to apply
   
   Competitive Pay and Benefits
   
   Scholarships Available

   Requirements/Responsibilities

   Responsibilities of Prep:
   
   Must be at least 16 years old
   
   Basic Food Prep:
   Salads, fruit cups, wraps, Greenleaf, chicken shredding, tomatoes, cabbage blend, special made orders, washing produce, stocking produce for day parts, etc.
   
   Restocking
   
   Catering Orders
   
   General cleaning and maintaining
   
   Opening and closing duties
   
   Produce Ordering (if needed)
   
   Desired Skills:
   Food safety mindset
   Proactive
   Desire to improve and good at communication
   Great attitude
   
   Benefits:
   Scholarships
   Paid Time Off
   401k etc.

   Special Instructions

   Please do not send any emails, resumes, or call.
   We are making it really easy to apply for this position.
   
   Simply submit a ZippyApp application package which may include the Common Employment Application, Resume, and a Cover Letter. In your Cover Letter, please write a short paragraph describing yourself and why you would make a great addition to our team.

   ZippyApp is the Common Employment Application for online and mobile that allows you to apply for jobs with one click, and is being accepted at a growing number of businesses each day.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find backs-of house specialist for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your back-of-house specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit back-of-house specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting backs-of house specialist requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new back-of-house specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the back-of-house specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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