How to hire an order taker

How to hire an order taker, step by step

Here's a step-by-step order taker hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your order taker 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 an order taker 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

   An order taker's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, order takers 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 order taker salaries for various positions.

   Type of Order Taker	Description	Hourly rate
   Order Taker	Information clerks perform routine clerical duties such as maintaining records, collecting data, and providing information to customers.	$11-18
   Contractor Buyer	A contractor buyer is responsible for acquiring materials and resources for construction and manufacturing processes that meet the quality standards and budget limitations. Contractor buyers negotiate offers with trusted suppliers and vendors for cost-effective materials based on design specifications and requirements... Show more	$15-24
   Crew Member	Crew members assist in the overall daily operations of a business, including restaurants, hotels, resorts, and other industries needing a large workforce. Crew members' duties include attending on a customer's needs, processing payments, taking orders, and handling sanitation services... Show more	$10-17

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Wine
   • Cleanliness
   • Guest Satisfaction
   • POS
   • Basic Math
   • Room Service Orders
   • Math
   • Beverage Orders
   • Upsell
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Orders
   • Cash Handling
   • Allergies
   • Guest Orders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage tracking for all orders, manage invoice input via QuickBooks and maintain communications with all clients and vendors.
   • Assist customers with food selections, using micros.
   • Assist concierge with guest amenities and VIP events.
   • Cash out checks through micros, take and complete to go orders.
   • Deliver all amenities direct to room when ready for VIP guest check-ins.
   • Possess extensive knowledge of menu in order to upsell and assist guests with suggestions.

   More order taker duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your order taker job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An order taker 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 an order taker in Tennessee may be lower than in Vermont, and an entry-level order taker usually earns less than a senior-level order taker. Additionally, an order taker 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 order taker salary

   $14.61hourly

   $30,383 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level order taker salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average order taker salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$36,205	$17
   2	District of Columbia	$35,844	$17
   3	Massachusetts	$35,682	$17
   4	California	$34,513	$17
   5	Colorado	$30,500	$15
   6	New Jersey	$29,653	$14
   7	Arizona	$29,314	$14
   8	Illinois	$28,416	$14
   9	Texas	$27,817	$13
   10	Virginia	$27,430	$13
   11	North Carolina	$26,982	$13
   12	Oklahoma	$26,698	$13
   13	Kansas	$25,972	$12
   14	Maryland	$25,334	$12
   15	Florida	$24,723	$12
   16	Puerto Rico	$24,364	$12
   17	Missouri	$20,213	$10

   Average order taker salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Raytheon Technologies	$37,605	$18.08
   2	HEI Hotels & Resorts	$36,933	$17.76
   3	Bertucci's	$36,491	$17.54
   4	Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts	$35,201	$16.92	1
   5	Hyatt Hotels	$34,769	$16.72	2
   6	Mandarin Oriental	$34,725	$16.69	1
   7	CTG	$32,614	$15.68	1
   8	Rosewood Hotels & Resorts	$32,140	$15.45
   9	Langham Hotels Pacific Corporation	$31,603	$15.19
   10	H-E-B	$31,244	$15.02	5
   11	Montage Hotels & Resorts	$31,225	$15.01	2
   12	Fairmont Schools	$31,117	$14.96	1
   13	NOSH Hospitality Personnel	$29,676	$14.27
   14	Randstad North America, Inc.	$29,275	$14.07
   15	Marriott International	$28,789	$13.84	11
   16	Yaamava' Resort & Casino	$28,331	$13.62
   17	Chipotle Mexican Grill	$28,272	$13.59	1,554
   18	Crescent Hotels & Resorts	$27,486	$13.21
   19	Jason's Deli	$26,131	$12.56	23
   20	Hershey Jobs	$25,474	$12.25

4. Writing an order taker job description

   A good order taker 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 an order taker job description:

   Order taker job description example

   Job DescriptionSalary: $12 - $17 per hour to start

   • TIPS
   • FREE Food
   • Flexible Schedule
   • Paid Time Off & Holidays
   • Tuition Reimbursement
   • Free Uniforms
   • Medical, Dental, Vision for Full Time Employees
   • Advancement Opportunities through our Career Path Program

   A Customer Service team member takes customer orders, payments, answers the telephone, takes customer's food orders, and helps where there is a hospitality need in the deli.

   Job Qualifications:

   Education : It is preferred the applicant be enrolled in high school or a certified G.E.D. program or have their high school diploma or G.E.D.

   Experience : Unless currently attending high school, college, or a technical or vocation school, qualified applicants preferred to have at least six months work experience.

   Skills: Qualified applicants must be able to learn the aloha register system, and basic job routines, must be able to read and write, and communicate in English effectively, must be able to perform basic math including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, counting change correctly, and handling, organizing, and balancing money and credit card charge slips.

   Health: An applicant who is currently infected with or has knowledge that they are currently infected with a communicable disease which has been determined by the Secretary of Health and Human Services as one which is transmissible to the public through the handling of food will not be considered as a qualified applicant. An Applicant must comply with the applicable city Department of Health regulations as well as Jason’s Deli’s dress code policies.

   Physical Standards : Ability to stand and exert mobility in a fast-pace environment for up to six (6) hours in length; frequent reaching, bending, squatting and stooping; ability to safely lift and carry up to 30 pounds repetitively; to maintain regular attendance; to use cash register, calculator, and credit card machine.

   We appreciate and value diversity. EOE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right order taker for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your order taker job on Zippia to find and recruit order taker candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting order takers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present 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.

   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 order taker

   Once you've found the order taker 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.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new order taker. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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