Most hiring mistakes in a restaurant happen in a hurry: someone hands in their notice, an ad goes up that evening, and the first person who can start on Monday gets the job. A better hire follows the same five steps every time: a hiring plan, a short honest ad, the same questions for every candidate, a paid trial shift and a scorecard.
Write the hiring plan before the ad
Agree the basics on one page before anyone writes a word of the ad. Everyone involved in the hire signs off on the same plan:
- Role and reason: a new position, a replacement or a seasonal hire.
- Hours and shifts: including which evenings and weekends.
- Pay: hourly rate or salary, plus tips or service charge.
- Must-haves and nice-to-haves: for example two years on a busy line, and pastry experience as a bonus.
- Dates: closing date, interview and trial dates, and who interviews.
The plan prevents the classic argument after the trial, where the chef wanted experience and the manager wanted someone who could start tomorrow.
Keep the ad short and honest
Good candidates skim. Give them the hours, the pay and what the job really involves, in three short blocks: the job, who you are looking for, and what you offer.
A line cook ad lists the section, prepping to par and following recipe cards. It asks for two years on a busy line and calm when the tickets stack up. The offer is concrete: the hourly rate, the hours, staff meals, and a kitchen where the rota comes out on time. End every ad with how to apply and a closing date.
Ask every candidate the same questions
A ten-minute screening call first sorts out shifts, expected pay and start date. Then ask every candidate for the same role the same interview questions, and write short notes as they answer. Identical questions make candidates comparable and keep the process fair. Scenario questions work best: a calm answer about a nut allergy is hard to fake. Four examples:
| Question | Role | Listen for |
|---|---|---|
| Talk me through the busiest service you've worked. What did you do when it got behind? | Kitchen | Specific numbers, staying calm, communicating with the pass |
| A server tells you a guest has a nut allergy. What happens next? | Kitchen | Checks the recipe, clean equipment, confirms with the chef |
| A table has waited 30 minutes for mains. What do you say and do? | Front of house | Goes to the table early, honest update, tells the manager, offers something |
| A guest asks if a dish contains gluten and you're not sure. What do you do? | Front of house | Never guesses, checks with the kitchen or the allergen matrix |
Run a paid trial shift with a plan
A trial on a real service shows more than any interview. Agree the date, hours and rate beforehand, pay your normal hourly rate, and plan it:
- Give them a buddy who explains the section and the house rules.
- Start with prep or setup, then a slower part of service, then a busy part.
- Watch how they work, how they listen and how they treat the team.
- Finish with five minutes of questions from both sides.
- Complete the scorecard the same day, with the buddy's view included.
At the bistro, Elena pairs a line cook candidate with Maria: braised beef prep first, then the start of lunch, then the rush. Watch the small things too: arriving on time, washing hands, and asking for help before things go wrong.
Score every candidate the same way
A scorecard turns impressions into something you can compare. Score each criterion from 1 to 5, once after the interview and once after the trial: 1 is well below what you need, 3 meets the standard, 5 is well above.
- Skills for the role
- Speed and organisation
- Food safety and hygiene habits
- Guest focus (front of house) or plate standards (kitchen)
- Teamwork and communication
- Reliability and availability
- Attitude and willingness to learn
That gives a total out of 35 for the interview and 35 for the trial. A big gap between the two is worth a conversation: some people interview brilliantly and cook slowly. End with one decision and a written reason: offer, second trial, or no thank you.
Make two reference calls, with the candidate's permission, then confirm the offer in writing: role, start date, hours, pay and probation. Send everyone else a short, polite no-thank-you. Restaurant people talk to each other.
Hire fairly and check local rules
Leave out questions about age, family plans, pregnancy, religion, nationality, health or disability, and anything else your local equal-treatment law protects. Employment law differs by country, so check contracts, right-to-work documents, probation periods and the rules on trial shifts with your local guidance or an adviser. Paying the trial at your normal rate keeps it simple and fair.
Hire with one kit
The Hiring Kit covers eight steps, from the hiring plan to the offer: a hiring plan page, three job ad templates (line cook, front of house server and kitchen porter), screening call questions, interview questions for kitchen and front of house with what to listen for, a trial shift plan, a candidate scorecard, reference check questions, and an offer checklist with offer and no-thank-you messages.
Related
- Read: Your New Hire's First Week
- Read: What Labour Cost % Should a Café or Restaurant Run At?
- Also useful: Staff Onboarding Pack, the welcome letter and first-week plan once the contract is signed
Every template in Restaurant Notes is in the Complete Restaurant Collection: 25 tools in one download.