Sous Chef interview questions and answers
This Sous Chef interview profile contains balanced sample of suitable job interview questions to gauge the skill set and qualifications of candidates for your kitchen position. Similar job titles include Chef.
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10 good sous chef interview questions
- What advice would you give to someone new at being a Sous Chef?
- What actions have you taken to bring food and labor costs in line?
- What are your career goals? How does getting this job support your goals?
- What would you do if you caught a coworker violating food safety standards?
- How would you rate yourself as an instructor? What cooking techniques have you taught other line cooks?
- How much experience do you have with multicultural or multilingual teams?
- Have you ever had to discipline a coworker? What was the situation? What was the outcome?
- How would you control the quality of food that is being sent out to customers?
- What would you do if there was an emergency or safety hazard in the kitchen, like a grease fire?
- Describe a time a customer sent food back to the kitchen while you were in charge.
Here are 10 essential interview questions and sample answers to help identify the best candidates for this role.
1. What advice would you give to someone new at being a Sous Chef?
This question gauges the candidate’s understanding of the role and their ability to mentor others.
Sample answer:
“I would advise them to always be prepared, stay organized, and never stop learning. The kitchen is a fast-paced environment, and being a Sous Chef means you’re the backbone of the operation.”
2. What actions have you taken to bring food and labor costs in line?
This question assesses the candidate’s ability to manage costs effectively.
Sample answer:
“I regularly review inventory and waste logs to identify areas for improvement. I also train the team on portion control and efficient prep techniques.”
3. What are your career goals? How does getting this job support your goals?
This question helps to understand the candidate’s long-term vision and commitment to the role.
Sample answer:
“My goal is to become an Executive Chef. Working as a Sous Chef will give me the managerial experience I need to achieve that.”
4. What would you do if you caught a coworker violating food safety standards?
This question tests the candidate’s commitment to food safety and their ability to enforce rules.
Sample answer:
“I would immediately correct the action and report it to the Executive Chef. Food safety is non-negotiable.”
5. How would you rate yourself as an instructor? What cooking techniques have you taught other line cooks?
This question evaluates the candidate’s ability to train and develop team members.
Sample answer:
“I’d rate myself as an excellent instructor. I’ve taught line cooks various techniques like sous-vide cooking and advanced knife skills.”
6. How much experience do you have with multicultural or multilingual teams?
This question assesses the candidate’s ability to work in diverse environments.
Sample answer:
“I’ve worked with multicultural teams in the past and found that clear communication and mutual respect are key.”
7. Have you ever had to discipline a coworker? What was the situation? What was the outcome?
This question gauges the candidate’s ability to handle conflict and maintain discipline.
Sample answer:
“Yes, I had to discipline a line cook for consistent tardiness. After a formal warning, their punctuality improved.”
8. How would you control the quality of food that is being sent out to customers?
This question tests the candidate’s attention to detail and commitment to quality.
Sample answer:
“I would implement strict quality checks and taste tests before any dish leaves the kitchen.”
9. What would you do if there was an emergency or safety hazard in the kitchen, like a grease fire?
This question evaluates the candidate’s ability to handle emergencies.
Sample answer:
“I would follow safety protocols, use a Class K fire extinguisher, and ensure everyone’s safety before assessing the damage.”
10. Describe a time a customer sent food back to the kitchen while you were in charge.
This question assesses the candidate’s ability to handle customer complaints.
Sample answer:
“I took it as constructive feedback, corrected the dish, and sent out a complimentary item as a goodwill gesture.”
What does a good sous chef candidate look like?
A strong Sous Chef candidate has a blend of culinary skills, managerial experience, and a deep understanding of food safety standards. They should be able to lead a team, manage costs, and maintain high-quality food output.
Red flags
Be wary of candidates who lack experience in cost management, have poor communication skills, or show a lack of commitment to food safety and quality.
Sous Chef Interview Questions
The Sous Chef is the Executive Chef’s second-in-command. They have typically been a line cook first and are expected to be the best cook in the kitchen. They may have a formal apprenticeship under their belts, or professional chef accreditation. Below, you’ll find interview questions that you can use to hire the best sous chef for your team. Feel free to alter them based on the actual working environment. For example, being a Sous Chef in a fine dining restaurant is will be a different experience from being a Sous Chef for a private setting such as a party or a family dinner.
Sous Chefs assist the Executive Chef in all things, including bookkeeping and administrative work. If new cooks have to be trained on a specific cooking technique, it is the Sous Chef who will do this — not the Executive Chef. The Sous Chef will be expected to step in if the Executive Chef is unavailable. This person should have a strong personality and be able to win the trust and respect of their colleagues.
Use the answers to these situational questions to get a sense of your candidate’s ambition, experience, communication skills and commitment to good work. Beyond these verbal interview questions to ask a chef, typically for this role employers will want to see proof of hard skills. Some evaluation methods include a working interview, which involves having candidates follow restaurant staff as they do their job. Skills tests may include preparing a market tasting, pre-prepping and executing a menu or a “secret basket” test where candidates prepare a meal out of some surprise ingredients. A hybrid method is how to interview a chef that will result in a successful and well-rounded hire.
Let’s summarize some of the questions and add a few more divided into specific types.
Operational and Situational questions
- What advice would you give to someone new at being a Sous Chef?
- What actions have you taken bring food and labor costs in line?
- What are your career goals? How does getting this job support your goals?
- What would you do if you caught a coworker violating food safety standards?
- How would you rate yourself as an instructor? What cooking techniques have you taught other line cooks?
- How much experience do you have with multicultural or multilingual teams?
- Have you ever had to discipline a coworker? What was the situation? What was the outcome?
- How would you control the quality of food that is being sent out to customers?
- What would you do if there was a an emergency or safety hazard in the kitchen? Say, a grease fire?
- Describe a time a customer sent food back to the kitchen while you were in charge.
- How do you handle ingredient substitutions?
- How have you accommodated special diets, such as a gluten-free diet?
- Describe a time you went above and beyond to please a customer.