Pre-opening hiring for a new outlet
A new outlet's hiring runs to a countdown. The head chef and restaurant manager join about eight weeks before launch, sous chefs and captains around six weeks out, and commis, stewards and stewarding staff three to four weeks out, leaving two weeks for menu trials and mock service. Raise one requisition per role and state its openings; it closes by itself once the brigade is complete, and the open positions stay visible in the recruitment pipeline on the HR dashboard.
Trade tests for kitchen roles
A cook's CV cannot show knife skills or consistency. Ask candidates for a chef de partie or commis role to cook two dishes from your menu, with the sous chef watching their mise en place, hygiene habits and timing. A tandoor candidate should make naan and one kebab at service speed. Record what you saw in screening notes on the candidate, so the head chef can compare three trials side by side. For senior chefs, add a discussion of food cost, wastage and how they would train a new commis.
Screening floor staff and crew
Floor hiring is about manners, memory and stamina. A short role-play works: seat a family, take an order with a special request, and handle a complaint about a delayed dish. Check comfort with late nights and weekends, and the languages guests speak in your city. For QSR crew, walk-in drives on a fixed day each week keep the pipeline full; candidates apply through the careers page on their phones during the drive, and interviews happen on the spot. Ask every candidate for age proof, since crew roles attract very young applicants.
Where restaurant candidates come from
Sourcing in restaurants runs on relationships. A good sous chef often brings two commis he trained, and a steward refers a cousin. Referrals fill roles fast but can create groups that leave together, so spread them across sections and outlets. Track which sources produce people who stay past probation, using the recruitment funnel alongside your own joiner records.
- Referrals from your own cooks, who often bring trained colleagues from their home district
- Hotel management and culinary institutes for trainees
- Walk-in drives for QSR crew and stewards
- The careers page QR code on menu cards and at the billing counter
- Chefs moving from hotel kitchens to standalone restaurants
How to set it up in ZeniaHR
- For every outlet role, including the pre-opening brigade, open a requisition in the Recruitment Hub stating how many people you need.
- Print the careers page QR code on menu cards, billing counters and walk-in drive posters.
- After each trade test or role-play, write what you observed into the candidate's screening notes and move them along the pipeline board.
- Offer interview slots between lunch and dinner service, so the chef can interview and candidates pick a time that suits them.
- Send offers through the online accept or decline page, and carry accepted candidates into onboarding with the offer details.
Read more about recruitment in ZeniaHR.
Roles this applies to
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How do you test a cook before hiring?
Run a trade test. Ask the candidate to prepare two dishes from your menu in your kitchen while the sous chef or head chef watches knife work, hygiene, timing and taste. For a tandoor or pastry role, test that station specifically. Record the observations in writing, notice how they clean their station afterwards, and decide within a day.
How far ahead should a new restaurant start hiring?
Start about eight weeks before launch with the head chef and restaurant manager, bring in sous chefs and captains around six weeks out, and hire commis, stewards and stewarding staff three to four weeks ahead. Keep the last two weeks for menu trials, training and mock service with friends and family before the doors open.
Where do restaurants find good stewards and cooks?
Referrals from current staff, hotel management and culinary institutes, walk-in drives and your own careers page are the main sources, and cooks often follow chefs they have worked under. Track which sources give you people who stay past probation, and put more effort into those.