4 top tips for a sane kitchen environment

Hospitality has one of the highest staff turnover rates in the country at around 62%, which is 20% higher than the rest of the private sector. The high pressure of the hotel kitchen environment can be a major factor in these high levels of staff churn – often coming at the worst time when the kitchen is at its busiest. However, with a smart recruitment policy, Michelle Mellor of Chefs Jobs UK explains how kitchens can ensure a more stable environment and achieve consistent quality from the kitchen. 

Plan ahead of the seasons

The key to a stable kitchen environment is planning ahead. Most kitchens are seasonal to some degree. So kitchens that look back at their previous busy times, then plan their recruitment ahead using a mixture of a permanent and interim staff enjoy a more organized and effective working environment. A pre-planned approach is far better than waiting until the kitchen gets too busy and putting in an emergency call to a recruitment agent to fill the gap quickly.

Use interim talent properly

Relief chefs today are highly skilled. Working in a range of environments means they are highly adaptable and have a massive range of experience that can be put to good use.The most successful outcomes are achieved by working closely with clients to match the right kind of interim chef to each kitchen’s individual needs. Respecting the skills they offer is the best way to get real value from interim staff.

Avoid the split shift

Any chef will tell you that one of the greatest enemies of work-life balance is the split shift. In our experience, kitchens that use split shifts tend to have a higher staff turnover than those who can avoid them. However, if you work closely with your recruitment partner, there are ways even the smallest teams can keep split shifts to a minimum. It all depends on the individual kitchen, but again it comes down to smart use of permanent and temporary staff to achieve an even and sustainable working environment.

Develop a relationship

Chefs are in demand, so if the kitchen they are working in is putting them under too much pressure they often face a stark choice between burnout or walk out – neither of which is good for a hotel looking to achieve consistent and renowned quality. Kitchens that seek to provide jobs with straight shifts, decent hours, flexibility to job share and two days off pe week are more likely to be able to retain the talented chefs they need. Planning ahead and taking a strategic approach with your recruitment consultancy will help you develop a relationship with them, which has the added benefit that they will be better placed to provide the best matched staff to your needs at short notice in emergencies too.

Michelle Mellor is the director at Chefs Jobs UK. Established in 1990, the company is a national chef recruitment business providing tailor-made, high quality, temporary and permanent recruitment solutions for the hospitality industry. With offices in Lancashire and London, it operates both locally and nationally recruiting chefs at all levels.