How to Use the Catering Assistant One-to-One Template

Why structured catering assistant one-to-ones matter

Your catering assistants are the backbone of every event you deliver. They prep food, set up rooms, serve guests, clear plates, and break down — often across different venues, with different teams, for different types of events. When they're reliable and engaged, events run smoothly and clients rebook. When they're disengaged or frustrated, service quality drops and your reputation suffers.

The challenge is that catering assistants often work irregular hours across varying event types, making it easy for them to feel disconnected from the wider team. One week they're plating canapes for a corporate reception; the next they're serving a wedding breakfast for 200. Without intentional one-to-ones, you'll only hear about problems when an event goes wrong, when a client complains, or when a good catering assistant stops accepting shifts.

This template structures your conversations around the areas that matter most for catering assistant performance and retention. Each section builds on the last: preparation gives you context, their agenda shows you what's on their mind, the discussion sections cover role performance, team dynamics, growth, and wellbeing, and the engagement indicators give you an early-warning system for disengagement.

Preparation

Complete these steps before each meeting to ensure a focused and productive conversation. Arriving prepared shows your catering assistant that you take this time seriously.

Review notes from previous one-to-one — Pull up the notes from your last session. What actions did you commit to? What did they commit to? If you promised to look into the briefing process or speak to the kitchen about timing, check whether you followed through. Walking in without knowing what was agreed last time undermines the entire process.

Check recent performance data or feedback — Review feedback from recent events they worked — any comments from supervisors, clients, or event coordinators. Check their attendance and punctuality record. This takes two minutes and gives you specific talking points instead of vague impressions.

Note any observations from the past week — Think about what you've noticed at recent events. Did they handle a last-minute dietary change smoothly? Were they slow during the clear-down? Did they help a colleague or seem disengaged during setup? Write down two or three specific observations before the meeting.

Send agenda prompt to employee ahead of time — Text them after their last event: "Hey — we're catching up on [day]. Anything from Saturday's function I should know about?" This gives them time to think. Catering assistants spend events reacting; asking them to suddenly reflect requires mental preparation. If they reply "all good," try: "What was the most stressful moment during the wedding? Talk me through it."

Customisation tips:

• Schedule around event calendars — after a busy weekend works well, when events are fresh in their mind
• 10-15 minutes is enough for a regular check-in. Don't let it stretch into a 45-minute session unless something significant comes up
• Meet at the venue between events, or in a quiet staff area. Don't use a formal office — keep it informal and relaxed
• For the first 90 days, keep these weekly without exception. After that, you can move to fortnightly if they prefer — but ask first

Their Agenda

Start every one-to-one by asking: "What's been on your mind?" Record whatever they raise before covering your own items.

If they say "nothing really," don't fill the silence immediately. Count to five. Silence is uncomfortable and they'll often fill it with something real. If they still don't, offer a specific opener: "How did Saturday's wedding feel? Talk me through the service." The specific framing works because "How was your week?" is too vague for someone who served at three different events.

Once they're talking, ask "What else?" until they run out. Don't jump to solutions or share your perspective yet. This section is about understanding their world, not managing it.

If you have items to cover — upcoming events, new procedures, uniform changes — mention them at the start so they know it's coming, then let them go first: "I want to talk about the conference next Thursday before we finish, but first — what's been on your mind since the last event?"

What to record: Their exact concerns in their own words. Don't paraphrase into management language — "the kitchen was running 20 minutes behind and nobody told us" captures reality better than "discussed kitchen coordination."

Role Performance

These four questions are designed to uncover how events actually feel from your catering assistant's position. Work through each one during the conversation and tick it off as you cover it.

"Walk me through your prep for the last event. What worked, what was rushed?"

This reveals whether they had enough time, information, and resources to prepare properly. If prep was solid but the event still felt chaotic, the problem is elsewhere. If they were rushing to finish setup as guests arrived, it's a scheduling or planning issue. The way they describe their prep tells you whether the system supports them or leaves them exposed.

What good answers sound like:

• Describes their prep with specific detail — what was ready, what was last-minute, what they wish they'd had more time for
• Identifies what caused any rushing (late delivery, short staffing, unclear instructions) rather than just saying "it was hectic"
• Shows awareness of what they'd do differently to prepare better

What to do with the answer: If prep time is consistently insufficient, review how far in advance setup starts. If it's a communication issue, improve the briefing process. If they managed well, acknowledge it — catering assistants rarely get recognition for invisible prep work.

"Which event type do you enjoy most — weddings, conferences, corporate dinners? Which do you find hardest?"

