Top food service skills to look for in candidates

1. Restaurant experience

Included in 21.48% of food service job postings

Hands-on experience working in a restaurant is a valuable attribute for prospective candidates. It can signal that a person understands the inner workings of a restaurant and indicates that they may be comfortable in fast-paced environments. When hiring candidates for high-level roles, such as a Restaurant Manager, restaurant experience is essential.

As you write job descriptions, you can list this skill as “previous experience working in a restaurant,” specify what level of experience you are looking for and discuss this background during interviews.

2. Communication skills

Included in 18.93% of food service job postings

A productive food service business runs on employees’ ability to share and gather information clearly and efficiently throughout a shift. Whether it’s interacting with customers or coworkers, good communication skills minimize mistakes and keep orders flowing smoothly.

In a job description, list these skills as “the ability to share and receive information through effective speaking, active listening and empathizing.” These tips for assessing communication skills can help you find candidates who excel in this skill set.

3. Customer service

Included in 10.79% of food service job postings

Customer service is the process of providing assistance to customers throughout their experience. In food service, this means addressing a customer’s needs with a positive and professional attitude to facilitate a pleasurable visit. Customer service is valuable in client-facing roles requiring high levels of customer interaction.

When crafting a food service job description, this skill can fall under “effective customer service and interpersonal abilities.” Assessing interpersonal skills can be done during in-person interviews or during virtual interviews. Your questions should be open-ended and inclusive to draw detailed answers from the candidate. Some questions to ask may include:

• Describe a time when you had to work closely with someone whose personality was very different from yours. How did you handle it?
• How do you build rapport with new team members or colleagues?
• What strategies do you use to ensure effective collaboration in a remote or hybrid work environment?

4. English

Included in 7.93% of food service job postings

Speaking, writing and generally communicating proficiently in English allows food service workers to effectively interact with customers and coworkers.

“A proficiency in spoken and written English,” can be a good way to list the skill when you’re crafting a job description. You can get a grasp of a candidate’s English skills by reading their resume and in your conversations during the interview.

5. Cooking

Included in 7.72% of food service job postings

Depending on the role, cooking can be one of the most important restaurant skills. Prepping, preparing and plating food is a key part of the job for line cooks and other kitchen-based positions. If the role you’re filling involves food handling, be on the lookout for candidates with cooking skills.

Listing “experience preparing food according to a recipe and maintaining a clean workstation,” on a job description may attract applicants with a background in cooking. Asking candidates to explain how they would cook something or even prepare a quick recipe in front of you can help you assess this skill.

6. Management

Included in 5.65% of food service job postings

A candidate with management skills will be able to delegate tasks to employees.. They should also have the quick-thinking abilities needed to address issues and conflicts in the event they arise. You might look for this skill when hiring for higher-level roles, such as a restaurant general manager.

It can be listed as “the ability to strategically direct staff and resources toward the tasks they are best suited to address.” Ask the candidate how many years of management experience they have or to describe a time they had to handle a challenge to evaluate their skills.

7. Leadership

Included in 4.41% of food service job postings

Leadership skills encompass a person’s ability to direct a group toward common goals and encourage them to perform at their best. Good leadership combines a variety of abilities, including conflict management, communication and decision-making. Leadership is a highly sought attribute for food service workers responsible for overseeing other members of the staff.

It can be listed as “the ability to inspire and motivate a group to achieve desired results” and can be assessed by looking for leadership characteristics in candidates.

8. Sanitation

Included in 4.24% of food service job postings

Keeping the workplace clean is an important part of any food service position. Sanitation involves both performing cleaning duties and maintaining proper personal hygiene to ensure the health and safety of coworkers and customers. Sanitation skills are applicable to any role in a restaurant, more specifically roles that require handling food.

In a job description, consider describing sanitation as “an inclination toward cleanliness, both of the surrounding environment and in personal hygiene.” To get a sense of their proficiency, focus the interview on questions related to sanitation and food safety protocols.

9. Basic math

Included in 3.87% of food service job postings

Basic math proficiency refers to simple arithmetic like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. These are foundational skills that can aid employees in a variety of tasks and problem-solving situations. They are useful skills for servers and employees who handle payment, record quantities and manage time to complete orders at once.

You can list basic math as “the ability to add, subtract, multiply and divide” and can assess it by administering skills tests during an interview.

