Hiring for Your Café: What to Put in a Barista Job Advert
Estimated read time: 5 minutes - Last updated 25/10/2026
Finding good staff is one of the hardest parts of running a café. A clear barista job advert won't solve that on its own, but it does put off the wrong people and help the right ones apply. Here's what to include, based on what other hospitality employers are offering and what we hear from the cafés we work with.
Quick takeaways
- Show the pay. Around 72% of hospitality adverts already do.
- Be specific about hours, days and whether weekends are included.
- Explain how tips work. If staff regularly get tips, you need a written tips policy.
- Say whether you'll train someone with no experience.
1. Show the Pay
Most hospitality employers now include pay in their adverts. Across current hospitality job adverts, around 72% show a rate, and the typical frontline offer is £13.00 an hour. Baristas are typically offered around £13.00 (current hospitality pay figures).
If you pay above that, say so clearly. If you pay at the minimum, still show it. Leaving pay out tends to mean fewer applications.
2. Be Clear About Hours
Say how many hours a week, which days, and roughly when shifts start and finish. "Weekends essential" or "Monday to Friday only" saves everyone time. If hours vary week to week, say that too, and say whether hours are guaranteed.
3. Explain Tips
Since October 2024, employers must pass on all tips to workers in full and allocate them fairly. If tips are paid regularly, you also need a written policy on how they're shared, and staff can ask to see it (Citizens Advice). Mentioning your tips policy in the advert is a simple way to show you're a fair place to work.
4. Say Whether You'll Train
Plenty of good baristas start with no coffee experience. If you're happy to train the right person, say so. You'll widen the pool to people from retail, catering and customer service, who often already have the hardest skill to teach: dealing with a queue.
From the Roastery
If you buy coffee from a roaster, ask whether they offer barista training for your team. Many do, including us. It means new starters learn on your coffee and your grinder, and it takes some of the training load off you.
5. Describe the Job Honestly
Busy Saturday mornings, cleaning down at close, a mix of coffee and food prep: say what the job actually involves. People who know what they're signing up for are more likely to stay.
A Simple Advert Structure
- Job title: "Barista" or "Barista (part-time, weekends)" is clearer than anything creative.
- Pay: hourly rate, plus how tips work.
- Hours: hours a week, days, typical shift times.
- The job: three or four lines on a typical shift.
- Who you're looking for: experience needed, or "full training given".
- How to apply: email, form or drop in, and when.
Before They Start
You must check that every new employee has the right to work in the UK before they start (GOV.UK). Build it into your hiring process so it isn't a last-minute scramble.
FAQs: Hiring Café Staff
What should I pay a barista?
At least the legal minimum for their age: £12.71 an hour for those 21 and over from April 2026. Current adverts typically offer around £13.00 for baristas.
Should I hire someone with no barista experience?
Often, yes. Customer service skills and reliability are harder to teach than making coffee. Your roaster may be able to help with training.
Where should I advertise café jobs?
Job boards, your own social media, a sign in the window and asking your regulars all work. Local colleges can be good for part-time staff.
Bottom line: The best café adverts are plain and specific. Show the pay, be honest about the hours, explain tips and say whether you'll train. You'll get fewer applications from the wrong people and more from the right ones.