How to Write a SEEK Job Ad That Actually Works for Hospitality

Most hospitality job ads on SEEK are interchangeable. They list a title, a generic set of duties that could describe a hundred different venues, a list of requirements that reads like an aspiration rather than a realistic description of the job, and a salary range, if the employer is feeling brave, that tells the candidate very little about what they are actually being offered. Then the venue wonders why the applications are uniformly unsuitable.

Writing a SEEK ad that attracts the right candidates is an act of precision. The goal is not to generate the highest volume of applications. It is to communicate so specifically and honestly about the role and the venue that the right people recognise themselves in the ad and the wrong ones do not bother applying.

SEEK is a search engine before it is a job board. Candidates search by title and location. Using the actual title of the role, Head Chef, Restaurant Manager, Bar Manager, rather than creative alternatives like "Food and Beverage Superstar" or "Kitchen Lead Extraordinaire" ensures your ad appears in the searches relevant candidates are conducting. Save the personality for the body of the ad.

Location matters too. If the role is in Margaret River or Busselton, say so specifically. Candidates searching for Perth metro roles who stumble into a South West listing they were not expecting will not apply, or will apply and withdraw when the location becomes clear. Being specific from the start saves everyone time.

Before listing duties and requirements, describe the venue. What kind of operation is it? How many covers? What is the cuisine style? What is the brigade or team size? Is it a standalone venue, part of a group, or attached to a hotel or winery? Is it award-listed or recognised in any way?

An experienced professional reading your ad will cross-reference it against their own background and self-select in or out accordingly. That self-selection is valuable, it reduces the time you spend screening applicants who would never have been right for the role.

Salary and hours are baseline information. Every ad has them. Culture is what differentiates your venue. What is the atmosphere in your kitchen? How does management communicate? Do you invest in your staff through training, tastings, or development opportunities? Is there a strong team culture around family meal or pre-service briefings?

These details are meaningful to candidates who have worked in enough places to know that the working environment shapes the experience as much as the role itself. If you have something genuine to say about your culture, say it. If your culture is genuinely demanding, say that too, the candidates who thrive in demanding environments will not be deterred, and you will avoid hiring people who are not prepared for what the role actually involves.

The debate about salary transparency has been largely resolved in Australia by candidate behaviour. Ads with salary ranges receive more relevant applications than those that list "competitive" or "to be discussed". Senior permanent hospitality candidates will not apply to ads with no salary indication, they interpret the omission as either an intention to underpay or a lack of respect for their time.

For context on where the market sits, our Perth hospitality salary benchmarks for 2026 cover every level from kitchen porter to head chef.

Tell applicants what you want. If you want a cover letter explaining why they are interested in this specific venue, ask for it. If you want a portfolio of menu development work from a chef, request it. Applications that arrive in the format you have requested tell you something about the candidate's ability to follow a brief, a useful early signal.

For senior and specialist roles, a Head Chef, a General Manager, an experienced Sommelier, SEEK alone often will not find the right person. The best candidates for those roles are typically not actively searching. They are known to and trusted by the people who work their patch consistently. Cookatoo specialises in finding and presenting those candidates to Perth and South West WA venues.