10. Food service

Included in 3.83% of food service job postings

Food service is a broad skill that encompasses a wide range of abilities such as customer service, time management, food preparation and serving. Nearly every employee in a restaurant will need to display food service skills in some form to perform their tasks properly.

In a job description, it can be defined as “knowledge of and proficiency in industry-related abilities.” During interviews, you can look for candidates with a broad range of related skills or with prior experience in the food service industry.

11. Supervising experience

Included in 3.75% of food service job postings

It’s a good idea to look for supervising experience when filling a role that will serve as a leader to other staff members. Supervising skills cover several abilities, including delegation, conflict management and communication.

These qualities can be jointly described as “experience overseeing and guiding a team’s day-to-day operations” and can be assessed by asking specific supervisor interview questions.

12. Hospitality

Included in 3.27% of food service job postings

Hospitality involves creating a comfortable workplace environment well-suited for customer satisfaction. In the food service industry, good hospitality can cast your business in a positive light, prompting customers to return.

Hospitality is a valuable skill for staff leaders and client-facing employees and can be listed in a job description as “the ability to facilitate a comfortable, easy-going environment for staff and customers.” Evaluate a candidate’s hospitality skills by conducting a mock customer service interaction in which you play the role of the customer.

13. Kitchen experience

Included in 2.89% of food service job postings

Kitchen experience encompasses the set of skills and knowledge learned by working in a culinary environment. It can include an understanding of food safety, kitchen cleanliness, teamwork and communication, all of which are valuable attributes to bring to a food service position.

You can describe kitchen experience as “competence when performing culinary duties, including adaptability, time management and attention to detail.” During interviews, you can look for candidates with a broad range of related qualities related to kitchen experience or with prior industry experience.

14. Computer skills

Included in 2.81% of food service job postings

Computer skills refer to a person’s ability to utilize technological systems to complete tasks. This means operating relevant software and troubleshooting problems when they arise. Computer skills are useful for employees completing transitions on a point-of-sale (POS) system and for managers crafting schedules or drafting emails.

You can include “proficiency with computer systems” in your job description to cover this attribute. During interviews, computer skills can be assessed by administering skills tests.

15. Serving

Included in 2.79% of food service job postings

Serving is a key skill for food servers that involves tending to customers’ needs during a meal. Serving skills are made up of many components, including multitasking, active listening and time management. If you’re filling a food service role that centers on customer satisfaction, serving can be a valuable skill to look for.

You can list it in a job description as “the ability to record and fulfill orders in a timely manner.” If you have a need for candidates with experience, you can search for resumes that list previous experience in serving-related roles. However, you may also want to expand your pool of candidates by being open to hiring entry-level servers who show an interest in learning on the job.

16. Baking

Included in 2.77% of food service job postings

Baking is a person’s ability to prepare breads, pastries, desserts and other confections. It involves unique techniques not regularly used in cooking, meaning a person with this skill can have new tools to offer a food service workplace. You might be looking for a baker to add to your team or an employee with more specific abilities, such as a cake decorator.

In any case, the skill can be listed as “proficiency in baked goods creation.” A candidate’s educational background and work experience can help you assess their baking proficiency, as it can be both taught in a classroom and learned through hands-on experience.

17. Culinary experience

Included in 2.60% of food service job postings

Culinary experience is important for employees who will spend much of their time in the kitchen. The skill refers to a group of attributes, such as working quickly while maintaining cleanliness, attention to detail and effective communication with kitchen staff members, that can give employees the knowledge required to succeed in a culinary environment.

You can describe kitchen skills as “the ability to work as a team in fast-paced culinary environments.” Checking a candidate’s background experience for previous food service experience can help you assess their proficiency in this area.

18. Computer literacy

Included in 2.45% of food service job postings

Food service workers often rely on software to complete tasks, whether it’s a POS system or an electronic ordering system. The ability to utilize this technology can be useful in companies that implement such processes.

You can list this skill in a job description as “fluency in the operation and application of computer systems.” It can be assessed by administering computer-related skills tests to candidates during interviews.

19. Time management

Included in 2.36% of food service job postings

Time management is the ability to craft and execute a plan for maximizing efficiency in a given period. Time management is essential in fast-paced environments like the food service industry, where customer satisfaction and product quality rely on swiftness without sacrificing attention to detail.

