To keep your mobile catering business running smoothly, it’s essential to have a reliable team of seasonal or short-term staff you can call on to work with you as and when. We’ve picked out some tips for recruiting a team you can trust — and enjoy spending time with too!
Back to basics
First things first: it’s crucial to check your applicant’s age and their eligibility to work in the UK. If a candidate is from the European Economic Area or Switzerland, they’re free to work within the UK. If they’ve travelled from elsewhere, you’ll need to check that they have a work permit to get started. It’s your responsibility and a legal requirement to see your new employee’s passport and work permit.
Check their qualifications
Before you can clear them to work with your food and serve your customers, it’s important to check that your potential team members have the necessary training under their belt. Take time to research the qualifications your staff need to have — look out for those who have certificates in health and safety, hospitality and food hygiene.
The Food Hygiene Level Two certificate is a key basic to look out for: it’s training that can be completed online and is a legal requirement for anybody who regularly handles food for production, preparation or sale. The Environmental Health Department will need to routinely check that you and your staff meet this standard.
Expand your search
Job boards are a good place to search for candidates, as is social media. It can also be useful to contact local universities and ask them to share your vacancies via their internal job centre. Over the long summer break, many students will be looking for temporary work — perfect for helping you out over festival season.
It’s all about attitude
Once the legal boxes have been ticked, choosing the right employees comes down to their personality. Are they able to stay calm and efficient under pressure? Are they enthusiastic and friendly to customers, as well as other members of your team? Can they handle long hours and communicate well? All of these are vital components when it comes to working well as part of a catering crew.
Look for fellow foodies
Finally, a love of eating and drinking is an invaluable attribute. If you can share your working days and nights with a team that’s as passionate about serving delicious food and drink as you are, that can only be a good thing.