Interview Questions for Hiring a Chef in Switzerland
When hiring a chef, ask questions that test technical skill (knife work, plating, menu design), kitchen leadership (team management under pressure, staff training), cost awareness (ingredient sourcing, waste reduction, GAV compliance), and alignment with your restaurant's concept. Structure your questions by competency, listen for concrete examples rather than theory, and remember that some topics—medical history, personal life, family plans—are off-limits in Switzerland.
A chef hire shapes your kitchen culture, food quality, and labour costs. Unlike other roles, you need to assess both technical competence and leadership capacity under extreme pressure. These questions help you separate experienced cooks from genuine culinary leaders.
This guide groups questions by what they reveal: craft mastery, kitchen management, cost discipline, and cultural fit. Each section flags illegal or risky questions under Swiss employment law.
Culinary Craft & Technical Skill
Ask about knife technique, menu development, and ingredient knowledge. Strong answers include specific dishes they've created, sources they favour, and why they chose those techniques. Weak answers stay vague or rely on recipes memorised without understanding.
Watch for passion and curiosity. A chef who names suppliers, describes seasonal ingredient work, or discusses plating evolution is showing the depth you need. Someone who lists only popular dishes or speaks in jargon without substance is a red flag.
- Describe a dish you've created from scratch. What ingredients did you choose and why?
- How do you approach menu design for [your restaurant type]? What seasons or ingredients drive your ideas?
- Tell me about a technique you've mastered. How many years did it take, and what made you keep practicing?
- Which suppliers do you work with regularly? What makes them reliable or unique?
- Walk me through your approach to plating. How do you balance aesthetics with practicality in service?
- What culinary training or apprenticeship have you completed? Where and for how long?
Kitchen Leadership & Teamwork
A chef must lead under pressure: manage junior cooks, handle service rushes, and maintain standards with tiredness and mistakes. Ask about how they've coached staff, resolved conflicts, or recovered from a service failure. Strong answers show empathy alongside discipline.
Weak answers blame others, skip over conflict, or describe authoritarian approaches without learning. Listen for candidates who name specific team members they've trained or describe how they adapted their style to different personality types.
- Tell me about a junior cook you've trained. What were they weak at, and how did you help them improve?
- Describe a moment during service when something went wrong. How did you handle it, and what did the team learn?
- How do you handle stress during a full restaurant? Can you give an example of staying calm under pressure?
- Have you ever had to give difficult feedback to a team member? How did you approach it?
- What does a good kitchen culture look like to you? How do you build it?
- How do you know if a cook is ready for promotion or more responsibility?
Cost Awareness & Business Alignment
Chefs control 30–40 % of restaurant costs through portion sizes, food waste, and supplier choices. Ask how they've reduced waste, optimised yields, or worked within budget constraints. Strong answers name specific savings or cost-per-plate thinking. Weak answers claim no responsibility for costs or suggest quality and cost are opposites.
Understand their awareness of Swiss GAV (Gesamtarbeitsvertrag) wage scales, Pensum expectations, and how they fit your restaurant's price point and concept. A chef who dismisses budget or doesn't know what they'll earn is a poor fit.
- Tell me about a time you reduced food waste or improved ingredient yields. What was the result?
- How do you think about food cost when designing a menu? What's your target cost per plate?
- Have you worked within a tight budget before? How did you maintain quality?
- What do you know about Swiss GAV rates for kitchen staff? Are you comfortable with the Pensum we're offering?
- How do you choose suppliers? Price, quality, reliability, or a mix—and why?
- Describe a menu or service you've changed because it wasn't economically sustainable.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I ask about their previous salary or why they left their last job?
- Yes, both are legal. You can ask what they earned or what they expect. Why they left is fair game—listen for professional reasons (better opportunity, kitchen closed) versus red flags (frequent job-hopping, blaming everyone else). In Switzerland, you can also request references from previous employers, and they may provide an Arbeitszeugnis (formal work reference).
- Are there questions I should avoid?
- Avoid questions about health, medical history, disability, family plans, religion, or politics. Do not ask if they're planning to have children, their marital status, or whether they have health limitations (unless they're visibly relevant to the role—e.g., ability to stand for 8 hours). These are illegal under Swiss employment law. Illness absence rates are also sensitive; ask only if they've disclosed a condition first.
- What should I listen for if they have gaps in their CV?
- Ask directly and listen for honest answers: sickness, burnout, job search, relocation, or family reasons are normal. Concerns arise if they become defensive, change their story, or the gaps align with suspected dismissals. Request an Arbeitszeugnis from their last role to verify employment dates and reason for departure—it's standard practice in Switzerland.
General information for Swiss employers, not legal advice. Have a lawyer confirm anything with legal consequences.