Consider describing this skill as “comfortable focusing on tasks and assisting customers in fast-paced environments.” These time management interview questions can help you identify candidates who can perform in high-energy workspaces.

20. Writing skills

Included in 2.35% of food service job postings

The ability to effectively communicate through writing skills is important to maintain productivity in a food service role. This is especially true for servers who are often tasked with recording orders by hand. Clear and concise written communication ensures other staff members can easily interpret the order and fulfill it as necessary.

Describe this skill as “capable of crafting reader-friendly messages with clear handwriting.” Assessing this skill through a role-play interview can allow you to see the candidate in action in a more realistic setting.

21. Organizational skills

Included in 2.17% of food service job postings

Candidates with strong organizational skills can keep supplies and tasks in order during a busy shift. They are particularly valuable in food service roles that require employees to manage supplies, inventory, orders, and customer requests simultaneously.

You might describe this as “the ability to stay organized and focused on multiple tasks at once.” To assess organizational skills, develop structured interview prompts and conduct reference checks to discuss a candidate’s work habits.

22. Guest services

Included in 2.15% of food service job postings

Guest services is a skill closely related to customer service with greater emphasis on building a connection with the customer during their experience. This can mean operating with a friendly attitude, displaying extensive knowledge of the menu or services offered and showing empathy in the event of an inconvenience.

Customer-facing roles benefit from guest service skills, which can be written as “the ability to interact with and attend to customers in a courteous and pleasant manner.” Consider asking some customer service interview questions as you meet with candidates to assess their performance of this skill.

23. Food preparation

Included in 2.08% of food service job postings

Look for candidates with food preparation skills when you’re filling a role that involves any form of cooking or preparing food to be served. This makes it a must-have for kitchen-based employees. In some cases, you might look for specific abilities, such as grilling or baking.

These can be added to a description like “experience prepping, cooking and plating food.” A candidate’s background experience may reveal a history of food preparation that could be useful in the role.

24. Bartending

Included in 1.82% of food service job postings

Mixing drinks, managing a bar counter and providing good customer service are all key parts of the broader bartending skill. If you’re hiring a bartender, look out for these qualities in prospective candidates. Quality candidates should have the skills and knowledge to mix drinks in a timely manner while interacting with customers.

You can list the skill as “proficiency in the craft of mixology and bar management.” When assessing resumes, keep an eye out for applicants with prior bartending experience.

25. Cashiering

Included in 1.64% of food service job postings

Cashiering involves the management of financial transactions. This is an important skill for any employee who will be assisting customers with purchases, which includes cashiers but may also include waiters. Effective cashiering skills can minimize transactional mistakes and ensure a customer’s visit is positive until the end.

List this skill as “the ability to process cash, check or card-based transactions using a point-of-sale system.” To assess the role, consider administering a skills test involving basic math.

Other top food service skills in demand

Here are an additional 25 food service skills that are common in food service job postings on Indeed:

26. Analysis skills: Included in 1.64% of food service job postings

27. Restaurant management: Included in 1.59% of food service job postings

28. Cash handling: Included in 1.43% of food service job postings

29. Knife skills: Included in 1.40% of food service job postings

30. Hotel experience: Included in 1.38% of food service job postings

31. Microsoft Office: Included in 1.27% of food service job postings

32. Accounting: Included in 1.25% of food service job postings

33. Microsoft Excel: Included in 1.13% of food service job postings

34. Food safety: Included in 1.06% of food service job postings

35. Spanish: Included in 0.88% of food service job postings

36. Retail management: Included in 0.80% of food service job postings

37. Conflict management: Included in 0.77% of food service job postings

38. Catering: Included in 0.72% of food service job postings

39. Host/hostess experience: Included in 0.72% of food service job postings

40. Microsoft Word: Included in 0.72% of food service job postings

41. Barista experience: Included in 0.70% of food service job postings

42. Math: Included in 0.67% of food service job postings

43. Bilingual: Included in 0.66% of food service job postings

44. Assistant manager experience: Included in 0.61% of food service job postings

45. Food handling: Included in 0.60% of food service job postings

46. Dietary department experience: Included in 0.59% of food service job postings

47. Sales: Included in 0.51% of food service job postings

48. Employment & labor law: Included in 0.45% of food service job postings

49. Upselling: Included in 0.43% of food service job postings

50. Production planning: Included in 0.43% of food service job postings

¹Indeed data (US), January 2023 – Dec 2023