How to hire a cart associate

How to hire a cart associate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step cart associate hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your cart 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 a cart 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a cart associate 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 cart associate that fits the bill.

   This list presents cart associate salaries for various positions.

   Type of Cart Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   Cart 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.	$10-17

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Groceries
   • Golf Carts
   • Customer Vehicles
   • Front End
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Credit Card
   • Electric Carts
   • Customer Assistance
   • SAM
   • Unload Trucks
   • Store Maintenance
   • Load Merchandise

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop expertise of lawn mowers, trimmers, tractors, treadmills, and weight benches.
   • Provide assistance to customers (getting electric carts for those with impair movement, putting groceries in their car etc).
   • Help customers by carrying out groceries, TV's or other merchandise that they have purchased and need help with.
   • Maintain cleanliness of golf-relate areas.
   • Cross train in all areas of banquet functions including serving, bartending, and setup/breakdown.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, cart associates' average salary in alabama is 42% less than in vermont.
   • Seniority. Entry-level cart associates 42% less than senior-level cart associates.
   • Certifications. A cart associate 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 cart associate's salary.

   Average cart associate salary

   $13.61hourly

   $28,304 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level cart associate salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

4. Writing a cart associate job description

   A job description for a cart associate role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a cart associate job description:

   Cart associate job description example

   What You Will Do
   
   All Lowe's associates deliver quality customer service while maintaining a store that is clean, safe, and stocked with the products customers need. As a Customer Service Associate/Loader, this means:
   
   * Being friendly, professional, and engaging customers to help answer questions.
   * Retrieving, loading, and replenishing merchandise.
   * Helping customers and staff move merchandise safely.
   
   The Customer Service Associate/Loader assists customers by loading merchandise into their vehicles. The Customer Service Associate/Loader also replenishes shelves for the next customers. Safety is critical because this associate lifts and moves merchandise for staff and customers frequently throughout his/her shift.
   
   Travel Requirements: This role does not require regular travel; however, this role may need to travel on occasion to meetings, trainings, or to support neighboring stores.
   
   What We're Looking For
   
   * Hourly Full Time or Part Time: Generally scheduled 39 to 40 or up to 25 hours per week, respectively; more hours may be required based on the needs of the store.
   * Requires morning, afternoon and evening availability any day of the week.
   * Physical ability to perform tasks that may require prolonged standing, sitting, and other activities necessary to perform job duties.
   * Minimally must be able to lift 25 pounds without assistance; may lift over 25 pounds with or without assistance.
   
   What You Need To Succeed
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   * 6 months experience using a computer, including inputting, accessing, modifying, or outputting information.
   * 6 months experience using common retail technology, such as smart phones and tablets.
   * Ability to obtain sales related licensure or registration as may be required by law.
   
   Preferred Qualifications
   
   * 6 months retail experience.
   * 6 months experience as a Loader at any home improvement or hardware retailer.
   * 6 months experience working in any department at a Lowe's retail store.
   * 6 months retail merchandising experience, including performing Zone Recovery, stocking, down stocking, facing/fronting product, pricing, maintaining signage, and housekeeping.
   * 6 months experience in any industry inspecting, carrying, loading, and unloading product or material in or out of vehicles.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find cart 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 cart associates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level cart 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 cart associate job on Zippia to find and recruit cart 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

   Your first interview with cart associate candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 cart associate

   Once you've selected the best cart associate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new cart associate first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

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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