How to hire a grocery store manager

How to hire a grocery store manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step grocery store manager hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your grocery store manager 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 grocery store manager 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

   A grocery store manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, grocery store managers 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 presents grocery store manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Grocery Store Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Grocery Store Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$16-35
   Case Manager Supervisor	The job of case manager supervisors is to supervise case managers in clinical healthcare facilities or social work organizations. They usually work for organizations providing services for people with disabilities, the homeless, and other people in need... Show more	$16-35
   Closing Manager	A Closing Manager communicates and interacts with performance teams, Quality Review teams, and other managers to ensure staffing needs match the profit, loss, and capacity plan. They confirm that all team members meet the required work expectation quality... Show more	$15-51

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Grocery Store
   • Customer Complaints
   • Sales Floor
   • Merchandise Displays
   • Groceries
   • Inventory Control
   • Store Sales
   • Retail Store
   • Gross Profit
   • Store Policies
   • Payroll Goals
   • RAN
   • Disciplinary Actions

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop and implement operational strategies utilizing less payroll expenses and allot hour usage to accomplish logistical and operational excellence.
   • Take ownership for full implementation of corporate programs and initiatives on merchandising, payroll management, productivity, and associate morale.
   • Order groceries and receive delivery trucks and separate all grocery products after receipt of delivery.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, grocery store managers' average salary in vermont is 46% less than in new jersey.
   • Seniority. Entry-level grocery store managers 52% less than senior-level grocery store managers.
   • Certifications. A grocery store manager 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 grocery store manager's salary.

   Average grocery store manager salary

   $50,881yearly

   $24.46 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level grocery store manager salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 22, 2025

4. Writing a grocery store manager job description

   A job description for a grocery store manager 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 grocery store manager job description:

   Grocery store manager job description example

   $50,000 to $60,000 Plus Bonus

   Financially Strong Growing Company

   Ensure efficient store operation to ensure customer satisfaction and projected bottom line profit. Manages personnel issues and supervision. Maintains a positive company image by providing courteous, friendly and efficient customer service. Maintains company standards by ensuring associates are aware of expectations, are properly trained.

   Must have high volume retail / wholesale experience.

   Essential Functions:

   1. Manage overall store operations.
   2. Develops strong business relationships with customers by maintaining open communication with customers, and by quickly and effectively resolving problems
   3. Ensures compliance with established policies and procedures including but not limited to safety (HACCP, OSHA) personnel, security, pest control and shrink control.
   4. Reviews financial and operational reports and takes necessary actions based on report results.
   5. Ensure timely and accurate management of all store operations including safety, sanitation, shelf labels, inventory, merchandising, receiving, stocking, stacking position, order pulling, shipping and in store customer service.
   6. Defines the service standards and the operational mission of the company, communicates it to the employees and monitors activities in order to meet company goals.
   7. Maximizes all sales opportunities by ensuring high levels of customer service by ensuring proper scheduling of the workforce while meeting budgetary guidelines.
   8. Manages selection, annual performance appraisals and professional development of all Management level personnel.
   9. Directly supervises and manages, assistant managers & department managers.
   10. Coaches managers on employee relation issues such as new hires, transfers, promotions.
   11. Maintains communication with the Corporate Offices to ensure compliance with company policies and procedures as well as state and federal laws and regulations.
   12. Reviews inventory on a regular basis to ensure that the inventory is correct and the products are in-house
   13. Completes and processes necessary reports and paperwork accurately and timely.

   Education, Experience and Skills Required:

   1. Bachelor’s degree (preferred but not required),
   2. Minimum 4 years management experience in food service or grocery, supermarket, club warehouse, big box or mass merchandising environment.
   3. Background in P&L, Inventory control, merchandising, hiring / training staff, front end, merchandising, cash control, payroll, security / loss prevention mandatory.
   4. Strong leadership skills, capable of running a high volume operation.
   5. Must have excellent communication, organizational and people management / training skills and be extremely customer service oriented.
   6. Commitment to company values and strong customer orientation.

   Company DescriptionExecutive Search Firm with 20 years in Business / Our team has over 100 years combined of industry experience.
   We have placed over 2000 Managers since the year 2000.
   We specialize in recruiting for the Supermarket Industry working with leading Supermarket companies on a National level.
   We care about your success and will help you stand out from other candidates.
   With complete understanding of the industry and inside information on companies across the country we have access to exclusive positions not advertised elsewhere. New jobs come available every week. We know where the jobs are.
   We will work as your advocate through all parts of the recruitment process.
   While respecting your privacy and confidentiality.
   All information received is confidential
   EOE (Equal Opportunity Employer)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find grocery store managers 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 grocery store managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level grocery store managers 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 grocery store manager job on Zippia to find and recruit grocery store manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with grocery store manager 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.

   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 grocery store manager

   Once you've found the grocery store manager 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.

   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 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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