This tells you where their strengths and preferences sit. A catering assistant who loves weddings but dreads conferences has useful insights about what makes each type challenging. Their preference also tells you about their working style — some thrive on the variety of corporate events, others prefer the ritual of a wedding service.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific event types with genuine reasoning, not just "I like weddings"
• Explains what makes their least favourite type difficult — pace, complexity, client behaviour
• Shows awareness that all event types matter

What to do with the answer: Where possible, schedule to their strengths for important events. Use their preferred event type for training and development. If they struggle with a specific type, pair them with someone experienced in that area.

"Are you getting adequate briefings before events? Do you know what you need to know when you arrive?"

Briefing quality directly affects event delivery. A catering assistant who arrives without knowing the dietary requirements, the room layout, or the timing schedule will spend the first hour catching up. One who's been properly briefed can walk in and start contributing immediately.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about what information they receive and what's missing ("I know the guest count but not the dietary splits until I get there")
• Identifies which event types have better or worse briefings
• Suggests what information would help them prepare

What to do with the answer: If briefings are consistently incomplete, standardise them. A simple pre-event sheet — guest count, dietary requirements, timing, room layout, any VIP notes — sent 24 hours before can transform preparation quality.

"When events get chaotic — late changes, dietary emergencies, timing shifts — do you have what you need to adapt?"

Every event has moments where things don't go to plan. This question reveals whether your catering assistant feels equipped to handle those moments or whether they're left scrambling without support. A dietary emergency discovered during service, a client who changes the schedule at the last minute, or a kitchen that falls behind all create pressure that someone has to absorb.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific examples of chaos with honest assessment of how they handled it
• Identifies what would have helped ("if someone had told me about the allergen change before I started plating")
• Shows resilience and problem-solving alongside honest frustration

What to do with the answer: If they're regularly caught off-guard by changes, improve the communication chain. If they handled chaos well, recognise it — adaptability is a valuable skill. If they struggled, discuss strategies for the most common scenarios.

Record the key points from your discussion, focusing on recurring themes and anything that needs action. Note specific examples they gave — these are valuable evidence for performance reviews. If they mentioned a briefing gap or a chaotic event they managed well, capture that detail.

Team and Relationships

These questions surface the dynamics that affect event delivery — kitchen coordination, team support, agency staff, and colleague friction.

"How's the coordination with the kitchen working? Do you get what you need, when you need it?"

Kitchen-floor coordination is critical during events. If courses are late, plates don't match dietary tags, or hot food arrives cold, the catering assistant absorbs the guest's frustration. This question surfaces whether the kitchen is supporting them or creating problems they have to fix.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about what's working and what isn't ("starters are always on time but mains get backed up when we're above 100 covers")
• Shows understanding of the kitchen's pressures alongside their own frustrations
• Suggests practical improvements

What to do with the answer: If coordination is consistently problematic, set up a brief pre-event alignment between kitchen and service teams. Don't make the catering assistant manage the relationship alone — that's your job.

"When events get busy, does the team support each other? Or is it everyone for themselves?"

This reveals whether there's genuine teamwork or a "my section" mentality. Events work when the whole team pulls together — clearing plates, refilling water, covering gaps. When individuals only focus on their assigned tables, service gaps become visible to guests.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific examples of support or lack of it during recent events
• Distinguishes between colleagues who step up and those who don't
• Acknowledges their own contribution to team dynamics

What to do with the answer: If team support is lacking, address it in the pre-event briefing. Make clear that during service, everyone helps where needed. This is a culture issue, not an individual one.

"How do you find working with agency staff? Does it make events easier or harder?"

Many catering operations rely on agency staff for large events. Agency workers may not know the venue, the standards, or the systems. This creates extra work for permanent staff who have to direct, supervise, and compensate. Understanding how this affects your catering assistant helps you manage agency integration better.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific about what works ("some agencies send great people") and what doesn't ("they don't know where anything is")
• Shows patience alongside honest frustration
• Suggests what would help agency staff integrate faster

What to do with the answer: If agency staff are a consistent burden, create a brief agency induction pack — venue map, key standards, timing expectations. Assign each agency worker to a permanent team member as a buddy. Don't leave your catering assistant to manage people they've never met.

"Is there anyone you particularly enjoy working with? Anyone who makes events harder?"

Some catering team pairings work brilliantly — they anticipate each other's movements, share the workload, and make long events manageable. Others create friction that guests can feel. Understanding these dynamics helps you build stronger event teams.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific colleagues with explanations of what works or doesn't
• Focuses on working style rather than personality
• Shows self-awareness about their own role in team dynamics

What to do with the answer: Use this insight when building event teams. If two catering assistants work exceptionally well together, pair them for important events. If there's genuine friction, address it directly rather than just separating them.

