Dietary Aide

Dietary Aide qualifications to look for

Dietary aides prepare and serve food to patients in hospitals, clinics, and healthcare homes with instructions provided by a cook, dietician or physician. 

There’s no education requirement. On-the-job training is offered, so candidates may enter this position without experience. A food handler’s permit may be mandatory and a background check is a common practice.

💪 This job sometimes requires physical demands. 

Keep an eye out for candidates who have:

• Good hygiene 
• Strong communication skills
• Good people skills
• Patience
• The ability to follow instructions
• Good time management
  

Top tip: Hire candidates willing to grow by making sure their personal career goals align with your company's mission.

Dietary Aide interview questions

• Do you think it’s important to communicate with residents as a dietary aide? What does this look like to you? 
• Are you able to prepare basic meals? What experience do you have with this? 
• How does a dietary aide ensure cleanliness and sanitation? What are some steps you take to ensure this? 
• What should you do with leftover food? 
• What are the steps you take to make sure residents with dietary restrictions get the correct serving? 
• What do you think are common safety issues in a kitchen? How do you ensure safety? 
• Have you ever had to deal with difficult coworkers? What was your response? 
• If a patient started complaining about the food, what would you do?
• How do you handle your workload if two other dietary aides don’t show up for work?
• Imagine you don’t have information about a resident’s dietary requirements and they aren’t able to give you any. Who do you ask to help?