How to hire a retail supervisor

How to hire a retail supervisor, step by step

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

What does a retail supervisor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the retail supervisor you need to hire. Certain retail supervisor 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

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

   The following list breaks down different types of retail supervisors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Retail Supervisor	Description	Hourly rate
   Retail Supervisor		$12-20
   Floor Manager	A floor manager is responsible for supervising the general operations of a specific department in an organization. Floor manager tasks include assisting customers, ensuring prompt resolution of clients' inquiries, distributing tasks to the staff, and monitoring the employees' performance... Show more	$15-27
   Part-Time Key Manager	A part-time key manager is a senior manager employed to work part-time. Key managers are hired for their expertise and experience for business development and growth to increase revenues, production, and profits... Show more	$22-54

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • POS
   • Cash Handling
   • Product Knowledge
   • Cleanliness
   • Sales Floor
   • Wine
   • Work Ethic
   • Retail Store
   • Payroll
   • Loss Prevention
   • Sales Associates
   • Retail Sales
   • Store Management
   • Customer Service

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Assist store leadership in effectively leading, managing and developing store and/or department operations and associates to maximize sales and profitability.
   • Prepare food and ensure cleanliness of work area as well as served as a retail sales associate in the gift shop.
   • Prepare receipts for food using cash registers, computers, calculators, POS systems and other acceptable payment methods.
   • Maintain restaurant cleanliness, and delegate restaurant duties as necessary.
   • Monitor and submit weekly payroll and expense reports with modifications when need.
   • Perform management operations flawlessly and economically schedule employees, while maintaining weekly payroll.

   More retail supervisor duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the retail supervisor job description is a good way to get more applicants. A retail supervisor salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a retail supervisor in South Carolina may be lower than in Massachusetts, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level retail supervisor. Additionally, a retail supervisor with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average retail supervisor salary

   $16.70hourly

   $34,740 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level retail supervisor salary

   $27,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average retail supervisor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$46,544	$22
   2	Rhode Island	$42,602	$20
   3	New York	$41,497	$20
   4	Washington	$40,847	$20
   5	Colorado	$40,817	$20
   6	Missouri	$39,429	$19
   7	New Jersey	$39,303	$19
   8	Minnesota	$39,164	$19
   9	Illinois	$38,880	$19
   10	California	$36,994	$18
   11	Ohio	$36,908	$18
   12	Oregon	$35,544	$17
   13	Utah	$35,041	$17
   14	Virginia	$34,842	$17
   15	North Carolina	$34,305	$16
   16	Indiana	$34,059	$16
   17	Pennsylvania	$33,837	$16
   18	Arizona	$33,533	$16
   19	Georgia	$33,524	$16
   20	Texas	$33,485	$16

   Average retail supervisor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Live Nation Entertainment	$41,377	$19.89	3
   2	Canvas Worldwide	$41,165	$19.79
   3	Rush Street	$40,745	$19.59
   4	Dealers's LP Equipment Co	$40,322	$19.39
   5	Mars	$39,936	$19.20	2
   6	Cornell University	$39,781	$19.13
   7	Rad Power Bikes	$39,480	$18.98	2
   8	The Retail Odyssey Company	$39,480	$18.98	151
   9	NANA	$39,370	$18.93	8
   10	ABM Industries	$39,143	$18.82	38
   11	Advantage Solutions	$39,079	$18.79	928
   12	Army and Air Force Exchange Service	$39,056	$18.78	6
   13	Piping Rock Health Products	$38,984	$18.74
   14	Sodexo Management, Inc.	$38,792	$18.65	30
   15	Gettysburg College	$38,668	$18.59
   16	GOAT	$38,537	$18.53	9
   17	Kellermeyer Bergensons Services	$38,489	$18.50
   18	Gold Key Processing	$38,373	$18.45
   19	Grand Sierra Resort	$38,049	$18.29	1
   20	VOLCOM	$37,747	$18.15

4. Writing a retail supervisor job description

   A good retail supervisor 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 supervisor job description:

   Retail supervisor job description example

   As a family company, we serve people and communities. When you work at Meijer, you're provided with career and community opportunities centered around leadership, personal growth and development. Consider joining our family - take care of your career and your community!
   Meijer Rewards
   Weekly pay Scheduling flexibility Paid parental leave Paid education assistance Care.com/back-up care assistance Team member discount Development programs for advancement and career growth
   
   Please review the job profile below and apply today!
   
   Plans, directs and supervises team members in the day to day operations within various departments of the store. Serves as the mentor and coach for all team members. Implements strategies to improve customer service, drive store sales while ensuring customer needs are met and service is quick and efficient. Maintains store appearance with a focus on prime shopping hours, product presentation and company standards.
   .
   What You'll be Doing:
   Ensure a positive company image by providing courteous, friendly, and efficient service to customers and team members.Responsible for staffing, selection and hiring to achieve staffing needs.Promotes succession planning by providing career paths, identifying development needs for the team members, and being involved with and accountable for promotion decisions.Documents and applies disciplinary actions and makes recommendations concerning discharge.Responsible for P&L, achieving sales and maintaining shrink for the department.Models exceptional, fast and friendly customer service.Communicates the Meijer Friendly Initiative in all team meetings and conversations.Mentors and coaches the team members to ensure customer service and sales goals are exceeded and the area is maintained to Meijer standards.Ensures the team is thoroughly trained in all aspects of their jobs and have completed all required training.Spends majority of time within the store communicating with customers and team members to ensure exceptional service is being delivered.Communicates the Meijer Friendly Initiative in all team meetings and conversations.Promotes a safe work environment.Reliable and consistent attendance required.Performs other duties as assigned.
   
   What You Bring with You (Qualifications):
   High school diploma or its equivalent required.2-3 years of related retail experience.One year of management experience.Rotational assignments in other areas of the store such as meat, bakery, produce and deli; also customer service and product flow experience is helpful.Demonstrated ability to communicate to team members in the organization in a way that provides clear and precise direction. Demonstrated ability to resolve conflict and by addressing root cause issues.Demonstrated ability to manage multiple tasks.Demonstrated ability to analyze financial and statistical information and use that information to make informed decisions. Demonstrated ability to teach suggestive selling.Demonstrated ability to lead an organization that practices working safely at all times Demonstrated ability to mentor team members in all areas of the organization including SDITs, team members in hourly positions and team leaders.Successful completion of all required certifications.
   .
   .

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with retail supervisor 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 supervisor

   Once you've found the retail supervisor 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new retail supervisor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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 supervisor?