What does a shift supervisor do?
Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.
Shift supervisor responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real shift supervisor resumes:
- Content include math skills, how to manage a monthly budget, job searches, and managing a home.
- Manage a team of energy consultants in daily production, SPH (sales per hr.
- Evaluate daily job objectives and utilize knowledge of math, physics, and engineering to achieve the desired results.
- Manage a part-time managerial shift supervisor position that require daily bookkeeping in POS system.
- Prepare overall security plans and manage security operations of organization, including assignments, staffing and payroll.
- Carry out administrative functions including tracking ordering and managing inventory, and support the manager in monitoring store security and cleanliness.
- Work grill, fryers, food prep.
- Set up and operate various rakes both CNC and manually operate.
- Certify in CPR, first aid and have food handler's permit.
- Set up and operate CNC folding machines (RAS) and shears.
- Brew coffees, stock bakery, prepare back-up items as needed throughout the day.
- Prepare specialty beverages in a limit amount of time (espresso, coffee, smoothies, etc.
- prepare and serve a variety of health foods including sandwiches and omelets and fresh fruit and vegetable juices including smoothies.
- Gain transitional knowledge and skil at working heavy machinery including forklifts, electric ladders, order pickers and electric pallet jack.
- Complete all require training ServSafe certification.
Shift supervisor skills and personality traits
We calculated that 19% of Shift Supervisors are proficient in Cash Handling, Store Operations, and Store Management. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Detail oriented, and Physical stamina.
We break down the percentage of Shift Supervisors that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Cash Handling, 19%
Cash handling procedures, assist store manager with accounting responsibilities and demonstrating clear communication skills with all customers and partner interactions.
- Store Operations, 9%
Managed and coordinated store operations while assisting customers in a timely and effective manner in a fast paced environment.
- Store Management, 9%
Supervised store team and effectively communicated between store management and teams to provide exceptional customer service.
- Loss Prevention, 7%
Reviewed employee transaction report to identify internal theft and reported employees to the Loss Prevention Manager for further investigation before termination.
- Food Products, 7%
Provided quality beverages and food products consistently for all customers in adherence with all recipes and presentation guidelines.
- Cash Flow, 5%
Determined peak profitability of seasonal demand products by calculating cash flows.
"cash handling," "store operations," and "store management" are among the most common skills that shift supervisors use at work. You can find even more shift supervisor responsibilities below, including:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a shift supervisor to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "food service managers must give clear orders to staff and be able to convey information effectively to employees and customers." Shift supervisors often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "attended monthly classes to enhance loss prevention skills, management skills, management style, and communication skills. "
Physical stamina. This is an important skill for shift supervisors to perform their duties. For an example of how shift supervisor responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "managers often work long shifts and sometimes spend entire evenings actively helping to serve customers." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a shift supervisor: "inventory control loss prevention-timely identification of shop lifters, notifying law enforcement merchandising pharmacy trained physical requirements included unloading trucks weekly".
Business skills. For certain shift supervisor responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "business skills." The day-to-day duties of a shift supervisor rely on this skill, as "food service managers must understand all aspects of the restaurant business, including how to budget for supplies, comply with regulations, and manage workers." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what shift supervisors do: "devise policies and procedures regarding areas such as business continuity planning, loss prevention and fraud prevention, and privacy. "
Customer-service skills. A commonly-found skill in shift supervisor job descriptions, "customer-service skills" is essential to what shift supervisors do. Shift supervisor responsibilities rely on this skill because "food service managers must be courteous and attentive when dealing with patrons." You can also see how shift supervisor duties rely on customer-service skills in this resume example: "reduced shrink by utilizing customer service and loss prevention experience. "
Leadership skills. Another skill commonly found on shift supervisor job descriptions is "leadership skills." It can come up quite often in shift supervisor duties, since "managers must establish good relationships with staff to maintain a productive work environment." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day shift supervisor responsibilities: "provided leadership over partners in order to ensure effective store operations. "
The three companies that hire the most shift supervisors are:
- AutoZone9,340 shift supervisors jobs
- CVS Health7,999 shift supervisors jobs
- Starbucks5,912 shift supervisors jobs
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Compare different shift supervisors
Shift supervisor vs. Night shift manager
A night shift manager is an executive professional who is responsible for supervising night shift production to ensure that optimal customer services and cost objectives are met. Night shift managers must ensure that federal safety standards and environmental disposal protocols are followed by their employees. They are required to train new employees on all job functions such as inventory management, customer service, and maintenance. Night shift managers must also complete audits of inventory, bank deposits, and withdrawals.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between shift supervisors and night shift manager. For instance, shift supervisor responsibilities require skills such as "cash handling," "store management," "cash flow," and "punctuality." Whereas a night shift manager is skilled in "strong work ethic," "hr," "night shifts," and "quality products." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Night shift managers tend to make the most money working in the technology industry, where they earn an average salary of $34,347. In contrast, shift supervisors make the biggest average salary, $39,059, in the manufacturing industry.night shift managers tend to reach similar levels of education than shift supervisors. In fact, night shift managers are 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Shift supervisor vs. Shift lead manager
A shift lead manager is an employee who is responsible for supervising the daily activities of a store, particularly in creating schedules and assigning them to staff members. Shift lead managers are required to monitor the team's performance and manage the requests of employees. They must open registers and close them by the end of the day and prepare cash to be deposited. Shift lead managers are also required to handle customer issues and report them to the management during the shift.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that shift supervisor responsibilities requires skills like "cash handling," "store management," "food products," and "cash flow." But a shift lead manager might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "management," "daily sales," "food cost," and "excellent guest."
Shift lead managers earn similar levels of education than shift supervisors in general. They're 1.1% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Shift supervisor vs. Shift manager
Shift managers are employees assigned to oversee the operations of the business during a specific time or work shift. They manage the employees assigned in a particular shift and ensure that the employees are working on their specific tasks. They also ensure that the needed manpower is met. Shift managers are also in charge of checking the sales, ensuring that the finances are properly balanced, and maintaining records during the work shift. They also respond to any challenges that may occur during the time period. Shift managers should have good organization skills, decision-making skills, and interpersonal skills.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, shift supervisors are more likely to have skills like "store management," "loss prevention," "cash flow," and "punctuality." But a shift manager is more likely to have skills like "management," "help support," "excellent interpersonal," and "excellent guest."
Shift managers earn the best pay in the retail industry, where they command an average salary of $31,448. Shift supervisors earn the highest pay from the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $39,059.shift managers typically earn similar educational levels compared to shift supervisors. Specifically, they're 1.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Shift supervisor vs. Case manager supervisor
The job of case manager supervisors is to supervise case managers in clinical healthcare facilities or social work organizations. They usually work for organizations providing services for people with disabilities, the homeless, and other people in need. Their roles and responsibilities include maintaining client files, coordinating available services, and supporting and monitoring the case management staff's performance. To be a case manager supervisor, you should be compassionate, have a critical thinking mind, and leadership and communication skills. You also need to be able to adapt to every situation.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between shift supervisors and case manager supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a shift supervisor might have more use for skills like "cash handling," "store management," "loss prevention," and "food products." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of case manager supervisors require skills like "mental health," "substance abuse," "community resources," and "crisis intervention. "
Case manager supervisors enjoy the best pay in the non profits industry, with an average salary of $64,323. For comparison, shift supervisors earn the highest salary in the manufacturing industry.In general, case manager supervisors hold higher degree levels compared to shift supervisors. Case manager supervisors are 5.5% more likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.5% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of shift supervisor
Updated January 8, 2025
