How to hire a culinary specialist

How to hire a culinary specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step culinary 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 culinary specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new culinary specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The culinary 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a culinary specialist to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a culinary specialist that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of culinary specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Culinary Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Culinary Specialist		$11-28
   Banquet Captain	Banquet captains are responsible for directing each banquet staff in the entire meal service and assign tasks to them as required. Their duties include teaching new staff members how to execute their designated tasks in the banquet... Show more	$13-19
   Shift Leader	Shift leaders are tenured or experienced employees who are assigned to oversee employees in specific work shifts. They manage team members who are assigned in their shift... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Culinary
   • Food Safety
   • Patients
   • Cleanliness
   • Food Storage
   • Food Products
   • Cooking Equipment
   • Fine Dining
   • Quantity Food Preparation
   • Sailors
   • Preventive Maintenance
   • Food Sanitation
   • Facility Residents

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and lead a HACCP plan for the restaurant.
   • Manage user securities, roles, database backups, restore, fail-over management for SQL cluster.
   • Help maintain haccp records, and all sanitation rules.
   • Set up the batter cart, fryers, and chicken holding cabinet and collect all necessary small wares.
   • Design and fabricate menu items for guests with gluten sensitivitys, sulfates allergies, and low fat constraints.
   • Provide meals for patients with food allergies, food sensitivities, diseases and those revolving from surgical procedures, and pediatrics.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, culinary specialists' average salary in new mexico is 43% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level culinary specialists 62% less than senior-level culinary specialists.
   • Certifications. A culinary 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 culinary specialist's salary.

   Average culinary specialist salary

   $37,641yearly

   $18.10 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level culinary specialist salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a culinary specialist job description

   A good culinary 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 culinary specialist job description:

   Culinary specialist job description example

   Chick-fil-A Hampton & Chippewa is seeking highly motivated, highly professional, full time candidates to join our Kitchen Team! Working with CFA Hampton & Chippewa is more than just a job; it's a true career development opportunity. If you are hungry to grow and be a part of a challenging, yet rewarding job, this is the team for you!
   Who We Are: - One of the fastest-growing quick-service restaurants in the country - Industry leader in Customer Service & Hospitality - Faith-based, individually owned & operated company
   Our Perks/Benefits - Free College Tuition! - Highly Competitive, Full Time Pay ($15/hr starting wage!) - Very Flexible Scheduling - Overtime Available - Health Insurance Benefits Available - Access to Quarterly Bonuses at Select Levels - PTO Benefits for All Employees - 401K - 3% Retirement Matching - Access to Scholarships at up to $2,500 per year - Sundays Off - Free Meals During Shifts - Employees Discount - Promotion and Development Potential - Positive Work Environment - Opportunity to work for an Operator who is engaged with the team and cares about you
   
   Ideal Team Member Traits: - Humble & teachable, with a mindset for growth - Ability to multitask and work at a fast pace - Team-oriented, adaptable, dependable, and strong work ethic - Positive attitude - Effective communicator
   Kitchen Professional Responsibilities: - Maintain and exceed food-safety standards for the sake of our guests - Produce meals quickly and accurately, with the utmost quality and freshness - Stay up to date on training and procedures - Become well rounded in all kitchen roles (breading, fryers, cold prep, assembly, etc...) - Keep the kitchen clean, stocked, and well maintained - Communicate and collaborate effectively with team members, leaders, and guests - Work with the mindset of helping our team get better every day
   
   REQUIREMENTS
   Must be at least 16 years of age upon hire date Must be eligible to work in the United States Must have a source of reliable transportation Ability to handle all equipment, pans, pots, navigating shelving both high and low Reading, writing, and basic math and verbal communication skills required Works in hot, noisy and fast paced environment Mobility required during shifts Must work well under pressure
   
   ABOUT THE COMPANY
   Working at Chick-fil-A is more than just a job. Centered around a strong purpose that informs and inspires us, we are constantly seeking to have a greater impact, no matter how big or small the task. Our culture is built on a foundation of trust, authenticity, community, and mutual respect. Our differences strengthen us, and we know we are better together than we are alone. We are fortunate to work with extraordinary people and unite around something bigger than ourselves.

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5. Post your job

   To find the right culinary specialist 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 culinary specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit culinary specialists 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 culinary specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit culinary specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit culinary specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   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 culinary specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the culinary 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new culinary specialist 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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