Capture the team dynamics discussed, any agency staff issues, and kitchen coordination concerns. Note these carefully — they directly affect event quality and retention.

Growth and Development

These questions explore career aspirations and development needs. The answers shape how you invest in this catering assistant's growth.

"Do you see catering as your career, or a step toward something else — kitchen work, events management, something different?"

There's no wrong answer, but the answer changes everything about how you develop them. A career catering professional needs mastery goals — silver service, event coordination skills, dietary expertise. Someone heading toward the kitchen needs cooking exposure. Someone interested in events management needs client-facing experience. Someone using catering as a stepping stone still deserves investment.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about their trajectory without feeling they need to perform loyalty
• Specific about what interests them, even if it's outside your organisation
• Shows they've thought about it rather than just shrugging

What to do with the answer: Match development to their interest. If they want to progress in catering, focus on advanced service skills and event coordination. If they're kitchen-curious, arrange prep shifts with the chefs. If they want events management, involve them in planning meetings.

"What would you need to learn to feel confident handling any event situation?"

This surfaces their honest self-assessment. If they name something specific — silver service, dietary management, handling VIP tables — you've found a concrete development opportunity. If they say "nothing" or "I don't know," they may be disengaged or lack self-awareness, both worth exploring.

What good answers sound like:

• Names specific skills or knowledge gaps
• Shows ambition to improve rather than defensiveness about weaknesses
• Connects learning to event quality or personal confidence

What to do with the answer: Create a plan to build the skill they name. If it's dietary knowledge, arrange training with the chef. If it's silver service, pair them with your most experienced server at the next formal event. If it's handling pressure, work on techniques together.

"If you were training a new catering assistant, what's the one thing you'd tell them that nobody told you?"

This reveals gaps in your onboarding and training. Whatever they answer tells you what was missing from their own induction — and probably from everyone else's too. It also shows whether they think about their work reflectively.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and practical ("nobody told me that the kitchen won't plate desserts until you call it — I was standing around waiting")
• Based on experience rather than opinion
• Shows care for incoming colleagues

What to do with the answer: If it's useful, add it to your induction. If multiple catering assistants give similar answers, you've found a systemic gap.

"What would make this the best catering role you've ever had?"

This question reveals their priorities and what's missing. It's aspirational rather than problem-focused, which often surfaces different information than "what's frustrating you?" They might mention variety, recognition, better equipment, more notice about shifts, or simply feeling valued.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and actionable
• Shows genuine investment in the role rather than just collecting a wage
• Balances ambition with realism

What to do with the answer: Whatever they say is a roadmap for retention. If it's recognition, give more of it. If it's variety, expand their event types. If it's better communication, fix it. The gap between "acceptable job" and "best job I've had" is often surprisingly small.

Record their career direction, development interests, and any specific skills they want to build. This feeds directly into performance review objectives and helps you plan training investment.

Wellbeing and Support

These questions catch burnout, frustration, and unmet needs before they cause resignations. Ask them genuinely, not as a box-ticking exercise.

"What's the most frustrating thing about your job right now? If you could fix one thing, what would it be?"

This cuts through politeness to their top priority. Whatever they name is the thing most likely to make them leave if it's not addressed. The "one thing" framing forces them to prioritise rather than list everything.

What good answers sound like:

• Names something specific and fixable rather than vague dissatisfaction
• Trusts you enough to be honest about genuine frustrations
• Differentiates between temporary annoyances and persistent problems

What to do with the answer: Fix it if you can. If you can't, explain why and offer alternatives. Either way, respond within 48 hours — speed of response matters more than the outcome.

"Are you getting enough hours, or too many? Is the schedule working for you?"

Catering work is often irregular — busy weeks followed by quiet ones, last-minute bookings creating sudden demand. Understanding whether the schedule works for them helps you retain good people. A catering assistant who needs consistent hours but gets feast-or-famine scheduling will look elsewhere.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about whether the current pattern works for their life
• Specific about what they'd change ("I'd rather work four long shifts than six short ones")
• Distinguishes between genuine preference and just being agreeable

What to do with the answer: Where possible, accommodate preferences. If consistent hours matter to them, prioritise them for regular events. If they want maximum hours, offer them first for additional bookings. Predictability is a retention tool.

"How's the physical side of this job? The standing, lifting, carrying — is it manageable?"

Catering work is physically demanding — hours of standing, carrying plates and trays, moving furniture for setup and breakdown. The cumulative toll of event after event takes its toll. A catering assistant who's physically exhausted gives slower, less attentive service and is at higher risk of injury.

