Research Summary. Some key points about hiring a crew members in the United States include:

  • HR departments typically spend 15% of their expenses on recruitment.
  • It usually takes about 12 weeks for a new employee to reach full productivity levels.
  • It typically takes 36-42 days to fill a job opening.
  • The median cost to hire a crew member is $1,633.
  • Small businesses spend an average of $1,105 per crew member on training each year, while large companies spend $658.
  • There are currently 2,090,305 crew members in the US and 239,413 job openings.
  • New York, NY, has the highest demand for crew members, with 371 job openings.
  • New York, NY has the highest concentration of crew members.

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How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Crew Member

There are different types of costs for hiring crew members. One-time cost per hire for the recruitment process. Ongoing costs include employee salary, training, onboarding, benefits, insurance, and equipment. It is essential to consider all of these costs when evaluating hiring a new crew member employee.

The median annual salary for crew members is $28,946 in the US. However, the cost of crew member hiring can vary a lot depending on location. Additionally, hiring a crew member for contract work or on a per-project basis typically costs between $10 and $17 an hour.

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How to hire a Crew Member, step by step

To hire a crew member, you should clearly understand the skills and experience you are looking for in a candidate, and allocate a budget for the position. You will also need to post and promote the job opening to reach potential candidates. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to hire a crew member:

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

1
Identify Your Needs

The first step in the crew member hiring process is determining what type of worker you actually need. For example, certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

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A crew member's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, crew members 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 provides information on the salaries of different crew member roles.

Type Of Crew MemberDescriptionHourly Rate
Crew MemberFood and beverage serving and related workers perform a variety of customer service, food preparation, and cleaning duties in restaurants, cafeterias, and other eating and drinking establishments.$10-17
Fry CookGenerally, a fry cook works in a kitchen specializing in fried foods and operating the deep fryer. Fry cooks or chefs cook food by submerging in boiling oil... Show More$11-18
Food Service AttendantA Food Service Attendant works in various establishments such as hotels, cafeterias, and bars to deal with service, meal preparation, and food handling. They work under the control of a kitchen manager or food service director and deliver their services all days of the week... Show More$9-15

2
Create An Ideal Candidate Profile

Before you start to recruit crew members, imagine the ideal employee for this position and begin creating a profile and job description. What skills do they have, and what responsibilities do they have to be proficient in?

Here are some of the most common crew member skills:

Common Skills:
  • Cleanliness
  • Basic Math
  • English Language
  • Excellent Guest
  • Safety Standards
  • Food Products
  • Math
  • Quality Products
  • Cash Handling
  • Customer Orders
  • Exceptional Guest
  • Customer Service
  • Ice Cream
  • Quality Food
Check All Skills

Here is a list of common responsibilities that crew members may be expected to fulfill:

Responsibilities:
  • Manage food preparation, maintain cleanliness and punctuality while effectively support customers in daily transactions with suggestive selling methods.
  • Dig and fill holes, using shovels and rakes.
  • Cashier, server, greeter, order taker, sandwich maker, computer skil, math skil, customer service
  • Demonstrate excellent customer service in dealing with concerns and special food orders which include allergies and other customer wishes.
  • Cashier experience, service and enter orders into POS system; conduct inventory; and perform cash handling and food handling.
  • Use POS system to record order, compute bill, collect payments and make change while following all cash handling procedures.
Check all Duties

Cultural fit is also an essential factor that you shouldn't overlook. Consider how your perfect crew member will contribute to the team dynamic and help grow the team's culture in a positive way. If you can include a clear vision of this in your crew member job description, it'll help attract candidates who are better suited for the position.

Most Common States For Crew Members In The US

Rank #State# Of Jobs% of PopulationAvg. Salary
1Illinois3,04224%$30,138
2North Carolina2,80627%$23,627
3Ohio2,66323%$28,002
4Georgia2,49824%$21,766
5Virginia1,98523%$26,279

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3
Make A Budget

Including a salary range in the job description is a good way to get more applicants. A crew member salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, their level of experience, education and certifications, and the prestige of the employer. For example, the average salary for a crew member in South Carolina may be lower than in Alaska, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level crew member. Additionally, a crew member with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

Updated March 16, 2023

Crew Member Salary Estimate

$13.92hourly

$28,946 yearly

Entry level Salary
$22,000 yearly

Crew Member Average Salary By Location

RankStateAvg. SalaryHourly RateJob Count
1Washington$34,968$1729
2New Jersey$34,071$162
3Massachusetts$33,149$168
4Oregon$32,961$1636
5Minnesota$31,623$156

Crew Member Average Salary By Company

4
Writing a Crew Member Job Description

A crew member 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. Below, you can find an example of a crew member job description:

Example of Full Job Description

You must be 16 years of age or older.

General Job Duties For All Store Team Members

· Operate all equipment.

· Stock ingredients from delivery area to storage, work area, walk-in cooler.

· Prepare product.

· Receive and process telephone orders.

· Take inventory and complete associated paperwork.

· Clean equipment and facility approximately daily.

Training

Orientation and training provided on the job.

Communication Skills

· Ability to comprehend and give correct written instructions.

· Ability to communicate verbally with customers and co-workers to process orders both over the phone and in person.

