How to hire a production foreman

How to hire a production foreman, step by step

Here's a step-by-step production foreman hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the production foreman you need to hire. Certain production foreman roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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 production foreman 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.

   This list shows salaries for various types of production foremen.

   Type of Production Foreman	Description	Hourly rate
   Production Foreman		$18-35
   Leader	Leaders pave the way for a company to achieve certain goals. They are in charge of bringing the organization to greater heights... Show more	$23-73
   Lead Operator	Lead operators are responsible for the direction and supervision of the day-to-day activities in facilities. As machine operators, they control machines and take charge of industrial operations... Show more	$25-68

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Quality Standards
   • Safety Procedures
   • Production Schedules
   • Production Operations
   • Production Equipment
   • Production Process
   • CNC
   • Production Floor
   • Lease Operators
   • SWD
   • QC
   • Inventory Control
   • Direct Reports
   • Production Facilities

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist with achieving ISO status.
   • Lead targeted decision-making across fast-pace production operations for this growth-orient USDA food factory producing quality meat products.
   • Ensure compliance/implementation of HACCP and GMP programs.
   • Enforce company policies on GMP's and PPE.
   • Set up and operate CNC, press brake and punch press machinery.
   • Program and troubleshoot all PLC equipment (Allen Bradley PowerFlex) used in plant.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, production foremen' average salary in south dakota is 44% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level production foremen 48% less than senior-level production foremen.
   • Certifications. A production foreman 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 production foreman's salary.

   Average production foreman salary

   $53,136yearly

   $25.55 hourly rate

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   Entry-level production foreman salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 11, 2025

4. Writing a production foreman job description

   A job description for a production foreman 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 production foreman job description:

   Production foreman job description example

   Aspen Products, Inc. is a 24-hour 5 day per week manufacturing operation with various types of production equipment and systems. Applicants must be prepared for a fast-paced environment where machine uptime is extremely important. We are looking for goal-driven self- starters who can work with minimal supervision and think on their feet.

   Perks:

   • Paid Holidays and health benefits available after 90 days

   • One-week paid vacation and 401K after 1 year.

   • Weekend overtime available

   • Paid Lunch Break

   • Competitive wages

   • Promotion from within

   Job Description:

   • The Production Foreman is responsible for ensuring all machines run properly and according to schedule. He or she acts as the communicator between machine operators and the shift supervisor and oversees the production floor when the supervisor is unavailable.

   Responsibilities:

   • Following, enforcing, and training on all safety features and rules regarding the Peerless Plate Press machines and accessory equipment.

   • Ensuring that each machine is producing a quality product and troubleshoots issues when needed.

   • Maintaining a safe and clean work area.

   • Perform small, approved repairs when necessary and report advanced issues to the supervisor.

   • Fill in as a machine operator, bailer operator, forklift operator, packer, or boxer when needed.

   • Must be able to climb up/down ladders, move/load large rolls of paper, and lift/carry a minimum of 50lbs independently and regularly throughout the shift.

   • Must wear hard-soled leather work boots that cover the entire foot and ankle.

   • Must provide own tools for personal use–see current required tool list.

   • Responsible for Food Safety, HACCP, GMP’s and Food Defense protocol and shall be competent and have appropriate education, training, skills and experience, along with quality workmanship and experience with producing quality products.

   Work hours:

   • 1st Shift (7am–3pm)

   • 2nd Shift (3pm–11pm)

   • 3rd Shift (11pm–7am)

   • Part-time shifts are available. Let us know on the employment application if you are interested.

   We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with production foreman 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 production foreman

   Once you've decided on a perfect production foreman 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 production foreman 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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