How to hire a catering associate

How to hire a catering associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step catering associate hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a catering associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A catering associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, catering associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of catering associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Catering Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Catering Associate	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$12-18
   Food Server	A Food Server specializes in helping customers attain a pleasant dining experience while ensuring to meet all food handling and health regulation standards. Most of the responsibilities revolve around greeting customers and directing them to comfortable seats, responding to their inquires and taking their orders, and courteously suggesting options... Show more	$8-16
   Chef/Catering	A Chef/Caterer is responsible for cooking dishes at events. They direct the kitchen staff and wait personnel in serving the food, attending to food stations, and setting up buffet tables.	$12-40

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Tray Assembly
   • Allergies
   • Tray Delivery
   • Hippa
   • Patient Food Service
   • NPO
   • Customer Service
   • HACCP
   • Patient Satisfaction
   • Food Trays
   • Tray Ticket
   • JCAHO
   • Patient Meal Service

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and prioritize restaurant reservations.
   • Take patients menu selections as allowed on prescribe diet in accordance with food allergies and sensitivities.
   • Maintain cleanliness of work areas and complete closing duties (including restocking foods and snacks for patients).
   • Monitor staff to ensure HACCP and proper sanitation.
   • Used computer system to access patient records which contain details of allergies, diet restrictions, and doctors/nurses comments.
   • Collect and process meal order information from patients into the computerized menu system.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, catering associates' average salary in kansas is 35% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level catering associates 32% less than senior-level catering associates.
   • Certifications. A catering associate 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 catering associate's salary.

   Average catering associate salary

   $15.22hourly

   $31,648 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level catering associate salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

4. Writing a catering associate job description

   A catering associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a catering associate job description:

   Catering associate job description example

   Performs activities supporting preparation and service of food, delivery and collection of food and supplies, operation of machinery, and department sanitation.
   Job Responsibility
   
   * * Stocks workstations and mobile cares with service ware, condiments and perishable and non-perishable food items prior to each meal service period.
   * * Cleans and replenishes carafes for hot beverage service for each meal service period.
   * * Rotates and checks expiration dates of all food items according to department policies and procedures.
   * * Identifies patients by name and date of birth at each interaction per hospital and regulatory guidelines.
   * * Distributes printed menu and diet information cards to patients prior to first meal service.
   * * Assists patient with menu selections. Communicates if requested items are inconsistent with diet order and makes recommendations for appropriate alternatives.
   * * Obtains patient menu selections, assesses and modifies selections for therapeutic appropriateness per Nutrition Care Order, as needed.
   * * Communicates with nursing staff to identify any changes in Nutrition Care Order prior to meal service period. Communicates any concerns regarding patient meal service to appropriate clinical staff member
   * * Tallies hot and cold food items and communicates needs to production staff within established timeframe prior to scheduled assembly.
   * * Assembles tray in designated area according to daily assignment sheet, Nutrition Care Order and patient menu selections.
   * * Performs catering rounds after delivering meal trays at each meal service.
   * * Distributes and collects patient trays. Delivers late trays / rush trays to units, as needed.
   * * Notifies management of any issues during meal service including, but not limited to, shortages, unacceptable quality, and substitutions.
   * * Informs Dietitian of any patient related issues including, but not limited to poor food intake, diet order discrepancies, and food allergy concerns.
   * * Cleans pantry according to established guidelines. Follows proper procedures for cleaning and sanitizing kitchen equipment/ surfaces.
   * * Ensures proper storage of all food items, with proper labeling / dating. Discards expired products.
   * * Removes waste from plates and service ware. Stacks washable items for dishwasher and operates dishwasher according to department guidelines.
   * * Delivers clean service ware to designated areas.
   * * Delivers floor stock and nourishments to patient floors. Completes floor stock/nourishment record forms for each unit daily. Deliver snacks directly to patient at designated times.
   * * Returns census/diet list, snack list, floor stock record forms and supplement lists to designated location.
   * * Collects and returns all food, condiment, and mobile food carts to kitchen after each meal service period.
   * * Maintains safe and sanitary environment by cleaning up spills and using appropriate safety signage. Immediately notifies management of any unsafe conditions.
   * * Cleans and sanitizes mobile food trucks, workstations counters/shelves, refrigerators, wire racks, etc and uses cleaning chemicals according to established policies and procedures. Notifies management of any chemicals not properly labeled.
   * * Answers department telephone in a professional and courteous manner.
   * * Records telephone requests in appropriate log and processes requests for meal trays, special request items and/or Nutrition Care Order changes. Delivers items within established timeframe.
   * * Generate and file reports, as assigned.
   * Performs related duties as required.
   * ADA Essential Functions
   * Walking, standing, bending, pushing and pulling of trucks.
   * Lifting of supplies 20 lbs or less.
   
   Job Qualification
   
   * High School Diploma or equivalent, required.
   * Prior related food and/or dietary work experience, preferred.
   * Ability to communicate effectively in English (verbally and in writing).

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find catering associates for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any catering associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level catering associates with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your catering associate job on Zippia to find and recruit catering associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting catering associates 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. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 catering associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the catering associate 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new catering associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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