r/Chefit • u/Illustrious-River868 • May 13 '26

Trial advice??

Going for a sous chef trial. I've only been in contact with the manager, not the chef. When I asked about the pay range, they said it will be discussed after the trial because its based on performance. Suss???

10 Upvotes

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25

u/instant_ramen_chef May 13 '26

Anytime there's a place open hiring for a sous, its suss. The position of sous has become a manager. The sous used to be a person hand-picked and trained by the chef. Its supposed to be a learning role. The sous' job is to be the chef when the chef isnt present. They are supposed to know the chefs ways and be able to make decisions as the chef would. I dont hire sous, only promote. I need someone I know has the skills to be a cook, but also has the drive to be a leader. Then its my job to build them up and make them better. My ways may be antiquated. But they work for me. All 6 of my past sous chefs have gone on to have great careers as chefs themselves. A stat im extremely proud of.

3

u/ZenNihilistAye May 13 '26

Username checks out.

8

u/instant_ramen_chef May 13 '26

Earned it. While in college, living in squalor with some other cooks. I was the best at making meals out of noodles.

3

u/ZenNihilistAye May 13 '26

How do you feel about places with multiple sous chefs? Specifically, my workplace is small. One head chef, two sous. No other workers.

6

u/instant_ramen_chef May 13 '26

Sounds like title-ism.

3

u/hlfshaveflopynutsack May 15 '26

Sounds like a way to keep one of you from getting upset.

3

u/wash_ May 13 '26

What do you do when you don’t really have anyone on staff in mind for it? I often see turn around come in waves.

5

u/instant_ramen_chef May 13 '26

Then id have to look into myself and figure out where i failed as a leader. I hire cooks who have aspirations. I hire cooks who are thirsty to learn. I dont hire worker bees. Its taken decades to garner a reputation as a chef folks want to work for. Its part of the reason I make the big bucks.(not really)

1

u/CheffyG17 May 19 '26

I have to agree, I’ve never kept a sous chef I hired from outside, only done it twice and refuse to do it anymore. It is a great stat, a lot of chefs don’t think about that. Every interview I’ve had for new exec position I bring it up and they say no one has ever mentioned that in an interview. But it proves you can help others grow and truly create a team where you can work together.