You’ve just completed a round of interviews and you’re ready to welcome a new team member. How can you ensure they integrate and are set up for success? By using a well-designed employee onboarding checklist, you can help them integrate seamlessly into your kitchen team while minimising disruptions and boosting retention.
Whether they’re a new talent or a seasoned chef, a well-structured checklist for employee onboarding is essential for minimising disruptions, fostering a positive work culture, and ensuring long-term retention.
Here’s a guide to effectively onboard a new member of staff in a professional kitchen.
The Complete Checklist for Onboarding Staff
1. Paperwork and admin
The first step in any onboarding checklist for employees is handling the necessary paperwork. It might not be fun, but it’s a crucial step to being legally able to work in your establishment.
The following documents need to be completed before the onboarding can start:
Employment contract,
Copy of the employee’s ID document
Emergency information
Employee’s bank details
2. Work expectations
Next, it’s important to outline the responsibilities of their role and go through the different restaurant policies. This will also ensure they are clear on what is expected of them and the way your restaurant works. You should cover:
Restaurant code of conduct: Which includes your business’ core values, company policies and where they fit as an employee.
Working hours and shifts: Outline the general working hours per week that are expected, number of breaks, shift scheduling (whether it’s done online or printed) and how employees can request shift changes and time off.
Uniform policy: Explain your uniform policies, dress code and any other rules around appearance, for example if piercings or make-up are allowed.
Closing and opening shift procedures: Outline the key points of the opening and closing shifts, including cleaning, restocking and security policies.
Include this step in your employee first-day checklist to ensure they know exactly what’s expected.
3. Hands-on Training
Once the paperwork and admin have been dealt with, you can proceed with a brief kitchen tour to familiarise them with the layout, storage areas, cold and dry storage, cooking stations, and cleaning areas. Show them where important tools and equipment are stored and explain the flow of service.
Afterwards, give them some hands-on training where they can familiarise themselves with the menu. “Let new candidates work a full day within all areas of the kitchen,” says Chef James Knight Paccheco, culinary consultant and co-founder of Dubai Chef’s Collective. “This is how you see how they function within the team, before you decide where to place them.”
Front-of-house employee training should include memorisation of menu items, review of allergens and ingredients and menu tasting. If your new team member is in the kitchen, they should learn to make the recipes, taste menu items to ensure consistency and learn about the allergens in each dish.
Start here with our Free Training at UFS Academy.
4. Mentorship
Setting up a mentorship relationship will help your new member of staff to feel supported during their first weeks in the new role. This step in your checklist for employee onboarding ensures they:
Receive one-on-one guidance for mastering recipes, techniques, and workflows
Feel supported as they adjust to the team culture
Have a go-to person for questions during their early days
“Mentoring is the best way to introduce a new person to the team and to develop them,” says James Holden, NW Regional Chef, The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts, Adopt a School Charitable Trust Project. “Create a plan that meets their needs and your business’s goals.”
watch the video here : The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts
Mentorship also promotes skill-sharing and fosters long-term professional growth within your team.
5. Communication
When the technical training has been completed, it’s essential to establish an open communication channel with them. Show them the best ways to raise concerns and provide feedback, encouraging them to speak up and reach out to supervisors and other members of staff when issues arise. You should also schedule regular wellbeing check-ins to discuss the general satisfaction with the role and the workplace.
You might also want to read: How to Improve Communication in the Kitchen
6. Professional growth
Finally, you should set up a plan to enable professional growth and career progression. Discuss achievable goals and set up regular check-ins where you can monitor progress and provide feedback. This will make your new team member feel not only supported but valued.
The Bottom Line
A well-executed employee onboarding checklist can make all the difference in creating a cohesive and efficient team. It reduces turnover, boosts morale, and sets new hires up for long-term success.
If you need help creating your onboarding plan, download and print our New Employee Onboarding Checklist, designed to guide you through all the essential steps of a successful induction.
