How to hire cooks, institution and cafeteria
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons. • Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation. • Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry. • Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served. • Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals. • Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety. • Rotate and store food supplies. • Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: No formal educational credential] • Strong monitoring, speaking, active listening and critical thinking skills • Working knowledge of English Language, food production, customer and personal service and mathematics • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $18.01 an hour ($37,450 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for cooks, institution and cafeteria
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- How do you keep track of your own work quality during a busy shift or week? Give an example of catching a problem early.
- Explain something technical from your last job as you would to a new coworker.
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What cooks, institution and cafeteria do
- Apportion and serve food to facility residents, employees, or patrons.
- Clean and inspect galley equipment, kitchen appliances, and work areas to ensure cleanliness and functional operation.
- Clean, cut, and cook meat, fish, or poultry.
- Cook foodstuffs according to menus, special dietary or nutritional restrictions, or numbers of portions to be served.
- Direct activities of one or more workers who assist in preparing and serving meals.
- Monitor and record food temperatures to ensure food safety.
- Rotate and store food supplies.
- Wash pots, pans, dishes, utensils, or other cooking equipment.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for cooks, institution and cafeteria
- Typical education to start: No formal educational credential (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: 1 to 3 months (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: +2.8% over ten years, about as fast as average · about 62,900 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay cooks, institution and cafeteria
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Washington | $49,670 |
| Alaska | $48,580 |
| Massachusetts | $47,790 |
| Hawaii | $47,770 |
| Rhode Island | $46,570 |
| Mississippi | $27,390 |
| Alabama | $27,120 |
| Louisiana | $25,490 |
See cooks, institution and cafeteria pay in every state
Related hiring guides
- Cooks, Restaurant
- Food Preparation Workers
- Cooks, Private Household
- Cooks, Short Order
- Chefs and Head Cooks
- Cooks, Fast Food
- Bakers
- Food Service Managers
- Fast Food and Counter Workers
- First-Line Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers
Post this job on JAI Bot. Free to start: JAI Bot reads every applicant against your must-haves, shows the resume evidence behind each one, and helps you reply to everyone. People make every decision.
Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.