Preparing a Chef From Japan for an English Interview

When a Japanese restaurant abroad hires a chef from Japan, the final interview is often conducted in English by the owner or the local general manager. A chef whose cooking is excellent freezes in an English interview, gets nothing across and is marked down. That is a loss for the employer too.

This guide is for employers who want to tell chef candidates in advance what will happen in an English interview and how to prepare. What to ask (how to assess skills and experience) is covered in interview questions for chefs and sushi chefs, so here we focus on preparing a chef to be interviewed in English.

1. Why the employer should help candidates prepare

Chefs' English varies widely. Some hold everyday conversations easily; others can manage kitchen English but have never sat a formal interview in it. What you need to find out is not how fluent the chef is, but whether the two of you can run a kitchen together.

Sending a briefing note:

• reduces the number of candidates who come across worse than they are because of nerves
• lets you compare real English ability with everyone on the same prepared footing
• shows candidates you take them seriously, which cuts withdrawals

2. Tell candidates the interview format in advance

What worries a chef from Japan most about an interview abroad is not knowing what will happen. Put the following in your briefing note.

For handling the time difference see remote interviews across time zones with Japan, and for practical tests chef skills tests for remote hiring.

3. Be clear about the English you need

"English: conversational" means different things to different readers. Describe what the job requires in terms of situations.

• Kitchen only: can give instructions to local staff and knows ingredient names and cooking terms
• At the counter: can chat briefly with guests, explain the fish and check allergies
• As head chef: can negotiate with suppliers, hold staff reviews and deal with hygiene inspections

Some visa systems require proof of English. For Australia's Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482), for example, the primary applicant must achieve a specified result in an English language test unless an exemption applies. If your country requires a test, confirm the candidate's plans for sitting it at interview stage. Setting language requirements is covered in language requirements for a Japanese kitchen.

4. Common questions and how to answer them

Send candidates the questions they are likely to be asked in English. The aim is not to have them memorise answers but to organise what they want to say.

5. English phrases chefs can use to describe their experience

Japanese kitchen titles mean little in English, so encourage candidates to describe what they did.

Being honest about English ability, as in the last sentence, while showing what they can do in the kitchen does not count against a candidate. Point candidates to our Japanese kitchen terms in English and sushi and fish terms in English for kitchen vocabulary.

6. Using an interpreter

Where you need an accurate account of technique and experience, you will get better information if the candidate speaks Japanese. If you bring an interpreter into part of an English interview, decide in advance:

• which parts will be in English and which in Japanese
• who interprets (if a Japanese member of staff does it, agree that they will not weigh in on the assessment)
• if you will set aside separate time to assess English itself

7. What interviewers should be careful about

While you help candidates prepare, interviewers also need to watch what they ask.

• United States: the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission says that, as a general rule, pre-employment inquiries should be limited to what is essential for deciding whether a person is qualified for the job, and that information on race, sex, national origin, age and religion is irrelevant to that. Employers are explicitly prohibited from asking about disability before making an offer.
• Japan: the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare states that finding out matters unrelated to aptitude and ability, such as family registry or birthplace, family, religion or political affiliation, through application forms or interviews may lead to employment discrimination.

Avoid "Are you married?" or "Will your family come with you?", even as small talk. If you want to give information about bringing family, explain the rules yourself and let the candidate ask if they need to.

8. A briefing note to send candidates

Send it in Japanese. This is the English version of the structure.

Sending a note like this changes the quality of the interview. For scoring answers afterwards, see the sample evaluation sheet in interview questions for chefs and sushi chefs.

General information, not legal or immigration advice. Limits on interview questions and English requirements for visas differ by country and change over time. Check the primary sources below and the rules where your restaurant operates.