How to hire a Deli Clerk

How to hire a deli clerk, step by step

Here's a step-by-step deli 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 deli clerk job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new deli clerk
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a Deli Clerk do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your deli clerk 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 deli clerk 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

   Hiring the perfect deli 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 deli clerk salaries for various roles:

   Type Of Deli Clerk	Description	Hourly Rate
   Deli Clerk	Food preparation workers perform many routine tasks under the direction of cooks, chefs, or food service managers. Food preparation workers prepare cold foods, slice meat, peel and cut vegetables, brew coffee or tea, and perform many other food service tasks.	$11-20
   Kitchen Staff	The kitchen staff consists of preparation workers who execute several routine tasks as directed by chefs, food service managers, and cooks. These works should have the ability to follow cooking instructions and deliver well-prepared meals... Show More	$11-17
   Sandwich Artist	Sandwich artists are employees at any restaurant that specializes in sandwiches. They manage the sandwich station and answer any inquiries that customers may have on the different ingredients available... Show More	$8-14

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • Help Support
   • Basic Math
   • Excellent Guest
   • Slicers
   • Hot Food
   • Deli Meats
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Orders
   • Sales Floor
   • Food Products
   • Premier Customer Service
   • Safety Standards
   • Safety Procedures
   • Meat Slicers

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Open and close deli; schedule work hour coverage; manage and monitor deli cleanliness code; customer service.
   • Break down pallets in freeze and take seafood orders from customers to be either season or weight up.
   • Handle equipment such as fryers and slicers as well as used store intercoms to announce weekly / daily specials and promotions.
   • Operate automatic and manual meat/cheese slicers to customer request.
   • Break down heavy pallets of cases, boxes and bags.
   • Work with equipment such as balers, pallet jacks, slicers, ovens.

   More Deli Clerk duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your deli clerk job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A deli 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 deli clerk in Florida may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level deli clerk usually earns less than a senior-level deli clerk. Additionally, a deli 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 deli clerk salary

   $15.50hourly

   $32,240 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level deli clerk salary

   $24,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 16, 2025

   Average deli clerk salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	Washington	$37,705	$18
   2	California	$37,620	$18
   3	Oregon	$36,744	$18
   4	Minnesota	$34,353	$17
   5	Nevada	$33,123	$16
   6	Colorado	$32,830	$16
   7	Arizona	$32,512	$16
   8	New York	$32,480	$16
   9	Wisconsin	$31,685	$15
   10	Massachusetts	$31,466	$15
   11	North Dakota	$30,812	$15
   12	Maryland	$30,133	$14
   13	Michigan	$29,553	$14
   14	Utah	$27,823	$13
   15	North Carolina	$27,770	$13
   16	Kansas	$27,356	$13
   17	Idaho	$27,311	$13
   18	Missouri	$26,784	$13
   19	Montana	$26,409	$13
   20	South Carolina	$26,358	$13

   Average deli clerk salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	United Natural Foods	$39,273	$18.88	102
   2	Berkshire Country Day School	$38,620	$18.57
   3	Kohler Co.	$36,369	$17.49	3
   4	Bristol Farms	$34,682	$16.67	81
   5	Albertsons	$34,622	$16.65
   6	P&S Surgical Hospital	$34,364	$16.52	17
   7	TPI	$34,259	$16.47	7
   8	Bosselman Enterprises	$33,846	$16.27	3
   9	Nugget Markets	$33,631	$16.17	9
   10	Lunds & Byerlys	$33,068	$15.90	8
   11	PCC Community Markets	$33,065	$15.90	15
   12	Vallarta Supermarkets	$33,052	$15.89	15
   13	Hy-Vee	$33,044	$15.89	819
   14	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$33,003	$15.87
   15	Flowers Baking Co. of San Antonio, LLC	$32,953	$15.84
   16	Arden Group	$32,696	$15.72
   17	Town & Country Markets	$32,576	$15.66	31
   18	PLUM	$32,569	$15.66
   19	TravelCenters of America	$32,503	$15.63	70
   20	Kroger	$32,480	$15.62	2,904

