Line cook phone screen questions
Kitchens hire fast and lose people fast. A phone screen that confirms stations, pace, and schedule before the stage saves the chef an evening.
Eight questions, and what to listen for
Ask them in this order. The first two sort the pool; the middle ones show judgment; the last ones settle logistics before anyone books an interview.
- 1
Which stations have you worked, and which are you strongest on?
Listen for: Named stations (grill, sauté, fry, garde manger) and a preference. A cook who can only say 'all of them' probably worked a fry station.
- 2
Tell me about the busiest service you have worked. How many covers, and how did you keep up?
Listen for: A number and a method: prep, mise en place, communication with the expo.
- 3
Do you have a current food handler card, and any allergen or ServSafe training?
Listen for: Yes/no plus what they hold.
- 4
What does your prep routine look like before service?
Listen for: Lists, par levels, labeling, tasting. Habits show here.
- 5
Are evenings, weekends, and holidays workable for you?
Listen for: A direct answer. Do not hire for a Saturday night station someone cannot work.
- 6
How do you handle a ticket that comes back or a dish that is wrong?
Listen for: Fix it fast, no drama, tell the chef. Defensiveness is a red flag on the line.
- 7
Can you stand for a full shift, work in heat, and lift 40 pounds?
Listen for: A plain yes or a stated limit.
- 8
When could you start, and could you do a paid trial shift?
Listen for: A date and willingness to stage.
Red flags on the call
- Cannot name a station
- No food handler card in a state that requires one
- Unavailable on the nights you need
- Argues with the hypothetical returned ticket
Keep it short
Five questions, four to six minutes. Line cook candidates are usually applying to several jobs at once; a screen they can finish between shifts gets finished. Save the deeper questions for the interview, where the candidate has already answered these once.
Never ask about age, health, family, religion, or national origin, and do not follow up if a candidate volunteers them.
Run this exact screen for every line cook who applies
Create a role in PhoneScreen with these five questions, share the link, and every candidate gets the same screen the moment they call. You read the scorecards. First 10 screens are free.
- 1Which stations have you worked, and which are you strongest on?
- 2Tell me about the busiest service you have worked and how you kept up.
- 3Do you have a current food handler card?
- 4Are evenings, weekends, and holidays workable for you?
- 5When could you start, and could you do a paid trial shift?
Common questions
Our applicants are mostly Spanish-speaking. Does that work? +
Yes. The candidate picks Spanish on the apply form, the whole screen runs in Spanish, and the chef reads it in English.
How do we get the link to applicants fast? +
Put it in the job post and in your ATS auto-reply. Most cooks call within the hour, often while still looking at the posting.
Screening for restaurants · More roles: forklift operator, caregiver, CDL truck driver, restaurant server, cashier and retail associate, warehouse associate · Why the same questions for everyone