Hi guys, Thursday already!
This week has been a busy one here in the office. Jessica is currently on her holidays over in Las Vegas so we are one person down.
It has been a full on week, phones ringing away with people desperate for chefs – be it relief or permanent. When you have a small team, so much paperwork, CVS, phone calls, references, interviews to arrange and credit control to chase it can make your head spin.
The positives of chef recruitment is that no two days are never the same, there is always something happening and it is a fast paced environment where things have to be done quickly.
For the week so far we have 19 relief jobs filled, 35 adverts placed and 4 permanent. This week in-between phones ringing, we have been chasing up references, registering new relief and permanent chefs, sending out CVS and doing searches for jobs. (so if any of you want to be a chef in a rural area – drop me an email!)
In fact – in the time it has taken me to write this, Johanna has had a new relief chef registered, I have had an email regarding placing adverts and Michael has a permanent head chef placed after spending the morning chasing up all the credit control.
Chef Recruitment – never a dull moment!
Alannah Morrison
I have found that when any positions are being registered and I am doing a search for them in places such as Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen area etc – we are getting a lot of applicants. There are a lot of people looking for chef work in these areas.
When I am doing any searches for any rural areas, the applicants are much less.
We get a lot of positions registered in rural areas and sometimes it can be a struggle to find candidates who would be willing to go to such remote places. The positives of going to a rural area to work are the beautiful scenery, the beaches, and the opportunity to have plenty to do on your days off such as walking, cycling and fishing.
What do you think puts people off working in a rural area? Do you currently work in a city and would love to work in a rural area or alternatively do you work in a remote area and would much prefer work in the city?
I have now been a member of the Chefs In Scotland team for a year. In the last year, I have slowly been building up my confidence and knowledge in placing chefs. I have learnt that there is no magic wand when it comes to chef recruitment and that a lot of work does go in to placing a chef. It was never anything I gave much thought to, prior to working in the chef recruitment industry.
The process of placing a chef can be frustrating at times but it is certainly a rewarding feeling when you do manage to place a chef. I have recently placed a chef de partie on the Isle of Harris (even more rewarding seeing as I am from there! :) )
When a new position is registered with us and the establishment wants us to source a chef, there is a thorough process that we use to ensure we have the best chance of sourcing one. Firstly we would add the job to our list of establishments that are currently asking us to look for a chef as well as putting the position on our website and our social media. I am currently dealing with commis chef, chef de partie and pastry positions and that is my daily list and Jessica has sous chef and head chef positions on her list. We then put a pin up in the wall to set our focus on the area, have a look through our database using different filters to ensure all areas are covered. We would then write down any necessary candidates and call / email them to ask if they are interested and would they like to be put forward. It is then sending over CV’S and references to the establishments, marking them in our CV sent book and waiting to hear back if they would like to progress.
Placing a chef can take a lot of searching, a lot of calling/email and a lot of fall downs but in the end it is all worth it!
ixe �S%- FWith Easter just around the corner the availability of relief chefs will get tighter.
We are happy to get new relief chefs registered, all you need to do is email over your CV to jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk providing reference details, we will then give you a call to get you registered.
Still happy to meet chefs at our office in Moffat, just get in touch and we will let you know our availability.
Out and about Alan MacPherson is into his 3rd month at Loch Insh Watersports Centre, Mark Shaw is over on Arran at Auchrannie, John Taylor is at The Dryfesdale Hotel in Lockerbie, Sarah Pozzi is up at Duisdale Hotel, Graham Smith is at Caladh Inn in Stornoway, Lillian Clarkson is at The Bothy Bistro in Burghead, Chris Daily is at Skeabost hotel, Jenny Quashie is still in Wick at Mackays Hotel, Mark Murray is in the Borders at The Dryburgh Abbey Hotel, Ben Mailer is at The Lodge at Carfraemill where Billy Steele is still working, Stephen Kessell will be finishing at Eden Court Theatre, Gareth Connelly is at The Newton hotel in Nairn along with Craig Brown, Steve Moffat has just finished at Ballachulish Hotel, Michal Buczkowski is at the Tongue Hotel, Chris Roberti is at The Gartmore House, Sarah Jeffrey is at Burts Hotel and Colin Thomson and Stuart Palmer are also in the Borders at The Wheatsheaf Hotel.
Thanks all for your hard work and continued support.
Well the last weekend in February and relief has certainly picked up.
If you would like to register for relief work then please email jojo@chefsinscotland.co.uk with an up to date CV and contactable work reference quoting RELIEF2017.
Once we take references we would then invite you to meet at our offices in Moffat.
We are meeting Don Craig again next week; he has just completed 19 months in Shetland at the Lerwick Hotel. Well done for sticking it out Don!
David Ironside is going to The Burnett Arms and then he will be starting a part time job working in a Care Home, thanks for all your hard work David and good luck in your new job.
Craig Brown is finishing at the Burts Hotel where he was placed as a relief chef de partie and was quickly appointed as a permanent Sous Chef.
Kenny Bruce has extended his stay at The Caledonian Hotel as Acting Head Chef.
Stuart MacColl is back at The Bridge Hotel in Buttermere then going back the The Kingsmills in Inverness for 3 months as Sous Chef.
Sara Jayne Moffat has done a few jobs on relief and got on very well, she will be starting her new post at the Four Seasons Hotel as permanent Sous Chef.
Thanks all for all your very hard work and continued support.
Here is to a very busy 2017 season.
RSS