Baker: What is the cost of hiring?

Why hire a baker? 

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your bottom line.

A great baker hire:

• Budgets, prepares and produces baked goods at scale
• Maintains cleanliness of the kitchen and baking tools
• Ensures the kitchen is stocked with the right ingredients

Deciding between a full-time vs freelance baker

Full-time bakers are typically hired for businesses, such as restaurants, grocery stores and bakeshops, with a continual demand for products. For example, a restaurant or diner that serves pie, cake and other dessert items would require a full-time baker to keep up with high demand. Grocery stores with on-site bakeries with reliable customer expectations would also use a full-time baker.

Alternatively, freelance bakers are often commissioned by smaller cafes to provide baked goods on a weekly or monthly basis. Freelance bakers are also utilized by catering companies and party planners for specific onetime events, such as weddings, bar mitzvah celebrations and other catered affairs.

What are the types of bakers? 

Bakers work in restaurants, in grocery stores, in mass production factories and as contractors that supply smaller establishments, such as cafes and coffee houses. While there aren’t specific levels of bakers, there are apprentices who train under bakery chefs, pastry chefs and production bakers. Here are the job descriptions of the three most common baker titles. 

• Bakery chefs: Bakery chefs generally work in commercial bakeries and oversee all areas of production. They handle inventory and provide training to apprentices and new employees. They’re also responsible for deciding daily specials and creating new baked goods recipes.
• Pastry chefs: Pastry chefs are the lead bakers in restaurants, cafes and commercial coffeehouses. They work with other chefs while managing the pastry divisions of food service kitchens, and they create custom dessert items and unique recipes. 
• Production bakers: Production bakers work in bakery factories and assist with the production of prepackaged cakes, muffins, breads and dinner rolls. All baked goods in factories can be produced in bulk quantities, and production bakers utilize high-volume equipment to streamline mass production. 

Where to find bakers

To find the right baker for your business, consider trying out a few different sourcing strategies: 

• Search social media: Many freelance bakers showcase their baking talents through social media posts. They post photos of their latest creations along with recipes to share with their followers.
• Post a help wanted sign outside your establishment: If your business is located in an area with high foot traffic, posting a help wanted sign in your window is an easy way to bring in potential baker candidates. 
• Attend a bakery trade show: Attending a bakers’ trade show is a great way to find potential candidates and sample their work at the same time. 
• Hire from within: if you run a restaurant or a grocery store, consult with current employees to learn if they have baking skills or an interest in the position. 
• Post your job online: Try posting your baker job on Indeed to find and attract quality baker candidates. 

Skills to look for in a great Baker

A great baker candidate will have the following skills and attributes as well as work experience that reflects:

• Proven experience in commercial or retail cooking environments
• Inventory and recipe management
• Certificate from culinary school or equivalent
• Clean appearance and sanitation practices
• Close attention to product quality
• Thrives in a team environment

Writing a baker job description

When it comes to finding a qualified baker, a thoughtful job description should be your top priority. A baker job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the time of day you need the baker.

When writing your baker job description, consider using some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting . These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on baker jobs, according to Indeed data. 

• Commercial baker
• Baker Job
• Retail kitchen baker
• Bakery
• Baker
• Baking
• Overnight
• Pastry
• Food service
• Hiring immediately
• Teen
• Overnight shift

Interviewing baker candidates

Strong candidates for baker positions will be confident answering questions regarding:

• Mathematics around scaling recipe quantities
• Health and cleanliness standards
• Previous experience in working with others in a kitchen

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of baker interview questions for examples (with sample answers).