A new recipe for recruiting success

They’re among the most needed workers in Australia, and now UQ research has uncovered why chefs may be so difficult to recruit and retain.

In a recent report, Employing Chefs in Queensland, UQ School of Tourism researchers Dr Charles Arcodia and Mr Richard Robinson suggest the content and listing of job vacancy ads may need greater attention.

“Job vacancies that articulate more appropriately the skills and attributes which are deemed essential in the various roles in cookery and list employer and industry benefits may have a greater capacity to attract the right candidate,” Dr Arcodia said.

Preliminary findings also show the terms chef and cook have been used interchangeably and that different employment statuses such as “full-time” and “permanent full-time” are confusing.

“Developing standardised terminology across the hospitality industry may clarify the different job titles and employment status leading to more efficient and effective job matching which could reduce turnover,” Mr Robinson said.

The authors also suggest that job advertisements provide a wealth of information which is rarely used in academic circles.

“Job advertisements are an under-utilised data source as they are current and available to the public,” Dr Arcodia said.

“Rich insights can often be gained from advertisements given the occupational, organisational, industry and societal artefacts they contain.”

The report – Employing Chefs in Queensland: a Content Analysis of Employment Advertisements – presents the findings of a chef-related study in South East Queensland and was commissioned by Hospitality Training Association Inc on behalf of the Queensland Hospitality and Tourism Industry.

Media: Cate Clifford at UQ Tourism (07 3346 8717, c.clifford@uq.edu.au)