How to hire a shift leader

How to hire a shift leader, step by step

Here's a step-by-step shift leader hiring guide:

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

What does a shift leader do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The shift leader 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 shift leader's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, shift leaders 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 shows salaries for various types of shift leaders.

   Type of Shift Leader	Description	Hourly rate
   Shift Leader		$12-20
   Crew Manager	A crew manager directs and supervises the crew members' daily activities to ensure project completion or optimal service. Although a crew manager's duties vary depending on their industry or company of employment, their responsibilities usually include setting priorities and guidelines, managing employee schedules, recruiting and training new crew members, and solving issues and concerns when any arise... Show more	$9-25
   Lead Crew Member	A lead crew member is responsible for supervising crew members during their tasks, ensuring that they provide the highest customer service to ensure customer satisfaction that would boost the business' reputation, generate revenues, and increase profitability. Lead crew members assist the team on food handling procedures for safe consumption, as well as reiterating the sanitary and hygienic standards during operations... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patients
   • Customer Complaints
   • Customer Service
   • Math
   • Safety Standards
   • Cash Handling
   • Management
   • Basic Math
   • Cleanliness
   • Inventory Control
   • Cash Control
   • Store Operations
   • Inventory Counts
   • Food Service

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments, staffing and payroll.
   • Maintain maintenance and cleanliness of the facility which exceeds customer satisfaction and quality standards.
   • Team leadership for excellent customer service delivery during schedule shift including supervision of service associates and pharmacy technicians.
   • Answer all incoming calls a long with booking appointments.
   • Develop strategies to meet and exceed booking and sales goals.
   • Review daily arrivals to ensure proper handling of VIP's, return guests, groups, etc.

   More shift leader duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, shift leaders' average salary in alabama is 39% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level shift leaders earn 40% less than senior-level shift leaders.
   • Certifications. A shift leader 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 shift leader's salary.

   Average shift leader salary

   $16.27hourly

   $33,841 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level shift leader salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 23, 2025

   Average shift leader salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Massachusetts	$40,980	$20
   2	California	$39,377	$19
   3	Washington	$39,288	$19
   4	New York	$36,477	$18
   5	Minnesota	$35,372	$17
   6	District of Columbia	$35,076	$17
   7	Maine	$34,520	$17
   8	Pennsylvania	$34,429	$17
   9	Oregon	$34,362	$17
   10	Colorado	$33,686	$16
   11	Arizona	$31,983	$15
   12	Virginia	$31,899	$15
   13	Nevada	$31,595	$15
   14	Wisconsin	$30,903	$15
   15	Illinois	$29,874	$14
   16	Indiana	$29,397	$14
   17	Texas	$29,317	$14
   18	Florida	$28,549	$14
   19	New Mexico	$28,530	$14
   20	Ohio	$28,512	$14

   Average shift leader salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	IBM	$44,423	$21.36	120
   2	Dairy Farmers of America	$44,347	$21.32	11
   3	Stanford University	$44,285	$21.29	2
   4	Reser's Fine Foods	$43,685	$21.00	2
   5	BD	$43,479	$20.90	6
   6	JBS USA	$42,976	$20.66	45
   7	Nation Pizza	$42,683	$20.52
   8	Steel Dynamics	$42,619	$20.49	1
   9	Bunge	$42,162	$20.27	4
   10	Martin Marietta	$41,828	$20.11	1
   11	Medical University of South Carolina	$41,647	$20.02	2
   12	American Woodmark	$41,595	$20.00	1
   13	ABB	$41,511	$19.96	16
   14	Accenture	$41,400	$19.90	730
   15	Owens Corning	$41,330	$19.87	9
   16	Pactiv	$41,298	$19.85	14
   17	U.S. Venture	$41,259	$19.84	2
   18	O-I Glass	$41,201	$19.81	1
   19	General Electric	$41,108	$19.76	242
   20	HCL Technologies	$40,957	$19.69	1

4. Writing a shift leader job description

   A job description for a shift leader 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 shift leader job description:

   Shift leader job description example

   Preferred 6 months of Associate experience

   Supervisory Responsibility:

   This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

   Work & Physical Requirements:

   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. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Minors required to provide work permit.

   ●Available to work a minimum of 15 hours/week AND a minimum of 2 days (dependent upon minimum age laws).

   ●Must be able to spend a minimum of 90% of working time standing.

   ●Have the ability to walk, bend, kneel, handle, reach with arms and hands, squat, crawl, climb, stoop, and other related physical activities.

   ●The ability to lift up to 60 pounds as needed.

   ●Comfortable working occasionally in walk-in coolers and freezers.

   ●The ability to work weekends, evenings, and holidays.

   ●Overall operational knowledge

   ●Safety and sanitation fundamentals

   ●Some computer skills; including Gmail, Google Drive, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word

   ●Effective Communication

   ●Guest Reconciliation and Relations

   ●Must be able to work in a fast paced, high energy, and physically demanding environment.

   ●Must be able to communicate clearly with our guests.

   ●Other duties that may be assigned to help company meet goals

   This job description is intended to describe the general requirements for the position. It is not a complete statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Other duties not listed here may be assigned as necessary to ensure the proper operations of the department. SunLife Organics is an equal opportunity employer. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Must have a legal right to work in the United States.

   
   This job description is intended to describe the general requirements for the position. It is not a complete statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements. Other duties not listed here may be assigned as necessary to ensure the proper operations of the department. SunLife Organics is an equal opportunity employer. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Must have a legal right to work in the United States.

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5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit shift leaders, 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 shift leader

   Once you have selected a candidate for the shift leader 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.

   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 shift leader?