How to Hire a Chef in Australia: Levels, Interviews, Cook-Offs

Work out which chef level you need

Job titles in kitchens are not standardised, so a 'chef' advert can mean very different things. Get clear on the level before you write the ad.

• Commis chef: an entry-level cook still learning. Good for prep, learning your methods and building a long-term team member. Expect to supervise closely.
• Chef de partie (station chef): runs a section such as grill, sauce, pastry or cold section. Needs solid technique and the ability to work with limited supervision.
• Sous chef: second in charge. Handles ordering, rosters, training and covering the pass when the head chef is off. Needs leadership and admin skills, not just cooking.
• Head chef: owns the menu, food cost, kitchen systems, staff and standards. Look for someone who has run a kitchen and can show the numbers.

These are general kitchen job levels. They are not award classifications. Pay classifications under an award are set by that award's classification definitions, which depend on the work actually performed, not the title.

A common mistake is hiring a head chef when you really need a strong sous or a reliable chef de partie. Match the level to the work your kitchen does every day.

Questions to ask at interview

Résumés tell you where someone has worked. Interviews tell you how they think. Ask questions that make them explain what they did, not just what they know.

• What was your last kitchen like, and what was your station or role in it?
• How many covers did you do on a busy night, and how did the section keep up?
• Tell me about a time a dish went wrong during service. What did you do?
• How do you handle a cook who keeps turning up late or cutting corners on hygiene?
• How do you order stock, and how do you keep waste down?
• Why are you leaving your current job, and what are you looking for next?
• What food safety and licensing tickets do you hold, and are they current?

Listen for specifics: real numbers, real problems, real fixes. Vague answers are a warning sign.

Also check their right to work before they start. Australian citizens have unrestricted work rights. Other candidates need work rights that cover the job, and many visas have conditions such as limits on hours. Student visa hour limits, for example, are set by the Department of Home Affairs and have changed over time. New Zealand citizens generally have different arrangements. With the candidate's consent, check their status using the Home Affairs Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) tool, and keep a record of the check.

Run a practical cook-off the right way

A cook-off shows you what a CV cannot. Keep it fair, short and safe.

• Tell them the brief in advance. Give the dish, the time limit and what equipment they will have. Nobody cooks well when they are ambushed.
• Choose a test that fits the role. For a commis, a simple knife cut, a basic sauce and a plate of something clean. For a sous or head chef, a dish from your menu plus a costing task.
• Keep it short. As a suggestion, a cook-off of around two hours including setup and tasting is usually enough. This is a practical guide, not a legal limit. The key legal point is that if a candidate does real work that benefits your business, such as a shift on your line, they generally must be paid as an employee. Check Fair Work Ombudsman guidance on trial shifts before you ask anyone to work in your kitchen.
• Watch the process, not just the plate. Look at how they set up, how clean their station is, how they taste, how they talk to others and whether they label and store food properly.
• Score it on paper. Pick three to five criteria such as technique, taste, speed, hygiene and teamwork. Score each one out of five. This stops you hiring the person you liked most in the room.
• Check references. Call the last kitchen. Ask whether they would rehire, and what they would need to work on.

Award basics: pay, classification and conditions

Many kitchens in Australia fall under the Hospitality Industry (General) Award 2020 (MA000009), but not all. Clubs, some hotels and other venues may be covered by a different award, and some roles may fall under other awards. The award sets minimum pay, penalty rates, overtime, breaks and allowances. The classification level depends on the work the person actually does, not just their title.

• Use the Fair Work Ombudsman award finder to confirm which award covers your business, then check the current minimum rates for each classification. Award minimum wages usually increase from the first full pay period on or after 1 July, following the Fair Work Commission's annual wage review decision. Check the current decision and rates yourself rather than relying on last year's figures.
• Confirm penalty rates for nights, weekends and public holidays, and any split shift or broken shift rules.
• Check meal break and rest break rules in the award and the National Employment Standards. Do not guess these from memory.
• Pay super at least the Super Guarantee rate (12% of ordinary time earnings from 1 July 2025) into a complying fund by the due date. Make sure you have the new hire's TFN declaration and super choice form. Payday super is planned to start from 1 July 2026, subject to legislation, so check current Australian Taxation Office guidance on timing.
• If you offer a salary instead of award-based pay, it must be in writing in the employment contract. Under the Fair Work Act, the salary must leave the employee at least as well off overall as the award would, including penalty rates, overtime and allowances. Paying above the minimum rate alone is not enough.

The Fair Work Ombudsman website has award finder tools, pay calculators and templates for letters of offer. Use them. Underpaying a chef, even by accident, can lead to back pay, interest and penalties.

Get the paperwork and tickets sorted before day one

Do this before the chef starts, not during their first week.

• Written offer with job title, award classification, pay, hours, start date and any probation period.
• Employment contract or letter of offer that matches the award. Any probation period must be reasonable, in writing, and must not be used to avoid unfair dismissal protections. Check Fair Work guidance on probation.
• Tax file number declaration, super choice form and bank details.
• Right to work check using VEVO, with a record kept.
• Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA) training if they will serve alcohol. RSA rules differ by state and territory, so check the requirements with your state or territory liquor regulator.
• Food handling and food safety supervisor training as your local council or state or territory food regulator requires. Food safety rules differ between states and territories, so check the requirements for your business's location. Ask to see current certificates.
• Induction on your allergen system, cleaning schedule, knife safety and kitchen emergency procedures.

If you need to find candidates, post your role on job boards and in local hospitality groups, and be specific about the level, hours and pay range. StaffSearch AI is one place you can list the role and reach cooks and chefs looking for work in Australia.

Check in after the first month

Hiring is not finished when the chef starts. Set a check-in at two weeks and again at the end of probation. Ask what is working, what is not and what they need to succeed. Write it down. If the fit is wrong, act early and follow the proper process under Fair Work rules, including any requirements for performance or misconduct issues. Early check-ins usually make kitchen problems easier to fix before they become entrenched.