How to hire a barista/shift leader

How to hire a barista/shift leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step barista/shift leader hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the barista/shift leader you need to hire. Certain barista/shift leader roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A barista/shift leader's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, barista/shift leaders 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.

   Here's a comparison of barista/shift leader salaries for various roles:

   Type of Barista/Shift Leader	Description	Hourly rate
   Barista/Shift Leader		$12-18
   Chef/Kitchen Manager	A kitchen manager or chef is someone who oversees the overall operations in the kitchen as well as the food operations. Kitchen managers make certain that food and related products are well prepared, cooked, and served to customers... Show more	$16-33
   Kitchen Supervisor	A kitchen supervisor is responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations, ensuring that the kitchen employees follow sanitary procedures while doing their high-quality and maximum productivity tasks. Kitchen supervisors manage inventories, checking the adequacy of food supplies and kitchen equipment, and negotiating contracts with suppliers and third-party vendors... Show more	$13-27

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Cleanliness
   • POS
   • Food Preparation
   • BARS
   • Cash Handling
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Credit Card
   • Espresso Machine
   • Coffee Shop
   • Customer Complaints
   • Inventory Control
   • Clean Environment
   • Customer Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage high-volume university caf and bakery.
   • Greet clientele, resolve minor customer issues, cash handling, POS processing, daily inventory and restocking of supplies.
   • Delegate tasks to create the Starbucks' experience.
   • Greet customers as they arrive at the Starbucks outlet and inquire into their orders.
   • Maintain coffee bar cleanliness at all times, including cleaning seating areas, maintaining the condiment bar, and removing trash.
   • Maintain cleanliness and organization of coffee station.

   More barista/shift leader duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the barista/shift leader job description is a good way to get more applicants. A barista/shift leader salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a barista/shift leader in Missouri may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level barista/shift leader. Additionally, a barista/shift leader with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average barista/shift leader salary

   $15.23hourly

   $31,670 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level barista/shift leader salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 13, 2025

   Average barista/shift leader salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$36,011	$17
   2	Delaware	$34,981	$17
   3	Washington	$34,825	$17
   4	California	$34,767	$17
   5	Oregon	$33,641	$16
   6	New York	$33,051	$16
   7	Colorado	$32,001	$15
   8	Michigan	$30,695	$15
   9	Minnesota	$30,277	$15
   10	Nevada	$28,797	$14
   11	Tennessee	$28,463	$14
   12	Illinois	$27,905	$13
   13	Texas	$27,774	$13
   14	South Carolina	$27,416	$13
   15	Utah	$27,384	$13
   16	Georgia	$27,187	$13
   17	Wisconsin	$26,986	$13
   18	Missouri	$25,203	$12
   19	Louisiana	$24,564	$12

   Average barista/shift leader salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Hyatt Hotels	$33,878	$16.29	24
   2	Kroger	$33,858	$16.28	413
   3	Meijer	$33,708	$16.21	18
   4	Hy-Vee	$32,494	$15.62	49
   5	CSM Companies	$30,360	$14.60	1
   6	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$29,960	$14.40	81
   7	Sabey	$29,345	$14.11
   8	Jack's Stir Brew Coffee	$29,290	$14.08
   9	City of Hope Development Center	$29,000	$13.94
   10	Thomas Cuisine	$28,938	$13.91	3
   11	Dunkin Brands	$28,817	$13.85	516
   12	Penske Automotive Group	$28,454	$13.68
   13	Caesars Entertainment	$26,962	$12.96	17
   14	Monarch Casino & Resort	$26,529	$12.75	7
   15	Starbucks	$26,293	$12.64	4,437

4. Writing a barista/shift leader job description

   A barista/shift leader 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 a barista/shift leader job description:

   Barista/shift leader job description example

   Application Note: If you select to "Sign in with LinkedIn" , you will be required to also create a candidate home account with Academy Sports + Outdoors. This feature will only pre-populate contact information, job history, education, etc. that you have included on your LinkedIn profile to your Academy Sports + Outdoors job application.
   
   Come work at a place where we take pride in creating a workplace environment that values hard work, commitment, and growth.
   
   Click the link below to find out more details about the specific departments within each distribution center!
   Distribution Center Information Sheet
   
   Job Description:
   Education: High school diploma or GED required.
   
   Work Experiences: Previous food service experience in a restaurant and/or cafeteria preferred.
   
   Skills:
   Must have knowledge of food production Excellent customer service skills Experience handling cash and POS (point of sale) equipment Effective listening, speaking, and writing communication skills
   
   Responsibilities:
   Prepares and maintains food line by placing food in serving containers and replenishing as necessary using the appropriate sanitary procedures.Operates cash register and follows established cash handling procedures.Helps unload, move and store supplies.Washes dishes, cleans kitchen and equipment as needed.Assists in the opening and close-down of the kitchen at the end of the shift.Required to learn company policies, procedures and safety rules Duties may change and associates may be required to perform other duties as assigned
   
   Physical Requirements & Attendance
   Embraces flexible working schedule including day, evening, nights, weekends and holidays as necessary or determined by scheduling Acceptable level of hearing and vision to perform job duties Adhere to company work hours, policies, procedures and rules governing professional staff behavior
   
   This position will be heavily focused on Barista role within the Starbucks locations onsite.
   
   Full time
   
   Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   Academy is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate with regard to employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find barista/shift leaders for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your barista/shift leader job on Zippia to find and recruit barista/shift leader candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit barista/shift leaders, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 barista/shift leader

   Once you've decided on a perfect barista/shift leader candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new barista/shift leader. 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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