Jobs › Northwestern Medicine

This position has closed. Northwestern Medicine removed this listing from their careers page on Oct 5, 2026. The interview prep below is still useful, and there are similar open roles at the bottom of this page.

Food Service Worker-Part Time, Evenings

Northwestern Medicine · DeKalb, IL · Part time · Health Care Provider

Posted Sep 24, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 5, 2026

Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This tray passer shift at Kishwaukee Hospital runs from 3:30 to 9 p.m. What experience do you have serving food in a hospital or care setting?

What they are checking: Whether they understand that patient meals come with diet rules and a more careful pace than restaurant service.

Tell me about a time you handled cash. How did you make sure it balanced?

What they are checking: Whether they handle money carefully, which the posting lists as a duty.

This job includes alternating weekends and holidays. How does that fit with your life?

What they are checking: Whether they can reliably cover the schedule hospital meal service requires.

How do you treat patients when you deliver a tray to their room?

What they are checking: Whether they bring kindness to a short visit that matters to patients.

What would you do

A patient calls to order something that is not allowed on their diet. What do you say?

What they are checking: Whether they follow diet orders politely and offer allowed choices instead.

A family member is upset because their loved one's meal was late. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they can stay calm, apologize and fix the problem.

You notice food in the cooler that is past its date. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they remove unsafe food and follow first in, first out practices.

About the work

How do you check a tray before it goes to a patient?

What they are checking: Whether they verify the patient and diet order so the wrong food never reaches someone.

How do you keep cold food at a safe temperature while you prepare and deliver it?

What they are checking: Whether they understand food safety rules for cold items.

Have you used Microsoft Excel before? What did you use it for?

What they are checking: Whether they can handle the basic data entry the posting asks for.

How do you keep your work area clean and organized during a busy shift?

What they are checking: Whether they clean as they go and follow daily checklists.

Practice this interview out loud.

Offer builds a real interview for this exact role at Northwestern Medicine from your resume and this job description, asks the questions one at a time, and tells you what landed. The first one is free.

Practice this out loud

The full job description

As published by Northwestern Medicine.

Tray Passer/Food Service Worker Northwestern Medicine Location: Kishwaukee Hospital Shifts: 3:30-9:00 PM Schedule will include: • Alternating weekends, both Saturday and Sunday. • Rotating holidays. The Food Services Worker reflects the mission, vision, and values of NM, adheres to the organization’s Code of Ethics and Corporate Compliance Program, and complies with all relevant policies, procedures, guidelines and all other regulatory and accreditation standards. • Prepares cold food items and assists in various support activities. Responsibilities: • Prepares cold food items for patients and cafeteria. • Take Room Service orders including employee/patient/family initiated orders and those patients needing assistance. • Complete tray assembly. • Ensures food meets all safety and sanitary regulations and completes all required documentation. • Data entry using Microsoft Excel. • Basic cash handling. • Maintains a safe, clean, neat and orderly cooking area. • Ensures all department policies and programs are adhered to. • Ensure satisfaction in quality and service using problem resolution skills as necessary. • Completes daily position checklists, cleaning duties and all required documentation. • Completes all mandatory in-service trainings and meets employee health requirements. • Completes daily position checklists, cleaning duties and all required documentation. • Washes and sanitizes all food service equipment used for patients and cafeteria service. • Replaces items to their proper place of storage. • Demonstrates ability to exercise independent judgment in times of need. • Assist with putting away stock using the FIFO (first in, first out) method. • Cleans and sanitizes cafeteria service items. • Cleans dish machine at end of shift. • Cleans and sanitizers work area. • Cleans and sanitizes food service carts. Behavioral Attributes: • Excellent customer service and critical thinking skills • Must be able to work in a stressful environment and take appropriate action. Preferred: • One-year customer service experience • Familiar with diet restrictions Northwestern Medicine is an equal opportunity employer (disability, VETS) and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of age, sex, race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status. Background Check Northwestern Medicine conducts a background check that includes criminal history on newly hired team members and, at times, internal transfers. If you are offered a position with us, you will be required to complete an authorization and disclosure form that gives Northwestern Medicine permission to run the background check. Results are evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and we follow all local, state, and federal laws, including the Illinois Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Artificial Intelligence Disclosure Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools may be used in some portions of the candidate review process for this position, however, all employment decisions will be made by a person. Benefits We offer a wide range of benefits that provide employees with tools and resources to improve their physical, emotional, and financial well-being while providing protection for unexpected life events. Click on or copy and paste URL to your browser to view detailed benefits information NorthwesternMedicine Career Page https://jobs.nm.org/benefits Please refer to the Benefits Eligibility by Employment Classification to determine benefits eligibility for job postings. If sign-on bonus is included in a job posting eligibility is as followed: Internal employees and rehires who left Northwestern Medicine within 1 year are not eligible for the sign-on bonus. Exception : New graduate internal employees seeking their first licensed clinical position as a Registered Nurse at NM may be eligible.

More food service worker roles