How to hire a dinner cook

How to hire a dinner cook, step by step

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

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the dinner cook you need to hire. Certain dinner cook roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A dinner cook's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, dinner cooks 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 presents dinner cook salaries for various positions.

   Type of Dinner Cook	Description	Hourly rate
   Dinner Cook	Cooks prepare, season, and cook a wide range of foods, which may include soups, salads, entrees, and desserts.	$12-20
   Culinary Internship	In a culinary internship, an intern's responsibilities primarily depend on the directives of a supervisor. Usually, they must gain industry insights and practical work experience by performing support tasks in the daily kitchen operations, such as measuring and preparing ingredients, sanitizing tools, maintaining and monitoring supplies, participating in food preparations, and maintaining the cleanliness of different areas... Show more	$11-18
   Line Cook, Prep Cook	A line cook/prep cook is responsible for assisting with food preparations, ensuring that all ingredients are readily available and stored safely. Line cook/prep cook tasks also include reviewing and updating menus to keep the customers' patronization... Show more	$12-19

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Culinary
   • Fine Dining
   • Sauces
   • Dishes
   • HACCP
   • Wine
   • Safety Standards
   • Dinner Service
   • Slicers
   • La Carte
   • Portion Control
   • Food Preparation
   • Disneyland

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Operate mixers and manage ingredients to meet product quality and uniformity standards.
   • Maintain and follow proper hygiene and sanitation standards.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, dinner cooks' average salary in mississippi is 45% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level dinner cooks 37% less than senior-level dinner cooks.
   • Certifications. A dinner cook 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 dinner cook's salary.

   Average dinner cook salary

   $16.55hourly

   $34,431 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level dinner cook salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

4. Writing a dinner cook job description

   A dinner cook 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 dinner cook job description:

   Dinner cook job description example

   
   

   $500 season completion bonus!

   Some locations may implement a vaccination requirement in the future if required by federal, state, or local law.

   Lunch and Dinner Cooks start at $17.00 / hour

   Responsibilities

   • Prepare food to specifications before and during unit operations.
   • Comply with all portion sizes, quality standards, department rules, policies, and procedures.
   • Ensure proper food temperatures are maintained and food is stored correctly.
   • Ensure freshness and quality of all menu items and packages all products to proper specifications.
   • Perform opening, closing, and side work duties and end-of-day inventory, and other duties in accordance with company checklists and procedures.
   • Keep workstation, coolers, and equipment clean, organized, sanitized, and sufficiently stocked.
   • Use waste control guidelines and records all waste on the spoilage sheet.

   Qualifications

   • At least 1 year of previous experience in a back-of-the-house foodservice position is required.
   • Participation in a culinary program is preferred.
   • Ability to read and comprehend prep sheets and recipes.
   • Basic math skills; ability to understand, calculate and follow recipe measurements and proportions.

   Physical Requirements

   • Manual dexterity sufficient to chop, mix, blend, whip a variety of foods and liquids.
   • Ability to lift and carry large pans from ovens or freezers, weighing up to 50 pounds.
   • Ability to handle or operate kitchen equipment.
   • Standing and walking for the entire length of shift.
   • Frequently required to reach up to 6-7 feet, twist at the waist, bending and squatting
   • Pushing and pulling occasionally, to move equipment, mops, and brooms.
   • Kitchen environment - noise levels may be moderate-to-high.
   • Works frequently in a hot and damp environment.

   Who We Are

   Peaks of Otter Lodge is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains one of the region's top hiking destinations. We offer all associates a free meal during each shift.

   At Delaware North, you'll love where you work, who you work with, and how your day unfolds. Whether it's in sporting venues, casinos, airports, national parks, iconic hotels, or premier restaurants, there's no telling where your career can ultimately take you. We empower you to do great work in a company with 100 years of success, stability and growth. If you have drive and enjoy the thrill of making things happen - share our vision and grow with us.

   Delaware North Companies, Incorporated and its subsidiaries consider applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status. Delaware North is an equal opportunity employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find dinner cooks for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit dinner cooks, 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 dinner cook

   Once you've decided on a perfect dinner cook 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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new dinner cook. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

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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