How to Record a Catering Assistant Video Job Ad
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Catering assistant is hospitality's utility role. One day you're setting tables for a wedding breakfast, the next you're helping plate a corporate dinner, the next you're running service at a private party. The work is varied, physical, and often behind the scenes—making sure events run smoothly without being the person guests remember. Candidates who thrive are reliable, adaptable, and genuinely happy in support roles. Your video job ad should convey what catering work actually involves, because candidates who expect restaurant-style service will find catering's pace and anonymity frustrating.
Step 1: Open with the Opportunity
Catering assistant roles appeal to different candidates for different reasons. Lead with what makes your opportunity attractive.
Entry to hospitality: For many, catering assistant is how hospitality careers begin. What pathways exist from this role? Senior catering assistant, team leader, event coordination? If you develop people internally, that's a genuine draw.
Flexible work: Catering often offers flexible arrangements—event-based scheduling, zero-hours options, varied patterns. For students, parents, or those with other commitments, this flexibility can be the main appeal. Be clear about what flexibility actually means at your operation.
Varied work: Different events, different venues, different experiences. For candidates who'd be bored with repetitive work, catering's variety is attractive. Each event is different; each day brings something new.
Active work: Some people want to move, not sit. Catering is physical—lifting, carrying, walking, standing. For those who prefer active work, this physicality is a feature, not a drawback.
Team environment: Catering is team work. Candidates who enjoy being part of a crew, working together toward a shared goal, find satisfaction in event completion.
Step 2: Show Your Catering Environment
Film the range of work catering assistants do—setup, service, breakdown. Show the reality of what they'd be doing.
Event spaces: Where events happen—function rooms, marquees, corporate venues, whatever your operation services. The variety of spaces and configurations.
Setup work: Table laying, room configuration, equipment arrangement. The physical transformation of spaces before guests arrive.
Service in action: If possible, capture actual service—tray carrying, plating, clearing. The pace and coordination of event service.
Behind the scenes: Kitchen handoff areas, staging spaces, wash-up stations. The operational areas where much catering work happens unseen by guests.
The team: Catering crews working together. The team dynamic during events. Who they'd be working alongside.
Transport and logistics: If your operation involves off-site catering, show the vehicle loading, equipment transport, mobile setup. This logistical element distinguishes catering from static restaurant work.
Step 3: Paint a Picture of the Role
Catering assistant work spans multiple functions depending on the operation and event type.
Setup and preparation: Room setup—tables, chairs, linens, place settings. Equipment staging. Buffet construction. Bar setup if applicable. The physical preparation that makes events possible.
This often requires early arrival before events, sometimes hours of preparation work.
Food service: Plated service—carrying plates from kitchen to table, synchronised with team. Buffet service—maintaining displays, replenishing items, guest interaction. Canapé service—tray work during receptions. Silver service in formal contexts.
What service style is typical? Different operations emphasise different approaches.
Beverage service: Drink service during receptions. Wine service at tables. Bar running if applicable. The beverage element alongside food.
Clearing and wash-up: Clearing tables between courses and after events. Returning items to kitchen. Wash-up if not outsourced. The cleanup that nobody sees but everyone depends on.
Breakdown: Dismantling setups. Packing equipment. Loading vehicles for off-site operations. Returning spaces to pre-event condition.
Varied tasks: Catering assistants do whatever needs doing. Flexibility about task assignment is essential. "That's not my job" doesn't work in catering.
Physical demands—be direct: Heavy lifting—tables, chairs, equipment, loaded trays. Extended standing and walking. Pace during service periods. Variable temperatures depending on venue and setup. Long shifts—events can be 8-12 hours.
Schedule patterns: Events happen evenings and weekends primarily. How is scheduling handled—offered shifts, fixed patterns, advance notice? What's typical weekly hours?
Step 4: What Catering Work Requires
Catering assistant hiring emphasises reliability and physical capability over prior experience.
Physical capability: Lifting, carrying, sustained activity. Someone who struggles physically will find catering unsustainable. This is genuine manual work alongside service elements.
