How to hire a service lead

How to hire a service lead, step by step

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

What does a service lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a service lead, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

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

   This list presents service lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Service Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Service Lead		$23-68
   Lead Customer Service Representative	A lead customer service representative is responsible for managing a group of customer service staff to assist in daily operations and help with customer issues. Lead customer service representatives manage high-level customer complaints and provide immediate resolution and disputes... Show more	$10-27
   Customer Service Supervisor	A customer service supervisor is responsible for directing the staff in providing the best services to the customers. Customer service supervisors' duties include evaluating the performance of the service staff, implementing strategic procedures to improve operations, developing promotional offers and products to increase the business' revenues, keeping documents of operation records, and assisting with customer's inquiries and complaints... Show more	$12-25

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Food Service
   • Food Safety
   • Exceptional Client
   • Client Service
   • Customer Complaints
   • Business Development
   • Sales Process
   • Service Quality
   • Cleanliness
   • Project Management
   • Product Knowledge
   • Inventory Control
   • Cash Handling
   • Direct Reports

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage services and supports for intellectually and developmentally disable individuals, within compliance with all Medicaid and I/DD waiver regulations.
   • Deliver world-class customer service to patients and physicians while resolving issues regarding delivery and administration of specialty medications.
   • Deploy Citrix technology from scratch.
   • Provide monthly RSA VPN user reports.
   • Assist PBX with answering guest calls and meeting their needs.
   • Ensure all PC's receive OS patches and up-to-date antivirus software.

   More service lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your service lead job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A service lead salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, service leads' average salary in montana is 52% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level service leads earn 65% less than senior-level service leads.
   • Certifications. A service lead with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a service lead's salary.

   Average service lead salary

   $83,844yearly

   $40.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level service lead salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average service lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$99,998	$48
   2	New Jersey	$96,804	$47
   3	Rhode Island	$94,252	$45
   4	Maryland	$93,269	$45
   5	Pennsylvania	$92,046	$44
   6	Connecticut	$91,366	$44
   7	District of Columbia	$89,532	$43
   8	New Hampshire	$87,065	$42
   9	Massachusetts	$84,882	$41
   10	Virginia	$78,688	$38
   11	Arizona	$76,303	$37
   12	Texas	$75,874	$36
   13	Illinois	$75,779	$36
   14	North Carolina	$75,394	$36
   15	Florida	$75,004	$36
   16	Washington	$74,612	$36
   17	South Carolina	$73,703	$35
   18	Indiana	$72,208	$35
   19	Ohio	$70,934	$34
   20	Oregon	$69,203	$33

   Average service lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$136,893	$65.81	20
   2	Novartis	$129,251	$62.14
   3	Google	$126,850	$60.99	19
   4	Genentech	$126,709	$60.92	3
   5	SAP	$124,067	$59.65	4
   6	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$123,810	$59.52	4
   7	Microsoft	$122,625	$58.95	23
   8	Prophet	$113,547	$54.59
   9	Arkema	$113,455	$54.55
   10	FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA	$112,237	$53.96	2
   11	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$112,018	$53.85	40
   12	Citi	$111,935	$53.81	1
   13	Broadridge	$111,330	$53.52
   14	Adobe	$109,446	$52.62	5
   15	Florida Power and Light	$108,118	$51.98	4
   16	BNY Mellon	$108,006	$51.93
   17	Ford Motor	$107,676	$51.77	4
   18	American Express	$107,460	$51.66	3
   19	Morgan Stanley	$107,199	$51.54	13
   20	Cisco	$106,921	$51.40	35

4. Writing a service lead job description

   A job description for a service lead 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 service lead job description:

   Service lead job description example

   This job, under general supervision and following prescribed procedures, leads environmental service aides in accomplishing the housekeeping services of the hospital interior and related hospital properties, as well as to coordinate these activities with other department. Assumes responsibility for 24 hours/7 days a week seamless service of environmental services assigned staff, performing cleaning and/or project work at company medical facilities as a working supervisor, and monitors environmental services employees to ensure that area assignments are maintained in a safe, clean, aseptic and operationally effective condition.
   
   To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential duties.
   
   This job description is a summary of the primary duties and responsibilities of the job and position. It is not intended to be a comprehensive or all-inclusive listing of duties and responsibilities. Contents are subject to change at the company's discretion.
   Education Required - High School diploma or equivalent
   Work Experience Required -1 year housekeeping experience. Preferred - Health care or hotel experience Knowledge Skills and Abilities (KSAs) Must have computer skills and dexterity required for data entry and retrieval of information. Must be proficient with Windows-style applications and keyboard. Effective verbal and written communication skills and the ability to present information clearly and professionally. Basic knowledge of floor care Strong interpersonal skills Experience troubleshooting and analyzing problems associated with areas of responsibility Self directed and able to work with little supervision Capable of operating Environmental Services equipment such as automatic scrubber and burnisher
   Job Duties Supervises and leads Environmental Services Aides to maintain assigned area in a clean and aseptic manner. Assigns personnel, equipment and supplies in an efficient and effective manner so that maximum utilization of resources is attained in carrying out housekeeping operations and maintaining a high standard of cleanliness while promoting a cooperative effort on the part of those involved in accomplishing these activities. Coordinates, schedules and conducts employee training and/or development with management to meet established performance standards, teamwork and customer service criteria. Responds immediately to defects, deficiencies and/or customer complaints and follows through in-service recovery, service resolution and follow-up. Exhibits flexibility in scheduling and stalling practices to accommodate needs of unit. Adapts behavior to the specific patient population, including but not limited to: respect for privacy, method of introduction to the patient, adapting explanation of services or procedures to be performed, requesting permissions and communication style. Other related duties as required. The above statements describe the general nature and level of work only. They are not an exhaustive list of all required responsibilities, duties, and skills. Other duties may be added, or this description amended at any time.
   Remains knowledgeable on current federal, state and local laws, accreditation standards or regulatory agency requirements that apply to the assigned area of responsibility and ensures compliance with all such laws, regulations and standards.
   This employer maintains and complies with its Compliance & Privacy Program and Standards of Conduct, including the immediate reporting of any known or suspected unethical or questionable behaviors or conduct; patient/employee safety, patient privacy, and/or other compliance-related concerns.
   
   The employer is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability status.
   Physical and Environmental Demands
   The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   Light Work - Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly (Constantly: activity or condition exists 2/3 or more of the time) to move objects. Physical demand requirements are in excess of those for Sedentary Work. Even though the weight lifted may be only a negligible amount, a job should be rated Light Work: (1) when it requires walking or standing to a significant degree; or (2) when it requires sitting most of the time but entails pushing and/or pulling of arm or leg controls; and/or (3) when the job requires working at a production rate pace entailing the constant pushing and/or pulling of materials even though the weight of those materials is negligible. NOTE: The constant stress and strain of maintaining a production rate pace, especially in an industrial setting, can be and is physically demanding of a worker even though the amount of force exerted is negligible. Duties performed routinely require exposure to blood, body fluid and tissue.
   The incumbent works in a patient care area; works in an area where patients enter; works directly with patients; and/or works with specimens that could contain communicable diseases. There may be an occupational risk for exposure to communicable diseases. Because the incumbent works within a healthcare setting, there may be occupational risk for exposure to hazardous medications or hazardous waste within the environment through receipt, transport, storage, preparation, dispensing, administration, cleaning and/or disposal of contaminated waste. The risk level of exposure may increase depending on the essential job duties of the role.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right service lead for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with service leads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit service leads who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit service leads, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   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 service lead

   Once you have selected a candidate for the service lead position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   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 service lead. 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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