"I don't remember seeing so many young people submitting their CVs for summer jobs in previous years," Udeküll said in an appearance on ETV's "Terevisioon" on Friday, calling the situation surprising.

"Perhaps young folks are more aware now that earning some pocket money is a good thing," she added.

Udeküll, the head chef at LaSpa Laulasmaa restaurant Wicca, has noticed that many of them seem to have done their homework ahead of time, and may have already been clued in about a solid team, interesting work, whether tips may be possible.

"All these nuances really matter, and are things young folks notice," she acknowledged.

Youth hires undergo thorough preparations before they begin a job. It is important to set clear expectations on the employer's part, and a trial work day is one great way to give them the chance to see what a job will really entail.

"They get to understand what it means to work in customer service, interacting with strangers, and decide if this is something they want to do for the next few months," Udeküll explained.

"Are they truly ready to actually interact [with people], ready to be at work for eight hours a day, if they're 16 or 17 years old, and how many days a week are they willing to work?" she continued. "Do they have other commitments too, like travel plans? These are things that should be discussed quite clearly with the employer right from the start, to avoid any hard feelings on either part later on."

Udeküll noted that hiring minors involves a lot of red tape, requiring parental consent and signed contracts. She added that it's also important that youth hires feel comfortable asking questions, and are given job guidelines so they know what's expected of them in customer service.

The chef also stressed that if an employer sees during a trial work day that the minor isn't a good fit for the position, they need to be honest about it — such as if the hire has a strong fear of social interaction.

"Then maybe this isn't the right summer job for them," she said. "No one needs that kind of emotional trauma."

According to Udeküll, despite challenges in the service sector, they're still in need of professional employees.

"It's great that there are young folks who want to come join us for the summer; they provide a lot of much-needed help," she acknowledged.

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