These are the employees who always seem to know what’s going on. They know where to find an item in dry storage. They recognize VIP guests and remember their preferences. In both BOH and FOH environments, attention to detail and anticipation are often hallmarks of exceptional service. Michelin highlights many of these same qualities in its discussion of what makes great service. Just as importantly, they understand how the operation works beyond their own station or position and know who is responsible for what. When a teammate has a question, they’re often the first person people turn to for help.

Just as importantly, they’re often the first person Chef turns to when he has a question or needs an extra set of eyes. Not because they’re in charge, but because they’ve earned a reputation for paying attention, staying engaged, and understanding how the restaurant operates as a whole. Many of these behaviors also support strong Restaurant Standards throughout the operation. Over time, many of these employees become strong candidates for promotion because they already contribute beyond the responsibilities of their current roles.

What Chef B Looked For During a Stage

In another conversation, I asked Chef B what qualities he was evaluating in candidates who staged in his kitchen.

Sometimes he would hand a candidate a bunch of carrots and ask them to cut them. The stage wasn’t really about cutting carrots. He was paying attention to everything that happened before, during, and after the first cut.

He was observing:

• Would the candidate ask if the carrots had already been washed?
• Would they ask how he wanted them cut?
• Would they ask what size he was looking for?
• Would they wipe their hands on their apron during the process?
• Would they stop to answer a text message?
• Would they take a phone call during the stage?
• Would they remain focused on the task in front of them?

Someone who immediately grabbed the carrots and started cutting was communicating one thing.

Someone who took the time to understand the standards, expectations, and techniques of that specific kitchen was communicating something very different.

Chef B knew every kitchen had its own standards. Candidates who recognized they didn’t know everything they needed to know before entering a new situation tended to adapt faster, learn faster, and become stronger contributors over time.

More importantly, they were often the same people who eventually became his go-to people.

Identifying Employee Potential

Identifying employee potential requires looking beyond resumes, tenure, and technical ability alone.

Over the years, I’ve learned to distinguish pedigree from potential.

Pedigree tells part of the story. It tells you where someone worked, who they worked for, and what positions they’ve held.

Potential is a whole different animal.

Chef B was evaluating potential when he told candidates staging to cut a bunch of carrots.

He wasn’t simply evaluating knife skills. He was evaluating awareness, professionalism, and curiosity, as well as whether the candidate understood that every kitchen has its own standards and expectations.

A candidate could do a mediocre job washing or cutting the carrots and still leave a positive impression if they remained engaged, asked questions, and demonstrated a genuine desire to learn.

For Chef B, those were often signals that someone was trainable.

Identifying Employee Potential Early

I’ve noticed the same type of thing in the FOH.

A new hire who asks how they did at the end of a shift or whether anything else needs to be done before they clock out is gold. These are often the same employees who benefit most from structured Restaurant Training Systems because they actively seek feedback and opportunities to improve.

They’re communicating something important:

• They’re seeking feedback.
• They’re paying attention.
• They’re looking for ways to contribute.

Most importantly, they’re demonstrating that they care about improving.

Those employees often develop the fastest because they actively participate in their own growth rather than waiting for someone to tell them what to do next.

A job seeker with a modest background who is curious, disciplined, coachable, and eager to learn can be every bit as valuable as a candidate with an impressive resume. In some cases, they may become more valuable over time because they’re actively working to improve their skills and expand their understanding of the business.

Pedigree Versus Potential

For employers, this is an important distinction. Hiring and promotion decisions based solely on experience can cause organizations to overlook employees with significant long-term potential.

For job seekers, it’s a reminder that career growth isn’t determined solely by where you’ve worked. It’s often influenced by how you approach learning, feedback, and new responsibilities.

Paying It Forward

Technical skills can be taught. Systems can be learned. Standards can be explained.

Curiosity, humility, discipline, and a genuine desire to learn are often much harder to teach.

Identifying employee potential is the first step. What happens next matters just as much.

Managers who build strong teams identify talent and then invest in developing it. They create opportunities for people to grow, take on responsibility, and build confidence.

In return, they often earn something every restaurant needs and very few can demand: loyalty.

You usually get back what you invest in people.