Essential Functions/Skills

· Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide accurately and quickly (may use calculator).

· Must be able to make correct monetary change.

· Verbal, writing, and telephone skills to take and process orders. Motor coordination between eyes and hands/fingers to rapidly and accurately make precise movements with speed.

· Ability to enter orders using a computer keyboard or touch screen.

Work Conditions

EXPOSURE TO

· Varying and sometimes adverse weather conditions when removing trash and performing other outside tasks.

· In-store temperatures range from 36 degrees in cooler to 90 degrees and above in some work areas.

· Sudden changes in temperature in work area and while outside.

· Fumes from food odors.

· Exposure to cornmeal dust.

· Cramped quarters including walk-in cooler.

· Hot surfaces/tools from oven up to 500 degrees or higher.

· Sharp edges and moving mechanical parts.

SENSING

· Talking and hearing on telephone. Near and mid-range vision for most in-store tasks.

· Depth perception.

· Ability to differentiate between hot and cold surfaces.

TEMPERAMENTS

The ability to direct activities, perform repetitive tasks, work alone and with others, work under stress, meet strict quality control standards, deal with people, analyze and compile data, make judgments and decisions.

Additional Information

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS, including, but not limited to the following:

Standing

Most tasks are performed from a standing position. Walking surfaces include ceramic tile "bricks" with linoleum in some food process areas. Height of work surfaces is between 36" and 4".

Walking

For short distances for short durations

Sitting

Paperwork is normally completed in an office at a desk or table

Lifting

· Bulk product deliveries are made twice a week or more and are unloaded by the team member using a hand truck.

· Deliveries may include cases of ingredients and supplies weighing up to 50 pounds with dimensions of up to 3' x 1.5'.

· Cases are usually lifted from floor and stacked onto shelves up to 72" high.

Carrying

· Large cans, weighing 3 pounds, 7 ounces, are carried from the workstation to storage shelves.

· Occasionally, pizza sauce weighing 30 pounds is carried from the storage room to the front of the store.

· Trays of pizza dough are carried three at a time over short distances, and weigh approximately 12 pounds per tray.

Pushing

· To move trays which are placed on dollies.

· A stack of trays on a dolly is approximately 24" - 30" and requires a force of up to 7.5 pounds to push.

· Trays may also be pulled.

Climbing

Team members must infrequently navigate stairs or climb a ladder to change prices on signs, wash walls, perform maintenance.

Stooping/Bending

· Forward bending at the waist is necessary at the pizza assembly station.

· Toe room is present, but workers are unable to flex their knees while standing at this station.

· Duration of this position is approximately 30 - 45 seconds at one time, repeated continuously during the day.

· Forward bending is also present at the front counter and when stocking ingredients.

Crouching/Squatting

Performed occasionally to stock shelves and to clean low areas.

Reaching

· Reaching is performed continuously; up, down and forward.

· Workers reach above 72" occasionally to turn on/off oven controls, change prices on sign, and lift and lower objects to and from shelves.

· Workers reaching down to perform such tasks as scooping cornmeal from a plastic barrel, or washing dishes.

· Workers reach forward when obtaining topping ingredients, cleaning work surfaces, or answering phones.

Hand Tasks

· Eye-hand coordination is essential. Use of hands is continuous during the day.

· Frequently activities require use of one or both hands. Shaping pizza dough requires frequent and forceful use of forearms and wrists.

· Workers must manipulate a pizza peel when removing pizza from the oven, and when using the rolling cutter.

· Frequent and/or forceful pinching is required in the assembly of cardboard pizza boxes.

· Team Members must be able to grasp cans, the phone, the pizza cutter and pizza peel, and pizza boxes.

Machines, Tools, Equipment, Work Aids

Team Members may be required to utilize pencils/pens, computers, telephones, calculators, TDD equipment, pizza cutter and pizza peel.

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5
Post A Job

There are a few common ways to find crew members 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 crew member job on Zippia to find and recruit crew member candidates who meet your exact specifications.
  • Use field-specific websites.
  • Post a job on free websites.

6
Interview Process

Recruiting crew members involves bringing your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they introduce 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 a good idea to ask about candidates' special skills and talents. If you think that 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 Crew Member

Once you have selected a candidate for the 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. It is important to make sure that your offer is competitive, 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.

To prepare for the new crew member 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 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources needs to make sure that a new employee file is created for internal recordkeeping.

8
Go Through The Checklist For The Hiring Process

  • 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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Hiring Crew Members FAQs

How Much Does A Good Crew Member Cost?

A good crew member costs $13.92 an hour in the US. However, it can vary based on factors such as the crew member experience, abilities, industry, and the specific requirements of your business.

What Are The Duties Of A Crew Member?

The duties of a crew member are:
  • Manage food preparation, maintain cleanliness and punctuality while effectively support customers in daily transactions with suggestive selling methods.
  • Dig and fill holes, using shovels and rakes.
  • Cashier, server, greeter, order taker, sandwich maker, computer skil, math skil, customer service

Should I Hire A Crew Member With No Experience?

Yes, you should hire a crew member with no experience. Hiring an entry-level crew member with no experience offers versatility for your team. They may lack some qualifications, but are adaptable and have not yet formed problematic habits. However, more training may be required compared to experienced.

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