How to hire a cooker cleaner

How to hire a cooker cleaner, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cooker cleaner hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a cooker cleaner, 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 cooker cleaner's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, cooker cleaners 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of cooker cleaners.

   Type of Cooker Cleaner	Description	Hourly rate
   Cooker Cleaner	Hand laborers and material movers manually move freight, stock, or other materials. Others feed or remove material to and from machines, clean vehicles, pick up unwanted household goods, and pack materials for moving.	$12-19
   Detailer	A detailer's general responsibility is to provide automotive cleaning services to clients' specifications. Detailers' duties also include inspection of vehicle condition, conducting primary overhaul for interior and exterior defects, and knowledge of cleaning tools and equipment... Show more	$11-17
   Auto Detailer	An auto or car detailer is an employee who provides internal and external cleaning services for vehicles according to the clients' needs. Auto detailers provide the necessary cleaning services that can include steaming the interiors, vacuuming the carpets, and applying waxes and polishes... Show more	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Dishes
   • Safety Standards
   • Food Orders
   • Customer Orders
   • Customer Service
   • Food Preparation
   • Doctor Appointments
   • Clean Bathrooms
   • CPR
   • Fryers
   • Drink Orders
   • Cooking Surfaces
   • Restock Workstations
   • Credit Card

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Prepare, pack and load meals using commercial stoves, ovens, grills and fryers.
   • Clean the grills, fryers, warmers, ice cream machines and soda machines at close.
   • Adjust thermostat controls to regulate temperature of ovens, broilers, grills, roasters and steams kettles.
   • Leverage teamwork to fully utilize kitchen staff to generate remarkable food and service to ensure customer satisfaction.
   • Prepare sandwiches, salads, wraps, smoothies, and other beverages.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, cooker cleaners' average salary in mississippi is 42% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cooker cleaners earn 35% less than senior-level cooker cleaners.
   • Certifications. A cooker cleaner 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 cooker cleaner's salary.

   Average cooker cleaner salary

   $15.71hourly

   $32,677 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level cooker cleaner salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a cooker cleaner job description

   A cooker cleaner 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a cooker cleaner job description:

   Cooker cleaner job description example

   The Doe Fund is a leading New York City non-profit organization that operates the enormously visible Ready, Willing & Able program, whose participants clean over 160 miles of streets and sidewalks every day. With a $69 million budget, 400+ staff members and 46,000 individual donors, The Doe Fund is nationally acclaimed as a work-based model for solving homelessness and criminal recidivism. We empower people to break the cycles of homelessness, welfare dependency, substance abuse, and incarceration through innovative work and housing programs.
   
   The *Cook/Cleaner* is responsible for providing chef manager support in the kitchen both with junior staff and with the culinary trainees participating in the culinary training program. This position requires both a cleaning skill set and a cooking skill set, this position cooks 2-3 days a week and cleans 2-3 days a week.
   _*Food Services Department Responsibilities: *_
   
   _*Cleaning*_
   
   * Wash, sanitize and properly organize all dishes, pots, pans, etc; throughout the scheduled shift
   * Change dishwater in dish machine every two hours
   
   • Notify manager if dish machine wash or rinse cycle falls below safety standard temperatures
   
   * Break down, clean, sanitize and rebuild cooking equipment
   * Fill/empty soak tubs with cleaning/sanitizing solutions
   * Sweep/mop floors in kitchen
   * Clean any spills to ensure kitchen floors remain dry
   * Daily cleaning of the walk-in:
   
   • Floors swept and mopped
   
   • Produce consolidated or throw out
   
   * Weekly deep cleaning of: hoods, grease traps, dishwasher, floors, walls
   * Break down boxes and take out trash
   * Report any unsafe conditions or situations that require attention to your manager.
   
   *Organization*
   
   * Bring all food related deliveries from the loading dock to the kitchen.
   * Properly organize and store all delivered products: including stocking dry goods on appropriate shelves, placing refrigerated items in the walk-in, consolidating and organizing the walk-in and storage shelves in the kitchen.
   
   • FIFO - First in, First out - rule *MUST* be followed when stocking and organizing.
   
   * Transport unused product for disposal and soiled service-ware to the kitchen and/or production area for cleaning.
   * Ensure safe and sanitary working conditions
   
   _*Cooking*_
   
   * Preparing and cooking menu items in accordance with established standards, serves menu items attractively and at the proper temperature.
   * Following recipes
   * Produces food for breakfast, lunch, dinner and catered events, when needed.
   * Assist in preparing food required for the next day's menu.
   * Assist in any additional service required by special events and parties.
   * Maintain proper and adequate set-up of the kitchen/station on a daily basis. This includes requisitioning and stocking of all required food, paper products, and condiments.
   
   _*Prepping*_
   
   * Cut and clean a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins using a knife and/or cutting machines.
   * Covers, dates, stores food properly and cleans and maintains the kitchen in a safe and sanitary manner.
   * Ensuring compliance with guidelines and food safety.
   * Follow and complete all items required as listed on shiftly prep-sheet.
   * Responsible for set-up, regular maintenance, cleaning, and break-down of any machinery and equipment.
   * Responsible for maintaining stock, cutting, and storage of all perishables daily to ensure product quality.
   * Complete opening, on-going, and closing checklists as required.
   * Meet with manager upon arrival to discuss shift set-up, and check out with manager before leaving to ensure duties are completed.
   
   *Qualifications: *
   
   * 2 years Porter or Cleaning experience
   * 2 years cooking experience in a restaurant preferred
   * Excellent culinary skills
   * Knowledge of safety and sanitation in the workplace especially DoH regulations and violations
   * Attention to detail and sanitation rules
   * Must have basic reading and math, High School Equivalency preferred
   * Must be able to take direction: ability to follow instructions and help with various tasks, as needed
   * Utilization of knife cuts in a fast, efficient and safe manner
   * Interpersonal and organizational skills
   * Excellent verbal skills
   * Excellent multi-tasking skills
   * Computer Literate
   * Ability to follow instructions and help with various tasks, as needed
   * Flexibility in schedule with the ability to work early mornings, weekends, and evenings
   * Ability to oversee trainees of the culinary program through the on-the-job component of the culinary program
   
   Before you go, we want to assure you that we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace reflective of individuals who share our mission and who want to join us in working on the cutting-edge of important social issues.
   
   We are an equal opportunity employer and we highly encourage applications from candidates regardless of race, color, citizenship, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran or reservist status, or any other category protected by federal, state, or local law.
   
   All job offers are contingent upon the job applicant submitting proof that they are vaccinated by their start date or have approved medical or religious exemption as an accommodation.
   
   Job Type: Full-time
   
   Pay: Up to $18.50 per hour
   
   Benefits:
   * 401(k)
   * Dental insurance
   * Employee assistance program
   * Flexible spending account
   * Health insurance
   * Life insurance
   * Paid time off
   * Vision insurance
   Schedule:
   * 8 hour shift
   * Weekend availability
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right cooker cleaner for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with cooker cleaner candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   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 cooker cleaner

   Once you've decided on a perfect cooker cleaner candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new cooker cleaner. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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