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How to hire a dietary service aide

Dietary service aide hiring summary. Here are some key points about hiring dietary service aides in the United States:

  • There are currently 29,960 dietary service aides in the US, as well as 44,309 job openings.
  • Dietary service aides are in the highest demand in Lebanon, NH, with 5 current job openings.
  • The median cost to hire a dietary service aide is $1,633.
  • It takes between 36 and 42 days to fill the average role in the US.
  • Human Resources use 15% of their expenses on recruitment on average.
  • On average, it takes around 12 weeks for a new dietary service aide to become settled and show total productivity levels at work.

How to hire a dietary service aide, step by step

To hire a dietary service aide, consider the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, allocate a budget for the position, and post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Follow these steps to hire a dietary service aide:

Here's a step-by-step dietary service aide hiring guide:

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

    Before you start hiring a dietary service aide, 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?

    Hiring the perfect dietary service aide 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.

    This list shows salaries for various types of dietary service aides.

    Type of Dietary Service AideDescriptionHourly rate
    Dietary Service AidePersonal care aides help clients with self-care and everyday tasks. They also provide social supports and assistance that enable clients to participate in their communities.$11-16
    CompanionA companion is responsible for assisting sick and recovered patients, as well as the elderly. Companions perform housekeeping duties, ensuring that a facility is well-maintained and safe for the use of the patients... Show more$10-18
    Direct Support StaffThe direct support staff is a professional who takes responsibility for the overall care of people with developmental disabilities. Direct support professionals work directly with developmental illness patients in long-term health care facilities... Show more$8-25
  2. Create an ideal candidate profile

    Common skills:
    • Patients
    • Food Service
    • Culinary
    • Food Handling
    • Tray Line
    • Cleanliness
    • Customer Service
    • Food Preparation
    • Meal Preparation
    • Patient Meals
    • Kitchen Equipment
    • Infection Control
    • Cold Food
    • Food Carts
    Check all skills
    Responsibilities:
    • Maintain the cleanliness of the kitchen and kitchen equipment by directing the weekly and daily cleaning according to schedule.
    • Maintain cleanliness of service counters according to food safety policy standards.
    • Accompany nutrition educators to discuss dietary issues with patients and family members.
    • Excel within a service-orient organization, demonstrating a talent for communication effectively with patients from diverse backgrounds.
    • Work directly with assist living and skil nursing residents to provide culinary services while following specific diets.
    • Follow all proper laws and guide lines within the hospital, OSHA, HIPPA.
  3. Make a budget

    Including a salary range in your dietary service aide job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A dietary service aide salary can vary based on several factors:
    • Location. For example, dietary service aides' average salary in florida is 39% less than in maine.
    • Seniority. Entry-level dietary service aides earn 32% less than senior-level dietary service aides.
    • Certifications. A dietary service aide 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 dietary service aide's salary.

    Average dietary service aide salary

    $13.69hourly

    $28,473 yearly

    Entry-level dietary service aide salary
    $23,000 yearly salary
    Updated December 14, 2025
  4. Writing a dietary service aide job description

    A good dietary service aide 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 dietary service aide job description:

    Dietary service aide job description example

    Martha and Mary has been caring for children, seniors and families in Greater Kitsap for 125 years. Offering exceptional care that feels like family, we provide a wide continuum of care services for life's transitions, including skilled nursing, home care, care management and long term care, plus affordable senior housing options and outstanding early learning programs for children. As a non-profit, faith-based organization, we are keenly dedicated to delivering high quality, compassionate care requiring highly capable employees with warm hearts. Whether you are just beginning your career or looking to enhance your skill set, by joining our mission of caring you can expect to make a real difference in the lives of those we serve.


    Duties and Responsibilities:

    • Update and maintain tray card information.
    • Print and distribute menus.
    • Print and organize tray cards.
    • Visit residents to gather info on food preferences and assist residents with menu selections as needed.
    • Communicate to the Registered Dietitian (RD), as indicated, regarding any changes in residents’ nutritional status, diet tolerance, intake, etc.
    • Screen new admissions, document MDS/low-risk residents’ quarterly reviews; review/update care plans as indicated, initiate nutritional interventions and monitor tolerances, etc., per protocol guidelines and under the supervision of the RD.
    • Update resident profile cards/tray cards/menus according to current diet order and changes in food preferences.
    • Provide training as needed in service and policy.
    • Comply with and ensure departmental compliance to state and federal guidelines.


    Required Qualifications:

    • High School Diploma or equivalent


    Employment is contingent upon satisfactory background and reference checks. Our organization follows WA Proclamation 21.14.1 which requires all employees working in the Health Care Setting be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless they are exempt for medical and religious reasons.

    Martha & Mary is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

  5. Post your job

    To find dietary service aides 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 dietary service aides they would recommend.
    • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level dietary service aides 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 dietary service aide job on Zippia to find and recruit dietary service aide candidates who meet your exact specifications.
    • Use field-specific websites.
    • Post a job on free websites.
  6. Interview candidates

    Recruiting dietary service aides 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 dietary service aide

    Once you've selected the best dietary service aide candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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.

    Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new dietary service aide. 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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How much does it cost to hire a dietary service aide?

Before you start to hire dietary service aides, it pays to consider both the one-off costs like recruitment, job promotion, and onboarding, as well as the ongoing costs of an employee's salary and benefits. While most companies that hire dietary service aides pay close attention to the initial cost of hiring, ongoing costs are much more significant in the long run.

Dietary service aides earn a median yearly salary is $28,473 a year in the US. However, if you're looking to find dietary service aides for hire on a contract or per-project basis, hourly rates typically range between $11 and $16.

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