How to hire a Food Service Aide

How to hire a food service aide, step by step

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

What does a Food Service Aide do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The food service aide 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

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   A food service aide's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, food service aides 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.

   Here's a comparison of food service aide salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Food Service Aide	Description	Hourly Rate
   Food Service Aide	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.	$11-17
   Kitchen Staff	The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals... Show More	$11-17
   Bakery Clerk	A bakery clerk is an employee who is responsible for running the bakery department of supermarkets, boutique bakeries, or baking facilities. Bakery clerks are usually tasked to manage the bakery's cash register, bagging baked goods and then taking customers' payments... Show More	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Patients
   • Food Handling
   • Kitchen Equipment
   • Cleanliness
   • Dishwashers
   • Tray Line
   • Meal Service
   • Patient Meals
   • Tray Assembly
   • Cash Handling
   • Food Carts
   • Compassion
   • Meal Trays
   • Therapeutic Diets

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain kitchen cleanliness, perform inventory control and assist in delivery services
   • Prepare and serve patients' meals -monitore cleanliness of cafeteria and run cafeteria cash register -Stock room inventory
   • Wash dishes by loading them in dishwashers and let them dry properly.
   • Be knowledgeable about residents' special diets, allergies, likes and dislikes.
   • Prepare meal trays/snack carts and take them out to residential halls, dishes and cleaning, roll silverware
   • Remove used dishes and assist in the cleaning of counters, tables, and furnishings in the dining area.

   More Food Service Aide duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your food service aide job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A food service aide salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a food service aide in Arkansas may be lower than in Oregon, and an entry-level food service aide usually earns less than a senior-level food service aide. Additionally, a food service aide with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average food service aide salary

   $14.16hourly

   $29,461 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level food service aide salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated March 15, 2025

   Average food service aide salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	California	$38,024	$18
   2	New York	$33,510	$16
   3	Massachusetts	$31,035	$15
   4	Iowa	$29,996	$14
   5	Arizona	$29,146	$14
   6	New Jersey	$27,545	$13
   7	Illinois	$27,339	$13
   8	Wisconsin	$27,274	$13
   9	Texas	$26,489	$13
   10	Pennsylvania	$26,059	$13
   11	Indiana	$25,069	$12
   12	Ohio	$25,030	$12
   13	Maryland	$24,914	$12
   14	North Carolina	$24,142	$12
   15	New Mexico	$22,567	$11
   16	Georgia	$21,518	$10

   Average food service aide salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	West Contra Costa Unified School District	$34,962	$16.81	11
   2	Sutter Health	$33,461	$16.09	42
   3	Vidant Health	$33,348	$16.03	2
   4	Gundersen Lutheran Medical Foundation Inc.	$33,058	$15.89	11
   5	Garnet Health	$33,055	$15.89	2
   6	St. Joseph's Health	$33,016	$15.87	14
   7	Griffin Hospital	$32,956	$15.84
   8	University of Rochester	$32,917	$15.83	12
   9	TidalHealth	$32,789	$15.76	6
   10	Dignity Health	$32,630	$15.69	8
   11	Mt. Hood Community College	$32,493	$15.62	2
   12	Hackensack Meridian Health	$32,457	$15.60	46
   13	Brigham and Women's Hospital	$32,430	$15.59	23
   14	Grand View Health	$32,373	$15.56	3
   15	Providence Health & Services	$32,329	$15.54	23
   16	East Tennessee Children's Hospital	$32,283	$15.52
   17	Mount Sinai Health System	$32,239	$15.50	8
   18	Northwestern Medicine	$32,200	$15.48	25
   19	AtlantiCare	$32,172	$15.47	5
   20	Oak Valley Hospital District	$32,169	$15.47

4. Writing a Food Service Aide Job Description

   A good food 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 food service aide job description:

   Food Service Aide job description example

   Are you looking for an opportunity to advance your career while working with an extraordinary team? At Merakey, we put heart and soul into everything we do. We are seeking Food Service Aide to join our team at our program in Russellton, PA.
   Earn $16.25 /hour with the selection of the Enhanced Pay Option.
   
   Position Details
   
   The Culinary & Nutritional Service Worker is responsible for aiding in all dietary and culinary functions as directed in accordance with current federal, state, and local standards, guidelines and regulations governing the facility and in accordance with established dietary practices.
   
   BENEFITS
   
   Merakey offers Medical, Dental, Vision insurance plans, competitive compensation plans, Work/Life balance, flexible schedules, cell phone discount plan, employee referral bonuses, tuition reimbursement and much more!
   
   To fill out an on-line application: www.merakey.org/careers
   
   
   ABOUT MERAKEY
   
   Merakey is a leading developmental, behavioral health, and education non-profit provider with a fifty-year history. We offer a breadth of integrated services to individuals and communities across the country. Our belief that every individual has the right to achieve growth, dignity, and fulfillment guides all of our decisions. At Merakey, we care about each other and are committed to providing the very best care to those we serve. Merakey strictly follows a zero-tolerance policy for abuse.
   
   Merakey is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer! We deeply value diversity and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, ethnic background, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or disability status. Moreover, we are committed to creating teams that reflect the diversity of the communities we serve and encourage applicants from underrepresented backgrounds to apply.
   
   The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications:
   
   * High School Diploma or GED preferred.
   * certified food handler through the Department of Health preferred.
   * One year of cooking experience is preferred.
   * Valid Driver's License
   * All Clearances required by OMHSAS

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting food 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 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 food service aide

   Once you've selected the best food 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 food 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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