How to hire a Clerk

How to hire a clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step clerk hiring guide:

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

What does a Clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a clerk, 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

   Hiring the perfect clerk also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   Here's a comparison of clerk salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Clerk	Description	Hourly Rate
   Clerk	General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.	$11-18
   Receptionist/Billing Clerk	A receptionist/billing clerk is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties as needed to maintain a smooth flow of operations for the business. Receptionist/billing clerks process the customers' payment transactions, manage account payables, releasing invoices, and immediately resolve account discrepancies... Show More	$12-18
   Office Services Clerk	An office services clerk is a professional employee who performs a multitude of administrative tasks as well as office maintenance duties of an organization. Office services clerks are required to maintain an inventory of office supplies as well as purchase and distribute office supplies to all employees when needed... Show More	$11-16

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Basic Math
   • Math
   • Data Entry
   • Customer Service
   • Cleanliness
   • POS
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Orders
   • Office Equipment
   • Clerical Support
   • Payroll
   • Word Processing
   • Computer System

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Demonstrate strong math skills in managing inmate s accounts and calmly and effectively deescalating outbursts of belligerent inmates.
   • Manage orthopedic accounts regarding payment posting through IDX medical systems.
   • Administer financial bookkeeping by way of QuickBooks.
   • Bank reconciliation in QuickBooks and assist bookkeeper when need.
   • Maintain a high level of confidentiality as required by HIPAA.
   • Call DMV's and dealerships when liens are not perfect.

   More Clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your clerk job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A clerk salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a clerk in Kansas may be lower than in New Hampshire, and an entry-level clerk usually earns less than a senior-level clerk. Additionally, a clerk with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average clerk salary

   $14.98hourly

   $31,163 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level clerk salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2025

   Average clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	District of Columbia	$37,266	$18
   2	California	$34,282	$16
   3	Washington	$33,573	$16
   4	Minnesota	$33,563	$16
   5	New York	$33,273	$16
   6	Indiana	$32,958	$16
   7	Oregon	$32,455	$16
   8	Ohio	$32,330	$16
   9	Colorado	$32,220	$15
   10	Nevada	$32,213	$15
   11	Pennsylvania	$31,691	$15
   12	Illinois	$31,475	$15
   13	Michigan	$30,909	$15
   14	Maryland	$30,756	$15
   15	Arizona	$30,619	$15
   16	Iowa	$30,469	$15
   17	Virginia	$29,160	$14
   18	Kentucky	$29,114	$14
   19	Texas	$28,592	$14
   20	North Carolina	$28,564	$14

   Average clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	University of Massachusetts Boston	$44,867	$21.57	13
   2	University of California-Berkeley	$42,218	$20.30
   3	Massasoit Community College	$42,107	$20.24	1
   4	UC Merced	$41,435	$19.92
   5	Earthjustice	$41,350	$19.88
   6	Columbia University in the City of New York	$41,285	$19.85	19
   7	University of California	$40,543	$19.49	4
   8	Siemens	$40,348	$19.40	2
   9	National Grid plc	$39,826	$19.15	5
   10	United States Courts	$39,718	$19.10	12
   11	Central Valley School District	$38,919	$18.71
   12	Mount Auburn Hospital	$38,783	$18.65
   13	UPS	$38,611	$18.56	1
   14	Student Conservation Association	$38,204	$18.37
   15	XPO Logistics	$38,030	$18.28
   16	Long Island, FQHC, Inc	$37,973	$18.26
   17	Ferrero	$37,942	$18.24
   18	CPI Card Group	$37,801	$18.17
   19	USF Reddaway	$37,778	$18.16
   20	UMass Lowell	$37,493	$18.03

4. Writing a Clerk Job Description

   A good clerk job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a clerk job description:

   Clerk job description example

   Create an outstanding customer experience through exceptional service. Establish and maintain a safe and clean environment that encourages our customers to return. Assist the department manager in reaching sales and profit goals established for the department, and monitor all established quality assurance standards. Embrace the Customer 1st strategy and encourage associates to deliver excellent customer service. Demonstrate the company's core values of respect, honesty, integrity, diversity, inclusion and safety of others. Create an environment that enables customers to feel welcome, important and appreciated by answering questions regarding products sold within the department and throughout the store. Gain and maintain knowledge of products sold within the department and be able to respond to questions and make suggestions about products. Assist with the preparation of corsages, flower arrangements, balloons, and set-up of displays and fixtures. Inspect and maintain plants by watering, trimming, cleaning and other care as required. Understand all varieties of foliage, blooms and fresh cut flowers. Cut flowers and foliage to customer's requests using proper tools. Inform customers of floral specials. Provide customers with fresh products that they have ordered and the correct amount/size (or as close as possible to the amount ordered) to prevent shrink. Label, stock and inventory department merchandise. Report product ordering/shipping discrepancies to the department manager. Ensure proper temperatures in cases and coolers are maintained. Observe scheduled shift operating hours. Models excellent customer service, demonstrating friendliness, and maintaining a clean and orderly department. Follow established procedures for rotation and turnover. Follow all established procedures according to floral merchandiser and produce manager. Work closely with the produce manager on special events and holidays. Reinforce safety programs by complying with safety procedures and identify unsafe conditions and notify store management. Must be able to perform the essential functions of this position with or without reasonable accommodation. Ability to handle stressful situations. Effective communication skills. Knowledge of basic math: counting, addition, and subtraction. Must be able to meet the minimum physical demands of the position. Must be 18 or older.
   Come join our team here at your Orem Smiths!
   
   Job Type: Part-time
   
   Pay: $13.70 - $17.75 per hour
   
   Benefits:
   * 401(k)
   * 401(k) matching
   * Dental insurance
   * Employee discount
   * Flexible schedule
   * Flexible spending account
   * Health insurance
   * Health savings account
   * Life insurance
   * Paid time off
   * Tuition reimbursement
   * Vision insurance
   Schedule:
   * 8 hour shift
   * Weekend availability
   
   Shift availability:
   * Day Shift (Required)
   
   Work Location: One location

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right clerk 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 clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit clerks 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 clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit clerk candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit clerks, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 clerk

   Once you have selected a candidate for the clerk 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 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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