Turn your career into your adventure
Culinary Recruitment International is a business that was developed to be an additive recruitment
layer to Canada’s culinary industry. We work hard to find motivated cooks and chefs from international
locations that are eligible for Canadian work permits. If you are an employer interested in our services,
or an eager cook looking for an exciting opportunity, then we look forward to hearing from you!
"I'm proud to be in Canada, I'm developing my career and enjoying my time. It’s awesome."
Culinary Recruitment International is a professional agency we use to support our need for staffing fulfilment.
They have provided us with culinary graduates from Morocco that are now working side by side our team of culinary professionals successfully.
Our team has been very satisfied with the quality of applicants presented to us and the detail that both Joel and Lucy provide us through the entire process from applicant to candidates arrival on property.
"We have become great friends, in a town we love, with a career we are passionate about."
What we do
CRI is a program that pairs great Canadian employers with skilled international workers, with emphasis on the Culinary Industry. We search for applicants that have been trained and certified, that are eager to gain work experience in Canada. In addition to, reputable employers that are interested in international recruitment efforts that will provide an enjoyable workplace to foreign workers.
Who am i
Joel Chevalier is the owner and operator of CRI. Joel has over 20 years experience in Human Resources within the hospitality and tourism industry. Most recently, he was the Vice President of Human Resources for Whistler Blackcomb, North America’s premiere mountain resort. Working along side him at CRI are additional HR professionals that hold experience in international recruitment, high volume
recruitment, culinary recruitment, and Canadian immigration.
Why CRI?
Having experience first hand the struggles and frustration of recruiting skilled workers, sparked an interested in thinking outside the recruitment box. Our
company utilizes employer specific work permits that allow international workers to come to Canada from anywhere between 1-4 years. We work closely with both the applicants and the employers to provide a customized experience and a seamless process. From pairing the right candidates with the right employers, facilitating interviews, and ensuring everyone is prepared during the work permit
and arrival process.
Recruitment Initiatives
Morocco Recruitment Initiative
Our primary recruitment initiative is based in Morocco! Within our first year of business, CRI brought in close to 150 skilled culinary workers from Morocco. The Morocco Recruitment Initiative allows employers to meet pre-screen cooks and chefs either Face to Face in Morocco or via Skype. Cooks and Chefs within our Morocco based applicant pool will hold a Culinary Diploma and 2- 10+ years of professional kitchen experience. This initiative utilizes an employer specific work permit that allows trained cooks and chefs to work for one employer in Canada for 2 years+.
If you are an employer interested in this program please email Joel@CulinaryRI.com for Employer Requirements! Our Morocco Trips take place every 3-4 months and require sign up 6-8 weeks prior.
International Recruitment Initiatives
In addition to Morocco we look to work with other countries eligible for skilled employer specific work permits. Within 2020, we will be starting new recruitment relationships with Chile and New Zealand.
If you are a Culinary School or a Registered Organization that would like to partner with us please email Lucy@CulinaryRI.com
If you are an Employer interested in exploring these new initiatives please email Joel@CulinaryRI.com
Applicant Requirements for either recruitment initiative are listed under the “Applicants” section of our website.
Applicants
If you’ve come this far, we are really excited about the possibility of working with you!
We see the value in your culinary background and want to work with you to find an employer that fits your experience and interests. Please see below for the requirements of our Morocco Recruitment Initiative and other International Recruitment Programs.
*If you do not meet these requirements, feel free to send us an email anyways!
When working with CRI we guarantee access to accommodation, market rate wages, and full time/ year round work!
Morocco Recruitment Initiative – Applicant Requirements
- Culinary Diploma
- Minimum of 2 years work experience
- Must be fluent in French (Advanced)
- Conversational English Skills (Intermediate)
- Clear Criminal Record Check
- Valid Passport
- Willingness to move to Canada
Morocco Recruitment Initiative – Applicant Requirements
- Culinary Diploma
- Minimum of 2 years work experience
- Must be fluent in French (Advanced)
- Conversational English Skills (Intermediate)
- Clear Criminal Record Check
- Valid Passport
- Willingness to move to Canada
- Be a citizen of a country eligible for a Young Professional Work Permit and within the age require for your country.
If you are a fit for either of our Recruitment Initiatives, please send your CV to
Recruitment@CulinaryRI.com. We look forward to hearing from you!
Employers
We know that finding the right culinary talent can be challenging and time consuming. Culinary Recruitment International keeps our focus on sourcing out the talent and providing you with access to them. Our objective is to be an additional layer to your current recruitment initiatives. We focus on filling your long term pipeline as well as bringing choice back into your hiring. We aim to provide a 1:3 ratio of your target hire number to interviews.
We work closely with the several provincial Hotel Associations, Canada West Ski Area’s Association, and Go2HR. Feel free to reach out to them if you want to do some digging! We are also happy to connect you with employers that have participated in past our Recruitment Initiatives!
Granted that the culinary market is a tough one we will do our best to help fill your needs. Our recruitment efforts are an employer paid service, however, you don’t pay our fee until we have been successful at getting you a person on the ground.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Applicant Faqs
There is no placement fee for applicants, so accepting a job through us doesn’t cost you any money. You will be responsible for your travel as well as any costs associated with obtaining your Canadian work permit. Don’t stress, we can help you figure that part out.
