6 tips for recruiting food service students other than through on-campus interviewing

Employers seeking to recruit food service students can explore a variety of strategies beyond traditional on-campus interviews. Partnering with culinary schools, hospitality programs, and community colleges to offer internships, externships, or part-time roles is a great way to engage students early. These hands-on opportunities allow students to gain real-world experience in kitchens, restaurants, or food service management, while employers can observe their skills and work ethic in action. This approach builds a direct pathway from education to employment.

Another effective method is leveraging online platforms and social media to reach food service students. Posting job opportunities, apprenticeships, or training programs on food industry-specific job boards or career sites can attract candidates who are actively seeking to enter the field. Virtual job fairs, cooking competitions, or webinars featuring chefs and industry leaders can also draw attention to a company’s brand and create opportunities for engagement without the need for traditional campus visits.

In the competitive landscape of hiring for food service roles, we’ve gathered top tips from six industry professionals, including a clinical nutritionist and a founder. They offer fresh perspectives ranging from hosting “Taste-and-Recruit” events to engaging with online communities and job boards. Discover these innovative strategies to connect with the next generation of culinary talent beyond traditional, on-campus recruiting.

• Host Taste-and-Recruit Events
• Embrace Virtual Career Fairs
• Advertise on Industry-Specific Job Boards
• Create Local Food Service Internships
• Partner with Gig-Economy Recruitment Platforms
• Engage with Online Communities and Job Boards

Host Taste-and-Recruit Events

If you’re trying to find an alternative to on-campus recruiting for food service roles, here’s something a bit different: team up with local food festivals or community events near colleges. Instead of the usual recruiting booths, host a “taste-and-recruit” experience where students can try different food samples while learning about your company.

It’s a unique way to connect with potential hires in a relaxed, fun setting, and you get to see how they engage with others in a real-world environment. Plus, it’s a great way to make your company stand out from the usual job fair crowd.

Renato Fernandes, Clinical Nutritionist, Saude Pulso

Embrace Virtual Career Fairs

Virtual career fairs are a great alternative for Fortune 1000 organizations and government agencies looking to hire fresh graduates and students for food service roles without having to rely on on-campus recruiting. These events provide flexibility and save logistical expenses by connecting you with a large pool of candidates around the country. Furthermore, promoting these fairs in conjunction with university career services guarantees great publicity and draws in a varied talent pool.

Tony Hendrix, Co-Founder, Kytin

Advertise on Industry-Specific Job Boards

In the case of food-service employment recruitment with Fortune 1000 companies and governmental organizations that recruit students and fresh graduates from universities and colleges, there exists an excellent alternative to recruiting students on campus in these organizations—turning to the Internet and posting job advertisements on the appropriate job boards. Hence, the great number of users on these platforms can be easily reached and targeted for advertising job offers of different kinds. 

Using the examples of sites such as College Recruiter, LinkedIn, and Indeed, and sites created for job searching exclusively within the hospitality and civil catering industries, companies can reach out to college students and fresh graduates looking for jobs in the food service sector. Further, these websites provide features that enable the organization to narrow down their search for candidates using factors such as abilities, experience, and educational qualifications, overall enhancing the recruiting process.

Effective alternatives also include cooperating with educational and career institutions. Such UK recruiting agencies as TFS can arrange targeted events such as industry-specific job fairs, webinars, or workshops for students, or virtual networking with employers upon signing a contract with the university. Employers can source specific cohorts of students or recent graduates with an interest in food service by targeting student career centers. There can also be opportunities to invite the students for guest lectures, work experience placements, and industrial training programs in which students learn applied skills while retained in the university system.

Ultimately, using social media and digital marketing to create and market an employer brand effectively will bring in the right candidates. It is possible to attract such young professionals by conveying the company’s culture, goals, and opportunities to build a successful career. Indicating employee reviews, career opportunities, and company activities can be beneficial in attracting college graduates and students. It enhances the visual outlook but at the same time affords the organization a good pick of quality candidates for food service establishments as it builds a favorable image of the organization among the food service workers.

Ranveer Brar, Owner, Kashkan Restaurants

Create Local Food Service Internships

For Fortune 1000 companies and government agencies aiming to hire college students and recent graduates for food service roles, a highly effective alternative to on-campus recruiting is to establish mutually funded internship programs in collaboration with local food companies.

This approach provides a flexible and scalable solution, allowing you to build a targeted talent pipeline without the logistical challenges of traditional recruiting. By partnering with local food service businesses, you can create internships that offer students hands-on experience in real-world settings. These internships are designed to meet your specific needs, with key performance indicators (KPIs) set by your organization to assess interns’ potential for full-time employment. The key benefits include:

• For your organization: You gain a cost-effective recruitment channel where interns are trained to your standards. Their performance during the internship becomes a crucial factor in your final hiring decision, which can then be supplemented by interviews conducted remotely—making the process more efficient and adaptable to different circumstances.
  
• For local food companies: The collaboration brings additional resources and prestige, helping them attract and develop skilled workers while fostering strong ties with larger organizations.
  
• For students and recent graduates: They gain valuable industry experience, mentorship, and a direct path to employment, making them more competitive in the job market.

This collaborative model not only enhances the quality of your hires but also strengthens community relationships and offers potential cost savings, ensuring long-term success for all involved.

Sarah Lasaracina, CIO, AlfredHospitalityAI.com

Partner with Gig-Economy Recruitment Platforms

My top tip is to leverage digital platforms that attract talent through targeted campaigns. Instead of focusing solely on on-campus recruiting, companies and government agencies can partner with gig-economy apps or specialized recruitment platforms that focus on students and recent grads. 

For example, a company could collaborate with platforms like Indeed Flex or UpShift, where students and recent graduates actively look for flexible work. These partnerships allow businesses to tap into a pool of candidates who are ready to work, without the logistical challenges of on-campus recruitment.

Ronald Osborne, Founder, Ronald Osborne Business Coach

Engage with Online Communities and Job Boards

Instead of sticking with the usual campus recruiting, I suggest focusing on digital partnerships with online communities and specialized job boards that attract students and new grads eager for food service roles. Sites like Culinary Agents or broader hospitality job platforms are fantastic for connecting with candidates who have a genuine passion for the industry. 

You might also consider joining virtual career fairs or hosting webinars to introduce your company, allow students to hear directly from your team, and engage with them in real-time. This strategy not only widens your talent pool but also targets applicants who are actively interested in your field. By shifting to online and niche-focused recruitment, you’ll draw in individuals who are both driven and ready to make an impact in food service.

Gabrielle Yap, Senior Editor and Culinary Expert, Carnivore Style