THE GUV'NOR

Watch out for rogue recruitment companies when it comes to hiring a chef, says the licensee of the Crooked Billet in Stoke-on-Rowe, Oxfordshire

Page three girls, footballers and rock stars have them. Now, for reasons of laziness, ego or lack of spirit, every chef must have an agent.

It's a sorry state of affairs when a chef can't make any effort to investigate their next employment or do a deal where employer and employee split the 15% fee.

In the good old days, you could place an ad and get three dozen really good CVs.You'd be lucky to get any today... even if you're offering upwards of £30K.

With a few exceptions,

I loathe using recruitment agencies. Some trawl the internet for CVs of chefs they've never met or even talked to - just a quick email puts candidate and kitchen together and earns 12% to 18% of salary.

There are, of course, some exceptional recruitment specialists. Unearth the good ones and build a relationship.

Here's a top tip to root out the rogues. Contact an agent, tell them you're in Ponteland or Pangbourne or wherever and need a chef. Send the agent the invented CV of a fictitious chef from the same town and wait for the call saying they've got the perfect candidate.

It's a shame recruitment agencies don't develop a code of practice, like the Corgi register, to sort out the wheat from the chaff.

While we pint-pullers strive for low staff turnover, agencies benefit from the opposite. No wonder our industry staff turnover is high, with agents keeping in touch with their "golden eggs" with a follow-up call after three months to their placement checking whether candidates are settled in and happy. The next thing we know, they will have a transfer window like at the end of the football season.

A large number of licensees who say they have had problems with recruitment admit they are put off training new staff by the notion that agency placements won't stay long. Ironically, turnover and recruitment headaches could be improved with the provision of training. Staff who feel they are being developed by their employer to improve their future pay packet or get greater job satisfaction from the job will be inclined to stay longer.

A successful recruitment specialist needs a thorough understanding of your requirements. Just calling them to say "Help I need a chef" doesn't work. Do your homework - provide a detailed job description, candidate profile, an honest description of expectations and the work place, menus, press cuttings, any awards, photos. Reciprocally, the strengths and weaknesses

of the candidate and references should be thoroughly checked, although any decent agent will already have an excellent character profile of their chefs. Agencies can work, like an arranged marriage rather than a lucky dip.

As a general rule, smaller agencies, specialising in particular fields and specific personnel - chefs, FOH, etc, tend to work better, particularly when the MDs are hands on.

There are busy times on the horizon for recruitment agencies. In 2009, the 40-hour-week legislation kicks in. On average a chef clocks a 50-hour week, therefore by 2009 the industry will require 25% more kitchen staff. I can't say I'm happy Government is writing my rotas. Thankfully they can't enforce proprietors' hours.

I enjoy my 60 to 70 hours and it would drive my wife mental if I was home another 30 hours a week.