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1. Know Exactly Who You are Looking for
The first step is to know precisely what attributes you want in a head chef. It may seem obvious, but you should limit your search to chefs who have expertise in preparing the food that your restaurant serves.
Make a thorough job description to use as a guide as you begin the interview process.
2. Contact References
When the interview process is over, ask for recommendations from the candidates to automate the job application process.
These shouldn’t be personal references. They must be genuine work references from people they’ve previously worked with, whether they’re former managers or coworkers. A combination of the two is ideal.
Ensure you contact the people that have been listed as references. Try to learn as much as you can about your candidate’s personality, work ethic, culinary abilities, and management abilities.
3. Ability to Teach Staff
A head chef should be a good chef and a teacher with a passion for assisting the rest of the staff in doing their tasks properly.
They should be able to instruct all kitchen employees on how to use all of the equipment and prepare all of the menu items to the highest standards.
The kitchen will not function correctly if they do not have the patience to teach the personnel properly. Your chef should be the sort of leader prepared to roll up their sleeves and do everything it takes to get the job done correctly for the most significant outcomes.
They will motivate everyone to work hard since they are willing to work alongside their employees.
4. Shares Your Restaurant’s Values
You want the executive chef to share your restaurant’s beliefs and general philosophy.
Inquire about their customer service philosophy and whether they agree with the image and brand, you want to convey with your business.
Whether they aren’t as enthusiastic about it as you are, they may not bother if they stick to what you believe is essential.