A social media job ad for a cook needs four parts: a hook that names the kitchen and the shift pattern, a short primary text, three to four concrete benefits and one clear call to action. Below you will find three ready-to-copy versions (feed, story, reel script), variants for career changers and part-time, five pre-screening questions and a budget example. Copy, replace the [brackets] and run it on Instagram and Facebook.
Why cooks need their own ad, not a generic job post
Good cooks rarely browse job boards after a double shift. They scroll Instagram and Facebook on the way home or on a break. An ad that shows up there has to answer the questions a cook actually asks in three seconds: which kitchen, which hours, what do I earn, is it a decent team. A generic "chef de partie wanted (m/f/d)" post answers none of them.
The templates below are written for the English-speaking market. "Cook" and "chef" are used almost interchangeably in job ads: write the title your candidates use for themselves ("line cook", "sous chef", "commis") and put it in the first line.
Variant 1: Feed ad (image or carousel)
Use it as the main workhorse. One image of your real kitchen, pass or plated dish, with the text below in the primary text field.
Hook (first line, max. 90 characters): Line cook wanted: [4-day week] in a kitchen that closes at [10 pm].
Primary text:
We are [Restaurant name] in [city]: [60] covers, [seasonal à la carte menu], a brigade of [8]. You cook on the [hot / cold / pastry] station and have your own area, not a revolving door of tasks.Benefits:
- [Four-day week], no split shifts
- [€ X to € Y per hour / annual salary], paid overtime
- Staff meal every shift and [free uniform cleaning]
- [Two] weekends off per month, planned [four] weeks aheadCTA: Tap "Apply" or message us on WhatsApp. Two minutes, no CV needed. We reply within [24] hours.
Variant 2: Story (vertical, 3 frames)
Stories are short and fast. One idea per frame, large text, link sticker on the last frame.
Frame 1 (hook): Your next kitchen closes at [10 pm]. Interested?
Frame 2 (benefits): [4-day week] · [€ X per hour] · staff meal · [two] weekends off
Frame 3 (CTA): Tap the link and tell us in two minutes who you are and what you cook.
Variant 3: Reel script (15 to 20 seconds)
Shoot with a phone in your own kitchen, no actors, natural sound. Show real hands, real stations, real food.
0 to 3 s (hook): Close-up of a pan on the flame. Text on screen: "Kitchen closes at [10 pm]. Not midnight."
3 to 10 s (primary text): Quick cuts: prep at the station, the pass, a finished plate. Voice-over or caption: "[Restaurant name], [city]. We are looking for a line cook for the [hot] station."
10 to 16 s (benefits): Caption cards, one per second: "[4-day week]", "[€ X per hour]", "Staff meal", "[Two] weekends off".
16 to 20 s (CTA): Chef-owner looks into the camera: "Tap the button and message us. We call you back." End card with the apply button.
Variants for career changers and part-time
Many kitchens fill gaps with people who are not classic Chef de partie material: career changers from catering or retail, students, parents. Name them in the hook, otherwise they assume the ad is not for them.
Career changer: No culinary school? No problem. If you have [one year] in a busy kitchen or in catering and you want to learn properly, we train you on [station]. [Paid trial day], then a [six-month] onboarding plan.
Part-time: Part-time cook, [20 hours], [Friday to Sunday] evenings. Fixed shifts, [€ X per hour], tips pooled fairly. Ideal next to studies or a second job.
