How to hire an apparel sales associate

How to hire an apparel sales associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step apparel sales associate hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an apparel sales associate job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new apparel sales associate
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your apparel sales associate job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find an apparel sales associate for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An apparel sales associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, apparel sales associates from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of apparel sales associates.

   Type of Apparel Sales Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Apparel Sales Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$11-18

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Cash Handling
   • Customer Engagement
   • Retail Sales
   • Merchandise Presentation
   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Relationships
   • POS
   • Seasonal Promotions
   • Front End
   • Customer Calls
   • Warranty Sales
   • Equipment Brands

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
   • Operate POS station to smoothly process cash and credit transactions.
   • Prepare quality food products, process accurate register transactions, maintain general appearance and cleanliness of store premises.
   • Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your apparel sales associate job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An apparel sales associate salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, apparel sales associates' average salary in indiana is 44% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level apparel sales associates earn 39% less than senior-level apparel sales associates.
   • Certifications. An apparel sales associate with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an apparel sales associate's salary.

   Average apparel sales associate salary

   $14.37hourly

   $29,897 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level apparel sales associate salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

4. Writing an apparel sales associate job description

   An apparel sales associate job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of an apparel sales associate job description:

   Apparel sales associate job description example

   * Day-1 Medical, Dental, Vision Benefits for eligible colleagues
   * Competitive Pay
   * Paid Time Off
   * Flexible Holiday Time-Off & Flexible Scheduling
   * Fully Funded Education Benefits (100% tuition coverage including books and fees)
   * Instant access to earned wages with PayActiv
   * Enhanced benefits: pet, home & auto insurance & more
   * 401(k) plan options available
   * Bonus earning opportunities
   * Growth potential opportunities
   * Employee Discount at Bloomingdale's & Macy's Stores
   
   About
   
   Bloomingdale's makes fashion personal and fun, aspirational yet approachable. Our mission is to guide and inspire our customers to make style a source of creative energy in their lives. We will always strive to make Bloomingdale's like no other store in the world. Everyone plays a critical role to bring our mission to life. Regardless of position, we believe all colleagues have a voice and access to share their thoughts with every level of leadership. Our colleagues are passionate, driven, entrepreneurial and collaborative. We welcome and embrace diversity of background, thought and opinion while having a lot of fun along the way.
   
   Job Overview
   
   As a Bloomingdale's Omnichannel Sales Professional, your primary role is to guide and inspire our customers wherever they are shopping - in-store, online, or virtually. With a passion for gracious service, an interest in fashion, styling talent and product knowledge proficiency, your mission will be to establish and cultivate long term, high value client relationships both in-store and digitally. You will use the newest technology to connect to customers via Bloomingdales.com and have access to elevated outreach tools in order to build your business. You will also have access tools to build influence in the social media space. Whether in-store or online, you will serve as a Bloomingdales merchandise and service expert, being available for customers, determining their needs, sharing the benefits of our Loyalty programs and supporting the shopping experience from start to finish. Omnichannel Sales Professionals are expected to deliver operational excellence by leveraging our stores fulfillment system, executing merchandise to sell standards, and maintaining floor/fitting room standards in order to provide an elevated customer experience.
   
   Essential Functions
   
   * Put customers quickly at ease, online and in-store; immediately connect with customers to build comfort and trust.
   * Is an expert on product and style, and builds each sale with a confident fashion voice.
   * Actively uses styling and selling technology to deliver the customer experience and drive sales.
   * Uses outreach tools to connect and build relationships, inspiring repeat purchases and building a personal clientele.
   * Has flexibility to manage customer interactions and ability to balance multiple online platforms.
   * Sells the Bloomingdale's Loyalist program as the best way to shop at Bloomingdale's.
   * Maintains positive working relationships throughout the company.
   
   Qualifications and Competencies
   
   * High School Diploma or equivalent required.
   * 1 to 2 years related experience.
   * Resourceful self-starter, works well independently as well as part of a team, and able to adapt quickly to changing priorities
   * Ability to read and interpret instructional documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedural manuals.
   * Ability to work a flexible schedule with retail hours, including day, evening, weekends, and/or holidays.
   * Strong communication and problem-solving skills; presents information in a clear, concise manner.
   * Strong interpersonal skills; enjoys meeting and interacting with diverse groups of customers and peers.
   * Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, handle multiple priorities and learn new procedures.
   * Proficient in mobile device application technology.
   
   Physical Requirements
   
   * Position requires prolonged periods of standing/walking around store or department.
   * May involve reaching, crouching, kneeling, stooping and color vision.
   * Frequent use of computers and other technology, necessary to perform job functions, including handheld equipment, cash register and ability to process register transactions.
   * Frequently lift/move up to 25lbs.

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5. Post your job

   To find apparel sales associates for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any apparel sales associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level apparel sales associates with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your apparel sales associate job on Zippia to find and recruit apparel sales associate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting apparel sales associates requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new apparel sales associate

   Once you have selected a candidate for the apparel sales associate position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new apparel sales associate. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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