Important questions to ask before hiring a pizzaiolo
Posted on Friday, November 13, 2020 by Alan Pizzaiolo Tribe — No comments
Following on last week's blog where we asked what the 5 most important questions to ask before accepting a job are, this week we look at the other side of the coin.
This will likely depend on your establishment and what you are looking for. I used to think that as long as the pizzaiolo could make the dough and stretch and cook the pizza I could work on the rest. But I was wrong. You need someone that can fit in your culture, if you are a small family restaurant where everyone gets along and you are easy going, the last thing you want Is a pizza chef that stresses you out. On the same token if you run a busy, fast paced pizzeria, you need someone that doesn't mind going to battle. In my opinion your questions should be centred on Experience and Personality. If there are any obvious challenges, for instance my pizzeria is a small town, you want to know how your new pizzaiolo is going to cope with this. If your staff are young and inexperienced you want to point this out.
You must ask where the candidate has worked before, what his responsibilities were, why he left and what he wants to do in the future.
It's always good to ask for a minimum commitment, say at least one year as training and sorting out the paperwork (I particular when your pizzaiolo comes from abroad) takes time.
Why do they think they will fit well with your team, do they want to learn the language, do they want a quiet life, are the coming because of the generous salary, the new responsibilities? Are they excited?.
Make sure you spell out what's expected of them. A part from the obvious job description, also in terms of professionalism and handling oneself. Things like smoking, using a mobile at work, drinking may bother you. In my contract it says no smoking in front of the restaurant .
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