As the hospitality industry continues to evolve, the skills employers look for in candidates for each role change as well. Based on the jobs posted on CulinaryAgents.com in the first quarter of 2022 (January, February and March), here are the top 10 requested skills for some of the most common Back of House positions.

Pro-tip for Job Seekers: Before applying to jobs, cross-check your skills against these that are in high demand to see which role(s) you are most qualified for and/or if you are seeking to grow into a new role, identifiy which skills you need to work on to take you to the next level.

 

Dishwasher

  1. Cleaning / Sanitation
  2. Teamwork
  3. Dishwashing
  4. Food Safety Knowledge
  5. Basic Knife Skills
  6. Positive Attitude
  7. Work In a Fast-Paced Environment
  8. Communication
  9. Washing Dishes
  10. Cleanliness

 

Prep Cook

  1. Basic Knife Skills
  2. Food Safety Knowledge
  3. Portioning
  4. Cleaning / Sanitation
  5. Teamwork
  6. Prepping Ingredients
  7. Vegetable Cookery
  8. Communication
  9. Positive Attitude
  10. Food Prep

 

Line Cook

  1. Basic Knife Skills
  2. Food Safety Knowledge
  3. Cleaning / Sanitation
  4. Sauteing
  5. Grilling
  6. Meat Cookery
  7. Vegetable Cookery
  8. Frying
  9. Fish Cookery
  10. Prepping Ingredients

 

Lead Line Cook

  1. Food Safety Knowledge
  2. Basic Knife Skills
  3. Meat Cookery
  4. Advanced Knife Skills
  5. Grilling
  6. Cleaning / Sanitation
  7. Sauteing
  8. Fish Cookery
  9. Frying
  10. Communication

 

Expeditor

  1. Expediting
  2. Food Safety Knowledge
  3. Communication
  4. Customer Service
  5. High Volume Service
  6. Attention to Detail
  7. Plating and Presentation
  8. Organizational Skills
  9. Cleaning / Sanitation
  10. Conflict Resolution

 

Sous Chef

  1. Food Safety Knowledge
  2. Kitchen Management
  3. Ordering / Purchasing
  4. Expediting
  5. Advanced Knife Skills
  6. Cleaning / Sanitation
  7. Safety Procedures Knowledge
  8. Receiving
  9. Fish Cookery
  10. Meat Cookery

 

Executive Chef

  1. Kitchen Management
  2. Food Safety Knowledge
  3. Ordering / Purchasing
  4. Menu Development
  5. Scheduling
  6. Leadership
  7. Team Management
  8. Recipe Development
  9. Communication
  10. Cleaning / Sanitation

 

Baker

  1. Bread Baking
  2. Time Management
  3. Dough Making
  4. Pastry Making
  5. Food Safety Knowledge
  6. Baking Knowledge
  7. Cleaning / Sanitation
  8. Teamwork
  9. Viennoiserie Making
  10. Can Lift Up to 50 Lbs

 

Pastry Cook

  1. Pastry Making
  2. Plating and Presentation
  3. Time Management
  4. Ice Cream / Sorbet Making
  5. Cake Making
  6. Cake Decorating
  7. Food Safety Knowledge
  8. Chocolate Work
  9. Bread Baking
  10. Servesafe Certified

 

Executive Pastry Chef

  1. Ordering / Purchasing
  2. Costing
  3. Pastry Making
  4. Pastry Skills
  5. Team Development and Training
  6. Menu Development
  7. Pastry Menu Development
  8. Food Safety Knowledge
  9. High Volume Baking
  10. Servesafe Certified

  

Click here for the Top Requested Skills for FOH Jobs (Q1 2022).