The sous chef

Audrey Boyle · Field note · November 9, 2026

Part of the brief: Write the paper, then the thesis

What I expected

When a restaurant posts for a sous chef, it needs a sous chef.

What I saw 

In culinary school, I researched why restaurants were hiring, and the real reason was often different. The executive chef was disorganized, dishes came out wrong, and the line cooks weren’t hearing the plan. What the kitchen needed was an organized sous chef, but the posting just said “sous chef.” So they hired a good one who wasn’t organized and called it a bad fit. And when an organized sous chef leaves, they post for “sous chef” again, never counting what walked out the door. Today the answer might not be a hire at all, but a tool that helps the chef stay organized.

What to do Monday

Before you post a role, finish this sentence: we’re hiring because ___. If the answer isn’t in the posting, rewrite it.

What’s still open

How many job postings describe the title instead of the need?