It’s a very sad fact that the coronavirus has devastated our industry and so many talented people have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
I spent a large part of last year assisting a client with the search for a new executive chef. In addition to my own personal contacts, I was also in touch with as many as eight different executive search firms. Common sense would dictate that a chef candidate puts his or her best foot forward and that the head hunter do their home work and be 100% transparent about their candidate. Sadly this was not always the case.
I encountered chefs whose resumes contained different information from their LinkedIn site. Unprofessional polaroid shots of dishes they’d created were used to illustrate their style of cuisine. Unexplained gaps of up to a year on a resume were found, and when questioned the head hunter replied, ‘Oh, let me check.’
A chef candidate wanted to bring a mysterious ‘friend’ (not his girlfriend) to the hotel when invited to prepare a tasting. Chefs, when interviewed, would either blabber on incessantly for 90 minutes to tell me what a normal person could have told me in 30 minutes, or they’d have as much enthusiasm about the opportunity as my 16 year old daughter has for getting up in the morning.
And the usual litany of embellished references often omitted such important details as ‘ineligible for rehire.’
So I offer the following humble advise to chefs and headhunters.
Chefs:
We want to see your creativity and we want to know what you’re passionate about. Invest in a website that tells your story and includes some fantastic hi-def images of your food.
If there are gaps in your resume, be honest. Don’t make stuff up. The truth will eventually emerge.
If you haven’t interviewed for a while, practice. The old saying ‘you never get a second chance to make a first impression’ was never more true.
Headhunters:
Coach your chef candidates on how best to present themselves, not only visually (for example, how they present images of their food) but how they sound on a phone call or video call.
I shouldn’t have to say this but be 100% honest. Obviously, you want to show your candidate in the best light, but withholding or skewing information about a termination will impact your credibility.
Follow up with your client and with your chef candidate. I regularly had headhunters calling me to ask how their candidate felt about an interview or a tasting.
In a sea of stars, be the one that shines the brightest.
2/10/2021