Reliability: Events can't be understaffed. No-shows create crises. Catering operations need people who show up, on time, for every scheduled shift. Attendance history is the best predictor.
Team orientation: Catering is crew work. Can they take direction? Work cooperatively? Support colleagues under pressure? Individual stars matter less than team players.
Flexibility: Tasks vary constantly. Setup one hour, service the next, clearing after. Can they adapt to changing needs without friction?
Pace management: Catering has intense periods and quieter periods within the same shift. Can they work quickly during service, then shift to thorough cleanup? Manage energy across long events?
Presentability: Catering assistants interact with guests, even if briefly. Clean, professional appearance. Appropriate communication. Basic service demeanour.
Following direction: Events run on coordination. Catering assistants follow instructions from supervisors, event coordinators, chefs. Can they take direction without friction?
Experience requirements: What do you actually need? Previous catering experience? Any hospitality background? Entry-level candidates with the right attitude? Be clear about what you'll train.
Availability confirmation: Weekend availability is almost always essential. Evening availability typically required. Candidates who can only work weekday daytime aren't suited to catering.
Step 5: Make the Offer Clear
Catering assistant compensation should reflect the physical demands and unsocial hours.
UK compensation context:
- Catering Assistant (casual): £11-13/hour
- Catering Assistant (contracted): £11.50-13/hour
- Senior Catering Assistant: £12-14/hour
Hours and scheduling: This is often the critical question. How does scheduling work?
- Zero-hours casual: shifts offered based on events, no guarantee
- Minimum hours contract: guaranteed base with additional shifts
- Full-time: what does full-time look like across a typical week?
How much advance notice for shifts? Is there a booking system or app? Can availability preferences be set?
Tips and service charge: How does this work for catering assistants? Included in pool? Separate arrangement? What's realistic additional income?
Event premium: Higher rates for certain events—late nights, holidays, complex events? This matters for total earnings.
Meals during events: Staff meals provided? What's the provision during long event days?
Transport considerations: Event venues vary. How do staff get to different locations? Transport support for off-site events? Late-night finish transport assistance?
Career development: Is there progression from catering assistant? Senior roles, team leader, event coordination, other hospitality pathways? If you develop people, describe how.
Uniform: Provided or own? Specific requirements? Laundry arrangements?
The flexibility reality: Be honest about what flexibility means. Can hours genuinely accommodate other commitments, or is weekend availability non-negotiable? Different candidates value different flexibility aspects.
Step 6: The Application Process
Catering assistant hiring should be straightforward—assess capability and reliability without overcomplicating an entry-level role.
Application approach: Basic application or CV. Availability—which days, what hours, how much notice needed. Right to work. Contact information. Keep it simple for entry-level positions.
Selection process: Brief conversation: availability, understanding of the work, reliability signals. Physical capability confirmation: can they handle the demands? Trial shift: the best assessment for catering work.
What you're assessing: Physical suitability: can they handle the demands? Reliability indicators: attendance history, commitment signals? Attitude: are they willing to do varied tasks without friction? Teamwork: can they work cooperatively? Presentability: do they present appropriately?
Trial shifts: Paid trial shifts are the most effective assessment. See how candidates handle setup, service, and clearing. How they work with the existing team. Whether they cope with the pace and physicality.
Reference checking: For entry-level roles, focus on reliability and trustworthiness. Previous employer attendance confirmation. Basic character verification.
Don't overcomplicate: This is an entry-level position. Extensive interviews and multiple stages are disproportionate. A conversation, availability confirmation, and trial shift are sufficient.
Honest expectations: Catering work is demanding—physical, irregular hours, often thankless behind-the-scenes work. Candidates who understand this accept it as part of the deal. Those who expect glamorous events work become disappointed.
Quick process: Candidates for catering positions often need work soon and may be considering multiple options. A quick, responsive process—conversation to trial to offer within days rather than weeks—helps secure good candidates.
The best catering assistants are reliable, adaptable, and take pride in being part of successful events. They understand that their work enables the experience guests enjoy, even if they're not the visible face of it. Finding people with that service mentality—plus the physical capability and schedule flexibility—creates strong catering teams.