How to hire a cook manager

How to hire a cook manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cook manager hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The cook manager 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 cook manager 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.

   Here's a comparison of cook manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Cook Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Cook Manager	Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	$12-24
   Short Order Cook	A short-order cook takes responsibility for preparing foods in cafes and restaurants. Usually, they fry eggs, cook fries, and prepare sandwiches... Show more	$11-18
   Lead Line Cook	Typically, lead line cooks work under the supervision of a chef or head cook in a kitchen. Leadline cooks oversee the food preparation process from start to end... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Customer Service
   • Food Service
   • Payroll
   • Food Preparation
   • Customer Complaints
   • Bank Deposits
   • Customer Orders
   • Safety Standards
   • POS
   • Inventory Control
   • Safety Procedures
   • Management
   • Place Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage food expo; facilitate food temp logs; creation of menu specials; management and supervision of production staff
   • Utilize FIFO and organize shelves.
   • Educate and confirm employees follow ServSafe procedures
   • Utilize fryers, broilers, grills, ovens and other industrial cooking equipment.
   • Operate large volume cooking equipment such as grills, deep fat fryers, and griddles.
   • Train and certify in ServSafe food handling, storage, and preparation, and communicate these skills to educate kitchen staff.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your cook manager job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A cook manager salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, cook managers' average salary in mississippi is 43% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cook managers earn 48% less than senior-level cook managers.
   • Certifications. A cook manager with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a cook manager's salary.

   Average cook manager salary

   $36,668yearly

   $17.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level cook manager salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

4. Writing a cook manager job description

   A job description for a cook manager role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a cook manager job description:

   Cook manager job description example

   Harris Health Care North is a 32 bed skilled nursing facility providing sub-acute, long-term, rehabilitative, dementia, and end of life services. It is owned by the Harris family who have been serving their local communities for 60 years. Our environment is rooted with family values and authentically home. We predicate our success on treating the staff like family so they treat the residents like family.

   Do you love cooking and feeling like you're truly making a difference in someone's life and want enjoy going to work everyday? Look no further! We offer a positive, upbeat work environment where all personnel work together for the good of the resident.

   If you want to work where you will be respected, valued, and appreciated, we hope you’ll want to join our team.

   We are looking for people to work part time in our kitchen. Breakfast lunch and dinner shifts available !!

   Example of responsibilities:

   • Prepare meals for residents
   • Assist in clean up and kitchen maintenance
   • Setting up and taking down dining areas
   • Preparing and serving snacks

   Requirements:

   • Experience in a kitchen
   • Rhode Island Certified Food Safety Manager Certificate
   • Willingness to undergo a National Background Check
   • Willingness to participate in continuing education courses provided within the facility
   • Weekend Availability and Holiday
   • Must be Fully Vaccinated

   Skills our ideal candidate would have...

   • Leadership
   • Ability to remain calm and undertake various tasks
   • Excellent time management abilities
   • Familiarity with sanitation regulations
   • Dependability

   
   YOU MUST BE FULLY VACCINATED TO WORK IN ANY RI NURSING HOME !!!

   What do we have to offer YOU?

   • Competitive Salaries/Wages
   • Paid Holidays, Vacations, Personal and Sick Days available for Eligible Employees including Part-Time Employees

   Company DescriptionSmall family owned and operated skilled nursing facility In business over 60 years. Come work where you're part of the family. If you are interested in working in an environment where you are respected, valued and appreciated please submit your resume to express your interest.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right cook manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with cook managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit cook managers who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit cook managers, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 cook manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the cook manager 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 cook manager first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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