How to hire a restaurant worker

How to hire a restaurant worker, step by step

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the restaurant worker you need to hire. Certain restaurant worker 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

   Hiring the perfect restaurant worker 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 presents restaurant worker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Restaurant Worker	Description	Hourly rate
   Restaurant Worker	Food and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.	$10-16
   Food Service/Cashier	Foodservice/cashiers are often employed at food restaurants and played various roles. Their duties include recording orders from customers and making sure their payments are collected... Show more	$10-16
   Mcdonalds Crew Member	McDonald's crew members work in the kitchen of the company. The primary responsibilities of the crew members include food preparation, customer service, hygiene, and cleanliness... Show more	$9-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Handling
   • Cleanliness
   • Customer Service
   • POS
   • Food Service
   • Food Orders
   • Food Preparation
   • Safety Standards
   • Customer Relations
   • Waiter
   • Bus Tables
   • Cooking Equipment
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • General Maintenance

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Succeed in achieving the management goals of cleanliness, hospitality, accuracy, maintenance, product quality, and speed.
   • Cut lawn using hand, power, or riding mowers and trim edges around walks flower beds, and walls.
   • Work as waiter, cook, and delivery driver.
   • Work as prep-cook, saut cook, busboy and dishwasher.
   • Ensure the cleanliness of dining area and food items before serving.
   • Work as a server, a dishwasher, and a busboy.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, restaurant workers' average salary in louisiana is 40% less than in new hampshire.
   • Seniority. Entry-level restaurant workers earn 38% less than senior-level restaurant workers.
   • Certifications. A restaurant 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 restaurant worker's salary.

   Average restaurant worker salary

   $13.12hourly

   $27,292 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level restaurant worker salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

4. Writing a restaurant worker job description

   A job description for a restaurant worker role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a restaurant worker job description:

   Restaurant worker job description example

   We offer flexible schedules for full-time and part-time team members, including day, evening, and weekend shifts 7 days a week. Our Restaurant Workers earn a competitive pay range of $9-$11/hour , and we also offer paid vacation, a 401(k) plan with company match, and 50% off meals while on the clock . If this sounds like the opportunity you've been looking for, apply today !

   
   

   ABOUT FAZOLI'S

   Fazoli's has been serving up fast, fresh Italian every day since 1988. Whether it's in our lobby, drive-thru, delivery, or catering, great guest service is what we do! And, our pursuit of excellence is never-ending. We believe that for our company to grow, we must first grow individually, either as more effective leaders or as better players on the team. That is why we encourage growth and advancement . Our team also enjoys competitive compensation and great perks !

   
   

   A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A RESTAURANT WORKER

   Our part-time and full-time Restaurant Workers are the face of our company! In this role, you arrive on time for your assigned shift, ready to make positive impressions on our customers with your personable and friendly demeanor. You are dedicated to providing exceptional customer service, while ensuring quality and proper presentation of all orders.

   In addition to interacting with guests, you help keep work areas clean and well-stocked so that service goes off without a hitch! You enjoy working with a high-functioning team, and are eager to learn and take on new tasks. You are a team player and you genuinely enjoy coming to work and contributing to making customers happy with great service and great food!

   
   

   QUALIFICATIONS

   • At least 16 years old
   • Complete all required training including Hazard Communication, food-handling, and/or safety training/certifications

   Previous restaurant experience is preferred, but not required. Do you have a positive attitude? Are you customer service-oriented? Do you take pride in your work? Are you willing to learn and work as part of a team? If you answered yes, apply today !

   
   

   ARE YOU READY TO JOIN OUR TEAM?

   If you feel that you meet the qualifications and have the desire to work with the best in the business, please fill out our initial 3-minute, mobile-friendly application so that we can review your information. We look forward to meeting you!

   Location: 76710

   
   
   Job Posted by ApplicantPro
   

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting restaurant workers 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.

   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 restaurant worker

   Once you've decided on a perfect restaurant worker 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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