How to hire a culinary worker

How to hire a culinary worker, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your culinary worker job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a culinary worker for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 worker 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 worker that fits the bill.

   The following list breaks down different types of culinary workers and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Culinary Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Culinary Worker	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$8-25
   Sandwich Artist	Sandwich artists are employees at any restaurant that specializes in sandwiches. They manage the sandwich station and answer any inquiries that customers may have on the different ingredients available... Show more	$8-14
   Kitchen Helper	Kitchen helpers perform various kitchen tasks in restaurants, schools, nursing homes, and hospitals. Their duties and responsibilities include assisting cooks in the preparation of meal ingredients, helping other staff with unloading food items from delivery trucks, and washing and drying the utensils, dishes, and cookware... Show more	$9-15

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Dishes
   • Food Carts
   • Cooking Equipment
   • Food Preparation
   • Culinary
   • Soups
   • Food Handling
   • Cold Food

   Responsibilities:

   • Work the grill and fryers ensuring the food is cooked to the proper temperatures.
   • Work well with other employees-Maintain cleanliness of areas assigned-perform a variety of services-follow property policies and procedures-oversee own responsibilities
   • Work with equipment such as steamers, ovens, coffee machines, grills, slicers, mixers, and kettles.
   • Stack washable items for dishwasher and operate dishwasher according to department guidelines.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, culinary workers' average salary in tennessee is 53% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level culinary workers earn 68% less than senior-level culinary workers.
   • Certifications. A culinary worker 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 culinary worker's salary.

   Average culinary worker salary

   $14.71hourly

   $30,606 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level culinary worker salary

   $17,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 12, 2026

4. Writing a culinary worker job description

   A culinary worker 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 culinary worker job description:

   Culinary worker job description example

   About UMass Amherst
   
   UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.
   
   Job Summary
   
   Performs routine manual and domestic job duties in a food service operation including: cooking, cleaning and serving food. The basic purpose of this work is to perform cooking tasks and assist with cleaning and food serving work as needed.
   
   Essential Functions
   
   * Cooks food in large quantities by following recipes and standard operating procedures. May be required to perform display cooking as assigned.
   * Reads computer generated recipes and menus for the preparation of simple meals.
   * Cleans cooking equipment, work areas, food areas, counters, floors, food carts, trays, furniture, utensils, dishes, pots and pans by scraping, hand washing and machine washing.
   * Peels, chops, washes and cooks foods for simple dishes.
   * Transports food to and from storage areas, loads food carts, transports food to serving areas and serves food to diners.
   * Assists other food services staff with the preparation of more complex dishes.
   * Roasts, fries, boils, broils and seasons meats, fish, poultry, vegetables and other foods required for daily meals.
   * Measures and mixes ingredients according to recipes.
   * Uses kitchen utensils and equipment to prepare soups, salads, desserts, dressings, gravies, sauces, and stews.
   * Operates cutlery, grinders and slicers to prepare and portion food for cooking.
   * Evaluates food for quality, quantity, appearance, temperature and taste by tasting and observing to determine proper freshness, preparation and portioning.
   * Stores foods in sanitary storage areas and at proper temperature to prevent spoilage.
   * Communicates with Cook I, Cook II and Cook III employees to report food and menu problems.
   * Makes coffee.
   * Separates and removes trash and garbage, and places them in designated containers.
   
   Other Functions
   
   * Performs related work as required.
   
   Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)
   
   * Incumbents of positions at this level must have one (1) year cooking experience in the hospitality trade.
   * Incumbents must be certified as food handlers within six (6) months of the appointment start date through a recognized program approved by the University of Massachusetts (i.e. ServSafe).
   * Ability to cook a variety of simple meals and to assist in the preparation of more complex dishes.
   * Ability to perform display cooking.
   * Knowledge of approved sanitary methods and procedures for the handling and serving of food.
   * Knowledge of approved sanitary methods and procedures for the care and use of kitchen, dining room and food service equipment.
   * Ability to use kitchen, dining room and food service equipment.
   * Ability and stamina to perform manual tasks including: standing for long periods of time, lifting and carrying heavy objects, and working under conditions of seasonal high and low temperatures.
   * Ability to follow simple oral and written instructions.
   * Ability to provide training, work assignments and functional supervision to student employees.
   * Ability to give oral and/or written instructions in precise and understandable manner.
   * Ability to establish rapport, maintain harmonious working relationships and deal effectively with customers and agency personnel from varied backgrounds.
   * Willingness to work varied shifts and irregular hours including weekends, holidays and nights.
   * Willingness to work under exposure to the hazards of wet and slippery floors, seasonal high and low temperatures and sharp surfaces.
   * Ability to read and understand recipes.
   * Willingness to communicate with customers while performing display cooking.
   
   Physical Demands/Working Conditions
   
   * Requires the ability to balance, carry, push, pull, stand, bend, reach, twist, lift and perform repetitive movements.
   
   Additional Details
   
   * This position is designated as essential personnel.
   
   Work Schedule
   
   * 40 hours/week.
   * Varies based on the needs of the department, may include weekends and holidays.
   * 35 week minimum.
   
   Salary Information
   
   Grade 8
   
   Special Instructions to Applicants
   
   Please complete online application and provide contact information for (3) three professional references.
   
   UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.
   
   Advertised: Oct 13 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
   
   Applications close:

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right culinary worker 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 culinary worker job on Zippia to find and recruit culinary worker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit culinary workers, 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 culinary worker

   Once you've found the culinary worker candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 culinary worker. 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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