What interview questions should I prepare for a Sous Chef job interview?

Focus on kitchen leadership scenarios, team management challenges, and crisis handling examples. Ask about specific management experiences including staff development, service coordination, and operational improvement initiatives that reveal genuine sous chef capability and culinary leadership potential.

Common misunderstanding: Experience equals leadership skills.

Some managers use general kitchen experience questions for Sous Chef interviews instead of leadership-focused scenarios. Management positions require specific team coordination, crisis management, and staff development questions rather than basic culinary skill assessment.

Let's say you are a sous chef interviewing candidates. Instead of asking "What's your cooking experience?" (general kitchen), ask "How did you coordinate your team when two chefs called in sick during a 300-cover service?" This tests actual leadership under pressure, not just cooking ability.

Common misunderstanding: Cooking skills matter most.

Some managers ask cooking-focused questions for Sous Chef candidates thinking technical skill assessment is most important. Leadership roles demand questions about team management, operational coordination, and crisis handling rather than recipe knowledge or culinary technique evaluation.

Let's say you are a sous chef evaluating candidates who demonstrate excellent knife skills but can't explain how they'd manage a team. The leadership abilities matter more than individual cooking techniques because they'll be coordinating others, not just cooking themselves.

How do I create behavioural questions specific to a Sous Chef job interview?

Use kitchen management scenarios requiring leadership under pressure. Focus on team coordination challenges, crisis management examples, and staff development situations specific to culinary leadership roles that reveal management approach and operational thinking.

Common misunderstanding: Generic questions work everywhere.

Some managers create generic leadership questions for Sous Chef behavioural assessment instead of kitchen-specific scenarios. Culinary management requires team coordination under service pressure, crisis handling during busy periods, and staff development in kitchen environments.

Let's say you are a sous chef creating behavioural questions. Instead of "How do you motivate people?" (generic), ask "Tell me about a time you had to maintain team morale when the kitchen fell two hours behind during a wedding service." This tests kitchen-specific leadership under real pressure.

Common misunderstanding: All hospitality leadership is similar.

Some managers use hospitality behavioural questions for Sous Chef interviews instead of culinary leadership scenarios. Kitchen management demands specific team coordination, service pressure handling, and operational crisis management rather than general restaurant or hospitality leadership questions.

Let's say you are a sous chef interviewing candidates with front-of-house leadership questions. Kitchen leadership is different from dining room management. Ask "How do you coordinate multiple sections during a service crash?" rather than general hospitality leadership scenarios. Kitchen pressure requires specific coordination skills.

What scenario-based questions work best for assessing Sous Chef candidates in job interviews?

Present service crisis scenarios, staff management challenges, and operational coordination problems. Test decision-making under pressure whilst evaluating leadership approach and team development capability through realistic kitchen management situations requiring immediate leadership response.

Common misunderstanding: Simple scenarios test management.

Some managers use simple kitchen scenarios for Sous Chef assessment instead of complex management challenges. Leadership positions require multi-layered crisis management, team coordination under pressure, and operational decision-making scenarios rather than basic kitchen problem-solving.

Let's say you are a sous chef testing candidates with "What if a dish comes back?" (too simple). Instead, try complex scenarios: "The head chef is off sick, three team members are new, food costs are 8% over budget, and health inspectors arrive during lunch service. Prioritise your response." This tests real management complexity.

Common misunderstanding: Individual skills show leadership.

Some managers test Sous Chef candidates with individual performance scenarios instead of team leadership challenges. Management roles demand assessment of staff coordination, crisis leadership, and team development capability rather than personal culinary skill or individual problem-solving scenarios.

Let's say you are a sous chef assessing candidate abilities. Don't just test "Can you cook this dish?" (individual performance). Test "How would you train three junior chefs to prepare this dish consistently whilst maintaining speed during service?" This reveals team leadership and development skills.