How to hire a retail sales lead

How to hire a retail sales lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step retail sales lead hiring guide:

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

What does a retail sales lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The retail sales lead hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A retail sales lead's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, retail sales leads 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.

   Here's a comparison of retail sales lead salaries for various roles:

   Type of Retail Sales Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Retail Sales Lead		$12-28
   Lead Retail Consultant	A lead retail consultant spearheads consultation projects that aim to help clients optimize their daily retail operations. Their responsibilities entail conducting extensive market research and analyses, studying the target market and competitors, establishing objectives and guidelines, identifying the strengths and weaknesses of current procedures, and providing solutions against potential issues and concerns... Show more	$8-41
   Sales Supervisor	A sales supervisor is a professional who is responsible for the daily activities of sales representatives in promoting and selling a product by phone or email. He/She needs to track the weekly and monthly performances of his/her sales representatives... Show more	$14-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Math
   • Sales Floor
   • Retail Sales
   • Cash Handling
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Basic Math
   • POS
   • Punctuality
   • Work Ethic
   • Ladders
   • Sales Associates
   • Retail Environment

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Support payroll, company administration, managing of multiple location including schedules and projects.
   • Manage reports for data analysis including monetary reconciliation, payroll, and client tracking.
   • Partner in managing operations of multiple retail outlets, including hiring, performance management, scheduling, and merchandising management.
   • Train new employees to operate POS systems, activation programs, and communicate with customer service via phone or online methods.
   • Sanitize pet washes, clean store, take stock of pet supply items.
   • Create and execute numerous projects using PowerPoint to help develop a staff phone directory.

   More retail sales lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your retail sales lead job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A retail sales lead 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 retail sales lead in Iowa may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level retail sales lead usually earns less than a senior-level retail sales lead. Additionally, a retail sales lead 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 retail sales lead salary

   $40,781yearly

   $19.61 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level retail sales lead salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average retail sales lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nebraska	$54,376	$26
   2	New York	$54,218	$26
   3	New Jersey	$53,674	$26
   4	Connecticut	$50,344	$24
   5	Illinois	$50,184	$24
   6	Maryland	$49,475	$24
   7	Washington	$48,765	$23
   8	Delaware	$48,564	$23
   9	Indiana	$47,753	$23
   10	Minnesota	$47,719	$23
   11	Colorado	$45,892	$22
   12	Tennessee	$43,998	$21
   13	Ohio	$43,733	$21
   14	Oregon	$43,730	$21
   15	Texas	$43,695	$21
   16	California	$42,794	$21
   17	Georgia	$42,410	$20
   18	Missouri	$42,368	$20
   19	North Carolina	$41,909	$20
   20	Mississippi	$41,063	$20

   Average retail sales lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Microsoft	$119,662	$57.53	1
   2	Barclays	$93,343	$44.88
   3	Google	$78,319	$37.65	27
   4	Accenture	$64,351	$30.94	278
   5	Gardner Denver	$47,140	$22.66
   6	North States Ind	$43,994	$21.15
   7	Detroit Institute of Arts	$43,823	$21.07
   8	General Mills	$43,130	$20.74	42
   9	U.S. Cellular	$42,640	$20.50
   10	NEW ENGLAND SERVICE	$42,105	$20.24
   11	American Standard Brands	$41,017	$19.72
   12	University of Wisconsin System	$40,916	$19.67
   13	Grand Furniture	$40,655	$19.55
   14	Cracker Barrel	$40,456	$19.45	634
   15	John F Kennedy Middle School	$39,840	$19.15	1
   16	The Kraft Heinz Company	$39,432	$18.96	1
   17	Hallmark Services Corporation	$39,413	$18.95	415
   18	Mattel	$39,397	$18.94	12
   19	Anastasia Beverly Hills	$39,388	$18.94	4
   20	Provisional Educational Services, Incorporated	$39,118	$18.81

4. Writing a retail sales lead job description

   A good retail sales lead 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 a retail sales lead job description:

   Retail sales lead job description example

   If you're passionate about a great guest experience and true hospitality, this is the role for you! Whether you're helping a guest find the perfect birthday gift or showing off your favorite items from the new collection, you'll make sure every guest feels at home.
   Responsibilities:
   In this role, you will run the roost when it comes to the retail shop - from the cash stand to the product displays and everything in between, you'll keep the shelves stocked while displaying world-class guest service. As a Retail Sales team member, you will have flexible hours (full or part time) and the opportunity for promotion and continued development!
   Qualifications:
   You will need to be able to stand for long periods, work in a variety of environments, be expected to lift, load and carry up to 40 pounds, and work with hot and cold food items. You must be able to understand and carry out instructions while working effectively with co-workers and managers to please our guests.
   
   We'd love to get to know you! Text " CBJOBS " to 97211 to start your application or click "Apply for the job online" above.
   
   NOTE: Racism, either overt or perpetuated through unconscious bias, has no place at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and both our Mission and People Promise are firmly rooted in the principle of valuing what everyone brings to the table. Our employees work hard to ensure that our brand, which is grounded in genuine hospitality and nostalgia, represents only what is good about those things. While our d cor and food may harken back to earlier times, our inclusive culture and beliefs about equality and diversity do not.
   
   Come for the biscuits and stay for the perks- Cracker Barrel offers our employees:
   Culture of Belonging: We believe in Family. We care about your wellbeing and your success. We foster an atmosphere where employees care for each other like family. Our employees are encouraged to be themselves, and this means we accept and celebrate our differences. Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Top Notch Training: PAR Training program: our hourly employee training program is built to help you grow and succeed. Earn your stars and be rewarded with pay increases We have a unique role of the Employee Training Coordinator at each location and their purpose is to help you be successful in your role Cross Training- If you thrive in an environment where no day is the same, you can cross train and work in a variety of roles for your store Diverse Career Paths: Cracker Barrel values internal development- whether you want to become an Employee Training Coordinator, a Shift Leader, a Restaurant or Retail Manager, or come join us at our Home Office in Lebanon, TN to work in corporate support for our stores; we are committed to helping you reach your personal career goals. Competitive Pay and Benefits: Competitive pay based on your experience with opportunities to earn additional pay increases with the PAR Training program Paychecks weekly or daily - You can access the pay you have earned throughout the week! Flexible Schedules Health, Vision, and Dental Benefits starting on day 1 401K with company matching starting at 90 days Vacation Time 35% off restaurant and retail items Employee Stock Purchasing Program

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right retail sales lead 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 retail sales lead job on Zippia to find and attract quality retail sales lead candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting retail sales leads 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think 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 retail sales lead

   Once you've decided on a perfect retail sales lead 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.

   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.

   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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How much does it cost to hire a retail sales lead?