4. Writing a Deli Clerk Job Description

   A job description for a deli clerk 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 deli clerk job description:

   Deli Clerk job description example

   To maintain stocking and rotation of merchandise in the grocery area and to perform other functions as required; to receive, in an efficient manner within company policy, and to ensure the position contributes to the total best interests of the store.
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :
   
   The essential duties and responsibilities of this position include, but are not limited to, the following:
   
   Assist in receiving and unloading of merchandise; check and verify grocery receiving to ensure that items listed on vendor invoices are all delivered; check products for quality, count, and condition. Open cartons and price items accurately; keep grocery manager informed of pricing problem areas or discrepancies; ensure that all items are in proper place and proper price label/tag is under the item. Handle damaged and spoiled products and assist in controlling the level of damaged goods. Keep refrigerated coolers, store shelves and other displays fully stocked and faced at all times according to tag allocation or department standards; assist in building store displays for maximum sales and turnover; display merchandise in a neat and colorful manner. Keep perishable merchandise rotated in accordance with store policy and product code dates and pull all out-of-code merchandise. Maintain general housekeeping and sanitation standards in compliance with store policy and state and local health regulations on a regular, ongoing basis. Use and maintain equipment in good working order including all safeguards and safety devices or mechanisms; immediately advise department manager of any maintenance or equipment problems. Assist in training personnel when assigned. Greet all customers and provide them with prompt and courteous service or assistance. Observe security standards by staying alert and being aware of customer actions and behavior; report to manager or security any abnormal behavior. Notify store manager of personnel situations or policy violations affecting store operating performance or of situations requiring disciplinary action or that may potentially require such action. Assist customers in retrieving items from inaccessible areas or in obtaining products that are either located in warehouses or that they may have difficulty in handling. Respond promptly to emergencies and potential safety hazards such as spills/ broken glass or plastic containers that contain liquid products; never leave the scene until help arrives. Perform any other work-related duties as assigned.
   
   REQUIREMENTS AND CONDITIONS:
   
   Education/Experience
   
   High school education preferred.
   
   Certificates/Licenses/Registrations
   
   If forklift operator must have fork lift certification.
   
   Skills Required
   
   Ability to hear, speak and understand the spoken word in order to respond promptly to pages for assistance, to accommodate verbal requests from customers for information or assistance, to answer telephones, and to be able to communicate effectively with others. Ability to read, write, analyze, interpret and understand the Spoken language, English and Spanish, with sufficient proficiency in order to read and understand company handbooks, policies and procedures and other written job-related documents. Be able to pass a standard drug test and qualify as being "drug-free" under the legal and medical guidelines permitted by the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988.
   
   Physical Demands and Work Conditions
   
   The physical demands and work conditions described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Some requirements may be modified to accommodate individuals with disabilities:
   
   While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, and use the hands to handle, finger, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee must occasionally exert or lift up to 55 pounds carrying boxes of records and forms and frequently exert or lift moderate amounts of weight. The employee must be able to climb a ladder to retrieve inaccessible items for customers located above freezer cases, stockrooms and other storage areas; must be able to sweep and mop floors, dust and face shelves, and lift and carry out trash containers to be emptied in an outside bin. The employee must have sufficient physical mobility or agility to be able to respond quickly to fire or other emergencies such as cleanup requests (due to accidental spills or breakage of containers having liquid contents), shoplifting and other security assistance requests, customer accidents, etc. The employee must be able to stock coolers and shelves and endure working under temperature extremes (as low as 20 ®F) in refrigerated storage areas up to 20 minutes at a time.
   
   IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER NOTICE
   
   The job duties, elements, responsibilities, skills, functions, experience, educational factors, and the requirements and conditions listed in this job description are representative only and not exhaustive of the tasks that an employee may be required to perform. The Employer reserves the right to revise this job description at any time and to require employees to perform other tasks as circumstances or conditions of its business or the work environment change.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right deli 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 deli clerks they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit deli 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 deli clerk job on Zippia to find and recruit deli 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 deli 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.

   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 deli clerk

   Once you've decided on a perfect deli clerk 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.

   To prepare for the new deli clerk 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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