DECODING THE ATTITUDE COMPETENCIES PROFILE OF CHEFS: INSIGHTS FROM EMPLOYERS’ ONLINE RECRUITMENT POSTS

Hotel kitchen environments are demanding, high-pressure, and involve teamwork, which is why attitude has become an increasingly important factor when recruiting chefs. Even though non-technical qualities are gaining more attention, very few studies have examined the kinds of attitudes that Malaysian hotels request in their job advertisements. This study examines the attitude competency profile required of chefs by analysing online recruitment posts through the Skills-Knowledge-Abilities (SKA) perspective. A qualitative content analysis completed by descriptive frequency analysis was conducted on 300 hotel chef advertisements posted on JobStreet.com.my between April and October 2025. The advertisements covered Commis Chef, Demi Chef, Chef de Partie, Sous Chef, and Head Chef positions. Attitude requirements were coded into intellectual and physical ability dimensions, and intercoder reliability was assessed using Cohen's Kappa, producing a coefficient of κ = 0.87. The findings identified 72 attitude mentions across 13 competency codes. Intellectual attributes accounted for 91.7% of all mentions, while physical attributes represented 8.3%. Attention to detail and the ability to work under pressure were the most frequently identified competencies, followed by discipline, adaptability, and stress management. Physical stamina, safety compliance, and flexibility in work scheduling appeared less frequently. These findings indicate that hotel employers place particular emphasis on cognitive control, behavioural discipline, and resilience when recruiting chefs. The study contributes evidence to culinary competency research by demonstrating how employer expectations are expressed in real recruitment contexts rather than through perception-based measures alone. The findings also suggest that culinary education should strengthen authentic, practice-based learning experiences that develop professional attitudes alongside technical culinary competence.