What good answers sound like:

• Honest about physical strain rather than performing toughness
• Identifies specific tasks or event types that are hardest physically
• Distinguishes between manageable tiredness and unsustainable strain

What to do with the answer: If they're struggling, review event assignments. Rotate between physically demanding and lighter roles. Ensure breaks are actually taken, not just theoretically available. Check that manual handling training is current.

"What do you need from me that you're not getting?"

This is the most important question in the section. It directly asks whether you're doing your job as their manager. Whatever they say, write it down. Then do it or explain why you can't — within 48 hours, not at the next one-to-one.

What good answers sound like:

• Specific and actionable ("I need the event sheets earlier" rather than "more support")
• Trusts you enough to ask for something
• Acknowledges what you're already doing well alongside the gap

What to do with the answer: Deliver on it. Fast. If you make commitments and don't follow through, trust disappears and future one-to-ones become surface-level exercises.

Record energy levels, scheduling concerns, and support requests. Flag anything that suggests burnout or flight risk — these notes are critical early-warning signs that need action, not just documentation.

Engagement Indicators

These are observational indicators you assess based on what you've seen during recent events, not questions you ask directly. Tick each indicator that's genuinely present. Anything you can't tick is worth exploring — either in this meeting or through closer observation at the next event.

Accepting events, showing availability — Are they still accepting event offers readily, or have they started declining? A catering assistant who used to take every shift but now regularly turns them down may be disengaging — or they may have external pressures. Either way, the change is worth understanding.

Maintaining care with presentation and attention to detail — Are plates still going out with precision? Is their station tidy? Are they checking dietary tags and presentation standards? A decline in attention to detail is often the first visible sign that someone has mentally checked out.

Volunteering for extras, helping with setup — Do they still arrive early for setup, stay for breakdown, and take on additional tasks? Or have they started doing the minimum? A catering assistant who used to volunteer for everything but now disappears the moment service ends is withdrawing.

Arriving on time for events — Are they arriving ready and prepared, or cutting it fine? Punctuality for events is particularly important because late arrival affects the entire team's preparation. Compare against their usual pattern.

Communicating, asking questions, checking in — Are they still clarifying details, asking about dietary requirements, and checking in during service? Or have they gone quiet? A catering assistant who stops asking questions has either become fully confident or has stopped engaging. The difference matters.

Showing interest in other opportunities at the venue — Do they ask about permanent roles, kitchen work, or events coordination? Or have career conversations gone flat? A catering assistant who stops asking about the future has either given up on growing here or decided they're leaving.

Note which indicators you couldn't tick and what you've observed. If multiple indicators are absent, this catering assistant needs urgent attention — increase frequency and focus on understanding what's changed.

Actions and Follow-Up

At the end of every one-to-one, summarise what you've both agreed to do. Say it out loud before you finish:

"So by next week I'm going to: [your actions]. And you're going to: [their actions]. Is that right?"

Then send a brief text confirming: "From today: I'm sorting [X] + [Y]. You're working on [Z]. Chat next [day] at [time]."

What to record:

• Your commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Send event briefings 48 hours before instead of 24")
• Their commitments with deadlines (e.g., "Practise silver service hold at next formal event")
• Any items to escalate to your manager
• Topics to revisit next time

Follow-through matters more than anything else in this template. If you promise something, tell them when you've done it — don't wait for the next meeting. Text: "Event sheets will now come out 48 hours before — check your inbox before Saturday." Catering assistants are used to managers who don't follow through. Being reliable sets you apart. If you can't do something you promised, tell them immediately and offer an alternative.

Session Notes

Record your overall impressions from the conversation: patterns you're noticing, changes in their engagement or mood, anything you want to revisit in future sessions.

This is also where you note how your approach should adapt:

• First 90 days: 80% listening, 20% guiding. Focus on understanding their world.
• Established relationship: Push into development territory. Silver service, dietary expertise, event coordination exposure.
• When things are going well: Share business context, ask for their input on event planning, acknowledge specific contributions.
• When things are struggling: Increase frequency, ask diagnostic questions, focus on support rather than criticism. Remove obstacles faster.

Over time, these session notes create a narrative of your working relationship — invaluable for performance reviews and progression decisions.

What's next

Once you've established regular one-to-ones, the conversations you have will feed directly into formal performance reviews. See our guide on Catering Assistant performance reviews for how to use the evidence you gather in these sessions to write a thorough, fair assessment.

• Read our Catering Assistant job description for the full scope of responsibilities
• Check out our Catering Assistant onboarding guide if you're supporting someone in their first 90 days