Culinary Recruitment International is partnered with some of the best Hotels and Mountain Resorts in Canada. You could work at any of them! We will work with you to match you with the right Employer, in the right location. As an example, we have placement opportunities in Whistler, Vancouver, Sun Peaks and Silverstar… just to name a few!
The placements could be from 6 months to 2 years. That depends on the employer, on you and your work permit eligibility. These will all be part of the conversation that we have when work together to find you the right fit.
Your wage will vary depending on the employer. That being said, you’ll know the rates and total compensation package when we are reviewing the postings to find your match. In addition to base pay, many of the employers offer other perks that carry value, such as ski passes, lodging, hotel discounts and food & beverage perks, as a start! Each person will receive a formal offer letter from his or her new employer that clearly specifies the pay and benefits.
That does happen from time to time, but not very often. Employers that we work with are recognized as some of the best in the industry and have great employee cultures. You will have a contract signed that sets out the start and finish dates, but if you just don’t like it, we can help you find an alternative. It’ll be important to stay in touch with us to let us know how you’re doing.
As soon as you arrive in Canada with your work permit! Some of the employers are seasonal for winter only, but most have operations year round and will be excited to get you into the kitchen as soon as they can!
This depends on the work permit type. Typically for the Working Holiday Visa, this process can take a few months so you’ll need to plan ahead. If you are thinking that this might be a fun opportunity, it is important to get started on the work permit process right away. Just because you have the work permit doesn’t mean you have to use it.
We will help guide you along the way to ensure that the travel arrangements you make are the best ones. For most of our positions, you will fly into either Vancouver, Calgary, Kelowna or Kamloops.
We can help with that! Here is a link to the Canadian Government website outlining the eligibility requirements. www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/ Eligibility requirements vary depending on the country you are from, age and skill. We have access to some great immigration consultants to ensure your questions get answered. Don’t be shy to ask!
Many of our employers provide employee housing which would be made available. Some of the housing is on-site and some will require a short commute. In all cases, your accommodation will be established prior to arriving in Canada.
Yes. While working in Canada you will be covered under your employers Workers Compensation Insurance. This covers you for any workplace injury. Outside of work, it is important to have travel insurance for the duration of your stay (and for your entry into Canada). Canada has a great health care system, but it is expensive if you are not from here. We can help you line up the right type of coverage for the best prices.
Employer Faqs
Our typical fee is $2,000 per single person placement, but every situation is a bit different. We can work with you on finding a solution that will fit into your budget needs and that supports your business. Send us an email and we can talk about your options. There are no upfront fees. You don’t pay until we are successful at getting your new employee.
There are a few steps, but we are really straightforward. After we have had an initial conversation to review your postings and needs, we will need to get access to your logo for our marketing collateral. Then we will establish a service agreement outlining the fees, payment terms and authorization for CRI to seek out applicants for you.
Our main recruitment initiatives take place in Morocco! In addition, anywhere that Canada has reciprocal work visa agreements with is an option.
The employee, although sourced by CRI, will be hired into your company like any other.
Yes. As it should be, the Employer decides who they hire through an interview process.
Applicants will be trained cooks and chefs that have completed a culinary diploma. Applicants work experience will vary dependiing on what you are looking for!
The placements could be from 6 months to 2 years. This depends on the employer need, the Employees availability and the work permit eligibility. We will need to factor in these variables to determine the right length of placement for each person. We expect that you will have an employment contract in place with the Employee setting out their start and finish date. If the finish date is going to be extended, we would expect you would have that discussion with the Employee.
As you know, there is stiff competition for culinary talent. You’ll need to make sure that your pay rates align with the Canadian market. We can help you with that and provide guidance if we think that your package needs to be adjusted. We also recognize that many employers have perks packages that add value and energy to someone’s total compensation package. We would include these items in the posting.
We take precautions to try and minimize this, but it can happen. CRI doesn’t make the final hiring decisions, you do. Either in person or via skype (or similar) you get to meet the applicant to ensure they are they right fit for you. We will stay in touch with you during the placement to hear how they are doing. If in the first two weeks the fit isn’t working, we will discuss options with you, including a refund or a replacement.
Work Culture is an important part of a person’s loyalty to their employer. It is on you to make sure that your employees are happy and engaged. In this challenging labour economy, a positive work culture should be a top priority for you and your leadership team.
We do expect that you will have the employee sign an agreement outlining their start and their end date. Employee will additionally sign a contract with CRI outlining their work term. We can’t guarantee an employee will love their placement, but open dialogue between you, the employee, and us is warmly welcomed.
We will work together to get them here as soon as possible, however, there are some factors that may delay a start. These include: work permit applications, and lead time on a posting. Working Holiday Visa applicants can take several months to get approved.
Yes and no. They will need somewhere affordable to live and part of locking in an employee (particularly in some of the more expensive markets) is ensuring they have somewhere to live. You don’t need to pay for it, but an applicant is not likely going to travel to Canada without knowing they have a place to call home.
Contact us
We would love to hear from you.
If you are an employer, an applicant, or just curious, leave us a message below and we will do our best to get back to you promptly.