5 pre-screening questions for the talent agent
Every reply to an ad costs your head chef time they do not have in service. A talent agent that asks the basics by WhatsApp, phone or web filters first and hands over only people who fit. Keep the questions about the job, never about age, origin or family status.
| # | Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Are you a trained cook, or how many years have you worked in a kitchen? | Separates trained cooks from helpers and career changers. |
| 2 | Which station and which kind of kitchen (hot, cold, pastry; à la carte, canteen, hotel)? | A canteen cook and an à la carte cook need different onboarding. |
| 3 | Are weekends, late shifts and split shifts possible for you? | Avoids a no-show after the first roster. |
| 4 | Where do you live and how do you get to work? Earliest start date? | Commute and notice period decide whether the hire is realistic. |
| 5 | Would you do a paid trial day? Do you hold a food-handler or hygiene certificate? | A trial day is the best test in a kitchen; hygiene certificates are a legal basic. |
Image ideas without fake people
Candidates spot staged photos instantly, and a "team" made of stock models or AI faces damages trust. Use what exists in your kitchen:
- Your real pass with a finished plate, shot from above, natural light
- Hands at work: chopping, plating, flame (no faces needed)
- Your actual cooks, with their consent, in a short clip or a still
- A graphic with the wage range and shift pattern on a plain background
- The staff meal on the table: simple, honest, and what cooks like to see
Budget example with Sprad
Sprad Social Recruiting bills your ad budget plus 10 %, starting from a €1,000 budget that can be split across several roles. Three months are recommended so the campaign can learn and the talent pool can fill. The maths is simple (use the same logic in £ or $):
| Example | Ad budget | Plus 10 % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum budget, one month | €1,000 | €100 | €1,100 |
| €1,000 per month for three months | €3,000 | €300 | €3,300 |
| Same budget split: cook, kitchen helper, service | €3,000 | €300 | €3,300 |
These are calculation examples, not forecasts. Nobody can promise a number of applicants in advance: it depends on region, pay and the quality of your ad.
Typical mistakes in cook ads
- No pay, no hours. Cooks skip ads that hide both.
- Stock photos of smiling models instead of your own kitchen.
- A long application form. Every extra field loses candidates. Start with a two-minute form or a WhatsApp message.
- One ad for every role. A pastry cook and a line cook want different things.
- Slow reply. A cook who applies on Tuesday has often found something by Friday. Reply the same day.
- Running one week and stopping. Short tests give you noise, not data.
- Ignoring the people who say "not now". They are your next hire: keep them in a talent pool.
Meta's "Employment" ad category and equal opportunity law
Facebook and Instagram require you to declare job ads as the special ad category "Employment". According to Meta's business help centre (as of October 2026), this removes several targeting options: age and gender are fixed to everyone, postal-code targeting is not available and Lookalike Audiences are not offered. The restrictions apply to advertisers in or reaching the US, Canada and certain European countries. Do not try to work around them: you target by location and radius, interests and a good message instead.
The ad text must also be neutral. In the UK the Equality Act 2010 prohibits discriminatory job adverts (for example "young team", "native speaker" without need). In the US, EEO rules apply. In Germany the AGG (section 11) requires a neutral job posting, which is why ads there carry "m/f/d". This is general information, not legal advice.
How Sprad helps
Sprad Social Recruiting runs your job ads on Instagram and Facebook, where cooks spend time every day; Google and TikTok are to follow. An AI talent agent pre-screens every applicant via WhatsApp, phone or web. Every applicant lands in your own talent pool, so the contacts stay with you instead of a platform. See Sprad Social Recruiting, the hospitality solution and the social recruiting topic page.
FAQ
How long should a cook job ad run?
Plan for at least three months. A campaign needs a few weeks to learn which image and text work, and applicants who are not ready now can be reached again later through the talent pool.
Should the ad name the salary?
Yes, at least a range. Pay and hours are the first things cooks check. Hidden pay reads as a bad sign.
Can candidates apply via WhatsApp?
Yes, and for kitchen staff it often converts better than a form. In Germany, contacting candidates this way has rules: see our article on contacting candidates via WhatsApp.
Do I need a different ad for chefs and kitchen helpers?
Yes. Use one ad per role and per message. The hook, the pay and the benefits differ, and so does the tone.
Jürgen Ulbrich
Jürgen Ulbrich has more than a decade of experience in developing and leading high-performing teams and companies. As an expert in employee referral programs as well as feedback and performance processes, Jürgen has helped over 100 organizations optimize their talent acquisition and development strategies.
