Can you train someone for that open position on your food truck staff? This is an important question that food truck owners need to ask themselves while hiring food truck staff members. While other questions are certainly relevant, this question can significantly impact the bottom line of your mobile food business.

Tips for Hiring Food Truck Staff

Whether you need to fill the role of a drive, server, cook, chef or manager, each can require a substantial amount of time to get someone up to speed to actually help you.

A Wealth of Questions

You can narrow the field during the interview stage when hiring food truck staff by asking the right questions. Add in some questions so you can gain a real sense of a candidate’s strength and weaknesses. These questions may not seem relevant to that of a food truck owner, but hiring the right people will likely ensure the success of your truck.

Most of the questions involve the candidate. However, asking yourself the right questions can set the correct framework. Start with a couple of essentials:

  • Need: Answer the important question of need – what needs the position will require from you. From training to the character traits you can only get from “loaded questions,” these questions can help you prepare for the hiring process.
  • Source: Where will you look for your next candidate? Studies have shown that external hires receive “significantly lower performance evaluations for their first two years on the job…,” though they have more education and get paid 18 percent more than internal candidates. (hint hint: try to hire from your existing staff)

Once you have these essentials met, you can move on from there. From the starting point of the hiring process to post-interview, it pays to ask yourself the right questions to ensure you’re taking the right steps. Hiring mistakes can have an unmistakable and negative impacts.

The Decisive Question

You think you have the right candidate. He or she has all of the characteristics on paper, and there is much to like regarding the candidate’s aptitude, likeability, and interactivity. Yet, one question remains: Can you train them?

In some cases, everything seems to be right – but that person is unable to make the transition to the job. Due to a need for him or her to start right away, it just might not work out. Situations like these can be unfortunate, especially when the hiring decision isn’t well thought out.

This decisive question is incredibly valuable in many situations. Ultimately, the “right” candidate for the job may not seamlessly integrate into the new position. Training them may be too much trouble.

Can you train the applicant? Or would it be too much of a hassle for the position?

Every job is different. And every candidate is different as well. Yet, this question could be the litmus test for your business and the position. Someone who has never cooked inside a cramped food truck kitchen before may have some trouble acclimating to a hectic environment. However, you may find that you or another employee can train them during the slower times of the day. One other question you may want to ask yourself is if the candidate will have the ability to “catch up.”

Overview

The barrage of questions is bidirectional when hiring food truck staff. In order to spare your mobile food business of a costly mistake, the important questions must be asked and answered – and applied – by you.

Look at the applicant’s range of skills and qualities that aren’t found on paper. From the basic to the tough questions, the subsequent answers can be used to gain an understanding of what an applicant can bring. However, there is always a practical and important question with regard to training.

RELATED: The Complete Human Resources Guide For Food Trucks

The Bottom Line

Learn to ask yourself and the candidate the right questions. It could save you a great deal of pain in the end. Remember: Your employees ultimately reflect on you and your food truck.

Do you have any additional tips for hiring food truck staff? We’d love to hear them. Facebook | Twitter