How to hire a shift manager

How to hire a shift manager, step by step

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

What does a shift manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The shift manager 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a shift manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a shift manager that fits the bill.

   This list presents shift manager salaries for various positions.

   Type of Shift Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Shift Manager	Food service managers are responsible for the daily operation of restaurants and other establishments that prepare and serve food and beverages. They direct staff to ensure that customers are satisfied with their dining experience, and they manage the business to ensure that it is profitable.	$11-20
   Restaurant General Manager	A restaurant general manager is someone whose responsibility is to handle the daily operations of the restaurant. Restaurant general managers ensure compliance with the overall operations to the company's standards... Show more	$19-37
   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:

   • Cleanliness
   • Inventory Management
   • Management
   • Leadership
   • Customer Service
   • Help Support
   • Food Handling
   • Excellent Interpersonal
   • Excellent Guest
   • Work Ethic
   • Food Products
   • Customer Complaints
   • Cash Handling
   • Safety Standards

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage night shift ensuring closing procedures, customer service, and employee management are accomplished following company policies
   • Manage FOH to insure all guests are happy and well taken care of.
   • Provide excellent customer service, operate POS systems, maintain friendly but secure retail environment, track and manage inventory
   • Handle all customer relation issues in accordance with company policy and provide exceptional customer service to all CVS customers.
   • Receive SERVSAFE certification along with online management courses.
   • Execute store operations during schedule shifts, organize shift assignments and maintain consistent attendance and punctuality.

   More shift manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, shift managers' average salary in alabama is 36% less than in california.
   • Seniority. Entry-level shift managers 47% less than senior-level shift managers.
   • Certifications. A shift manager 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 shift manager's salary.

   Average shift manager salary

   $15.44hourly

   $32,110 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level shift manager salary

   $23,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 18, 2025

   Average shift manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$39,916	$19
   2	Massachusetts	$37,137	$18
   3	District of Columbia	$35,578	$17
   4	New York	$33,965	$16
   5	Michigan	$33,314	$16
   6	Minnesota	$32,995	$16
   7	Nevada	$32,700	$16
   8	Arizona	$32,021	$15
   9	Wisconsin	$32,016	$15
   10	West Virginia	$31,548	$15
   11	Virginia	$31,514	$15
   12	Pennsylvania	$31,360	$15
   13	Illinois	$30,971	$15
   14	Nebraska	$30,701	$15
   15	Ohio	$30,346	$15
   16	Indiana	$29,832	$14
   17	New Mexico	$29,649	$14
   18	Colorado	$29,588	$14
   19	Utah	$29,041	$14
   20	Missouri	$28,798	$14

   Average shift manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	ABB	$60,605	$29.14	5
   2	Manhattan Associates	$51,173	$24.60
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$48,825	$23.47
   4	University of California-Berkeley	$48,350	$23.25
   5	BlackRock	$45,990	$22.11	3
   6	GPAC	$45,786	$22.01
   7	UC Santa Barbara	$45,767	$22.00
   8	Resorts World Catskills	$44,887	$21.58
   9	Nestlé	$43,503	$20.91	12
   10	H.B. Fuller	$42,543	$20.45	3
   11	Marathon Cheese Corporation	$42,012	$20.20
   12	Monarch Casino & Resort	$41,909	$20.15	12
   13	The Judge Group	$41,612	$20.01
   14	Bbg	$41,309	$19.86
   15	Semtribe	$41,283	$19.85
   16	OnCue Express	$40,982	$19.70	2
   17	Northrop Grumman	$40,886	$19.66	6
   18	Activision Blizzard	$40,801	$19.62	1
   19	City of Baltimore	$40,159	$19.31
   20	Exelon	$40,104	$19.28

4. Writing a shift manager job description

   A shift manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a shift manager job description:

   Shift manager job description example

   Job DescriptionAt Papa John's, people are always our top priority. Our secret ingredient is YOU! Our employees are much like our toppings. They’re all different but come together to make the ultimate pizza! Will you be the pepperoni or the banana pepper to our team? Exciting things are happening at Papa John’s and our career experience keeps getting “better”!Qualities:
   Self-sufficient leader
   Great decision-making skills
   Instill pride and accountability in team members
   Responsibilities:
   Manage operations.
   Perform all Company policies, procedures, programs, and systems.
   Follow all federal, state, and local laws.
   Use ethical business practices.
   Respond to all customer concerns and issues
   Request customer and team member feedback
   Build brand loyalty
   Train team members to exceed customer expectations
   Ensure food, labor and other controllable costs stay within budget
   Manage the company's assets by keeping the restaurant clean At Papa John’s, our team members are more than employees! We care about you and your development. In fact, most of our promotions come from within! So become a part of the Papa John’s family. Exciting things are happening at Papa John's franchise restaurants. Work where the best ingredient is YOU! Great things are happening at Papa John's! If you are looking for a fulfilling career with an international company, flavored with challenging work, mixed with professional development opportunities, a competitive salary and a collaborative team environment, then look no further! Papa John's seeks people who share our philosophy for success, are looking for quality business practices and meaningful work. All these combine to produce not only the best pizza, but also the best team members!
   It is the policy of Papa John’s to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and team members without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status or civil partnership, national or ethnic origin, pregnancy or maternity, veteran status, uniformed service (as defined by 10 U.S.C. §101 (a)(5)), protected disability status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender reassignment, or gender expression, or any other characteristic protected by statute or law.Job Type: Full-time Pay: $16 hr to start possible salary after training Benefits: 401(k) Dental insurance Employee discount Flexible schedule Health insurance Paid time off Paid training Referral program Vision insurance Schedule: Day shift Holidays (mandatory) Monday to Friday Night shift (mandatory) Weekend availability (mandatory)

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find shift managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any shift managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level shift managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting shift managers 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 shift manager

   Once you've found the shift manager 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 equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new shift manager 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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How much does it cost to hire a shift manager?