How to hire a bookstore assistant

How to hire a bookstore assistant, step by step

Here's a step-by-step bookstore assistant hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a bookstore assistant, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a bookstore assistant to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a bookstore assistant that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of bookstore assistant salaries for various roles:

   Type of Bookstore Assistant	Description	Hourly rate
   Bookstore Assistant	Secretaries and administrative assistants perform clerical and administrative duties. They organize files, prepare documents, schedule appointments, and support other staff.	$11-27

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • POS
   • Sales Floor
   • Purchase Orders
   • Inventory Control
   • General Merchandise
   • Bank Deposits
   • Book Orders
   • Cash Drawers
   • Stock Merchandise
   • RAN
   • Cash Registers
   • Front Desk
   • Bookstore Sales

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Monitor calls, manage calendars, travel, meeting arrangements, video conference and teleconferencing.
   • Make sales and other transactions on QuickBooks POS.
   • Assist with bookstore production, have contact with publishing companies, reconcile charges with POS system.
   • Handle VIP arrangements, coordinate all interdepartmental meetings and correspondence, compile and produce reports for internal and external management.
   • Compute invoices and campaign credits in QuickBooks database and submit for payment to respective customers.
   • Greet customers, operate the cash register, and serve Starbucks drinks.

   More bookstore assistant duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your bookstore assistant job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A bookstore assistant can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, bookstore assistants' average salary in indiana is 48% less than in hawaii.
   • Seniority. Entry-level bookstore assistants 58% less than senior-level bookstore assistants.
   • Certifications. A bookstore assistant with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a bookstore assistant's salary.

   Average bookstore assistant salary

   $37,861yearly

   $18.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level bookstore assistant salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 24, 2025

   Average bookstore assistant salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$50,896	$24
   2	Washington	$48,042	$23
   3	Minnesota	$41,295	$20
   4	Michigan	$40,454	$19
   5	Massachusetts	$39,517	$19
   6	Missouri	$39,366	$19
   7	Arizona	$39,265	$19
   8	Virginia	$37,368	$18
   9	Pennsylvania	$36,085	$17
   10	Louisiana	$32,984	$16
   11	Arkansas	$31,456	$15

   Average bookstore assistant salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Highline College	$52,960	$25.46
   2	San Diego College of Continuing Education	$45,700	$21.97	1
   3	University Of Minnesota Physicians	$38,787	$18.65
   4	Tacoma Community College	$34,368	$16.52	1
   5	St. Louis Community College	$32,369	$15.56
   6	Barnes & Noble	$32,101	$15.43	9
   7	Phoenix Union High School District	$30,487	$14.66
   8	Davenport University	$26,620	$12.80	2

4. Writing a bookstore assistant job description

   A bookstore assistant 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 bookstore assistant job description:

   Bookstore assistant job description example

   **Introduction**
   
   Barnes & Noble College is a retail partner for nearly 800 colleges and universities nationwide. We offer a retail environment like no other - uniquely focused on delivering essential educational content, tools, and merchandise within a dynamic retail environment on campuses of higher education. Our teams interact directly with our customers including students, faculty, administration, alumni, and the general public to provide outstanding customer service to sell or rent books, general merchandise, and an array of products and services for an academic community.
   
   **Overview**
   
   Barnes & Noble College is seeking dynamic, friendly, and customer-focused team members to work as Temporary Booksellers for a period of 90 days or less in our stores. As a temporary employee tasks you may be expected to complete include assisting customers with locating products, answering questions, shelving and restocking the sales floor, processing cash, credit, assisting with refunds and returns, among other tasks.
   
   **Responsibilities**
   
   Our stores can carry everything from text and trade books, technology, and school supplies to clothing, regalia, and food-- everything a college student desires, their parents want, and our faculty needs. Temporary positions require availability to work on a weekly basis for a period of 90 days or less with occasional weekends, and flexibility in scheduling for opening, midday, or closing shifts.
   
   **Expectations:**
   
   + Greet customers, answer questions, and assist with the purchase of merchandise or services.
   
   + Shelve, arrange, clean, and organize product or space within the store to maintain an appealing sales floor.
   
   + Assist with processing sales transactions involving cash, credit, or financial aid payments.
   
   + Temporary positions require availability to work on a weekly basis for a period of 90 days or less with occasional weekends, and flexibility in scheduling for opening, midday, or closing shifts.
   
   **Physical Demands:**
   
   + Frequent movement within the store to access various departments, areas, and/or products.
   
   + Ability to remain in a stationary position for extended periods.
   
   + Frequent lifting.
   
   + Occasional reaching, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and climbing ladders.
   
   **COVID-19 Considerations:**
   
   Our stores comply with all applicable federal, state and local requirements and/or recommendations regarding social distancing and sanitizing. In accordance with individual campus requirements, positions may require confirmation of vaccination. The use of face masks throughout the day and while on campus may also be expected or required.
   
   **Qualifications**
   
   + Candidates must be a minimum of 16 years of age to be considered for employment.
   
   + High-energy, friendly personality, with strong communication skills to interact with a variety of people.
   
   + Outstanding customer service skills to match customers to products that meet their needs.
   
   + Basic math, keyboarding, and data entry skills.
   
   + Flexibility in scheduling is necessary.
   
   **EEO Statement**
   
   **Barnes & Noble College is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer committed to diversity in the workplace. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.**
   
   **Job Locations** _US-LA-NEW ORLEANS_
   
   **ID** _2022-4347_
   
   **Category** _Retail Sales Associate_
   
   **Position Type** _Temporary_

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right bookstore assistant for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with bookstore assistants they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit bookstore assistants who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your bookstore assistant job on Zippia to find and recruit bookstore assistant candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting bookstore assistants 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. 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 bookstore assistant

   Once you've found the bookstore assistant candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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 bookstore assistant. 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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