Restaurant Job Post Checklist: What to Know

When a role opens at a restaurant, the go-to reaction is to post the position as quickly as possible. But before choosing a job board or writing the job post, a Restaurant Job Post Checklist can help you define exactly what you are offering and who you are trying to reach.

Working through the position, compensation, schedule, requirements, team, location, and hiring process before candidates begin applying gives you a clearer picture of the opportunity. In other words, the goal is not to make hiring more complicated. It is to make sure the position is clearly defined before you ask someone to consider it.

Start With the Position

Define the scope and goals of the role you want to fill before you do anything else.

• What is the position or role you need to fill?
• What job titles will candidates recognize and search for? Pick a couple to A/B test.
• Why is the position open?
• Who does this person report to?
• Will they supervise anyone, and if yes, how many people?
• What are they actually responsible for?
• What does success in the position look like?

An old job description may be useful for reference, but it should not automatically define the position you need to fill today. Instead, use this opportunity to refresh the role and its expectations.

Be Clear About Compensation

Determine the compensation before the job goes live.

• Salary or hourly rate. If hourly, provide the approximate weekly earnings based on expected hours.
• Tips, if applicable. If tips are additional, include the realistic average in both hourly and approximate weekly earnings.
• Realistic compensation range. Check the MIT Living Wage Calculator to see how your offering compares with the living wage in your area.
• Bonus structure
• Health benefits
• Paid time off
• Employee meals or discounts
• Other meaningful benefits or compensation

Know what comparable positions are paying in your market before you post.

Define the Schedule

Restaurant candidates need more information than “flexible availability required.” More importantly, they want to know whether this is a schedule that realistically works for them.

Determine what the position actually requires.

• Full-time or part-time
• Expected weekly hours
• Days of operation
• Required shifts
• Nights
• Weekends
• Brunch
• Opening or closing responsibilities
• Consecutive days off, if applicable
• Seasonal expectations and holidays
• Restaurant Week or other periods that require additional availability

The clearer you are about the schedule before posting, the easier it is for candidates to determine whether the position realistically fits their availability and the easier it is to avoid surprises later in the hiring process.

Separate Must-Haves From Preferences

Decide what a candidate needs to bring to the position and what they can learn after they are hired.

Ask:

• What experience and technical skills does the role require?
• What will training cover?
• How much experience is necessary?
• Does that experience need to come from the same type of restaurant?
• Would you consider someone who is ready to take the next step?
• Which certifications are actually required?
• What are your deal breakers?

Not every preference is a requirement. By separating them from the beginning, you can avoid overlooking candidates who could be a strong fit for the role.

Describe the Restaurant and Team

Give candidates enough information to understand the operation and team they are considering joining.

Depending on the position, useful information may include:

• Restaurant concept
• Service style
• Check average
• Seating capacity
• Sales volume
• Team size
• Kitchen or front-of-house structure
• Ownership involvement
• Pace and volume
• Management structure

Think about how the team actually works together. For example, is the BOH collaborative? Does the team encourage or expect creative input? Is the FOH highly structured, or are employees expected to work more independently? These details tell candidates more about the culture than generic phrases do and can help them determine whether the environment is one where they are likely to fit in.

Think About Location and Commute

The restaurant’s address is only part of the location question.

Consider:

• Exact work location
• Public transportation
• Parking
• Late-night transportation
• Where candidates are most likely to live. A restaurant in a high-cost area, for example, may need to recruit outside its immediate neighborhood.
• Whether the commute is realistic for the schedule
• Whether a transportation or parking allowance could help attract the right candidates

A position may look attractive on paper and still be impractical for a candidate if getting to and from work consistently is difficult. For that reason, understanding the realistic commute can also help you decide where to advertise the position and which geographic areas to target.

Ask Why Someone Would Want This Job

Before advertising the position, identify what makes the opportunity worth considering and highlight it in your opening description.

That may include:

• Compensation
• Schedule
• Benefits
• Stability
• Advancement opportunities
• Creative involvement
• Access to ownership
• Quality of the operation
• Closed holidays
• No late nights
• Professional development

Ultimately, if you cannot identify what would make a qualified candidate consider this opportunity over another one, the candidate may not be able to either.

Restaurant Job Post Checklist: Who Will Manage the Hiring Process?

Do not wait until applications begin arriving to determine what happens next.

Before posting, establish:

• Who reviews applications, and how frequently will they be reviewed?
• Who contacts qualified candidates, and how quickly can candidates expect a response?
• Who conducts the first interview, and which team members participate in later interviews?
• Who makes the final hiring decision, and when are the people involved actually available to interview?

As a result, a strong applicant can only move through the hiring process as quickly as the restaurant is prepared to respond.

Restaurant Job Post Checklist

Before choosing a job board and publishing the position, confirm that you can clearly answer:

• What are we hiring for, and which title will candidates recognize?
• What does the position pay, and which benefits are included?
• What schedule will this person actually work?
• What experience is required, what is preferred, and what can we train?
• Who will this person report to, and what will they be responsible for?
• What should candidates know about the restaurant and team?
• Where are the candidates we want to reach likely to live, and is the commute realistic for them?
• Why would a qualified candidate consider this opportunity?
• Who will review applications, and how quickly can we respond?
• Who will interview candidates, and who will make the hiring decision?

Answering these questions gives you the information needed to build a job post that accurately represents the opportunity.

Using Your Restaurant Job Post Checklist

Preparing the position is the first step. The information you gather here can help you write and optimize the job listing, choose where to advertise it, evaluate the applicants it attracts, and prepare for interviews. Preparation also shows respect for the people you are asking to consider working for you. Dignity and mutual respect should run both ways throughout the hiring process.

Once the position is defined, use “How to Optimize Restaurant Job Listings for Google Jobs” to turn that information into a stronger listing. From there, a Structured Hiring Process for Restaurants can help keep the search organized as candidates begin applying.

When you are ready to meet candidates, Hiring Manager Interview Prep can help you prepare for the conversation. Once you make the hire, Best Practices for Onboarding Restaurant Employees can help carry that preparation into the employee’s first days on the job.