How to hire a spare hand

How to hire a spare hand, step by step

Here's a step-by-step spare hand hiring guide:

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

Post a spare hand job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the spare hand you need to hire. Certain spare hand 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 spare hand's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, spare hands 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 spare hands and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Spare Hand	Description	Hourly rate
   Spare Hand		$10-31
   Production Utility Worker	Professional utility workers have skills in customer service, safety procedures, and safety standards. Those in this career work to maintain a perpetually clean work area, comply with safety standards, inspect finished projects, repair and replace any broken equipment... Show more	$12-18
   Production Employee	In a manufacturing setting, a production employee is in charge of assembling and processing products, ensuring efficiency and timelines. Their responsibilities include adhering to guidelines and blueprints, monitoring the products for any defects or inconsistencies, operating machines and equipment, keeping an eye on the assembly line, and maintaining the cleanliness of work areas... Show more	$12-20

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Paper Machine
   • Assembly Line

   Responsibilities:

   • Record all fabrication or machine operating parameters accurately and legibly.
   • Control the success of a business plot to gain the understanding of what management and planning contributes to overall success.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, spare hands' average salary in arkansas is 51% less than in alaska.
   • Seniority. Entry-level spare hands 66% less than senior-level spare hands.
   • Certifications. A spare hand 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 spare hand's salary.

   Average spare hand salary

   $38,606yearly

   $18.56 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level spare hand salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

4. Writing a spare hand job description

   A spare hand 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. To help get you started, here's an example of a spare hand job description:

   Spare hand job description example

   JOB SUMMARY: The S4 Spare Hand is responsible for operations in support of a battery of looms designed to weave yarn into cloth. This includes the entire weaving process form preparation of loom until yarn is weaved into cloth. Management may add additional duties as needed.
   
   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: Will help Tie-In personnel exchange warps or draw in warps and patrol looms for defective fabric using documented procedures by reading and performing written instructions. Will perform dornier, and sulzer duties as documented by reading and performing written instructions. Will detect defects and problems on dornier and sulzer looms to be corrected by reading and performing written instructions. Will be able to identify weaving, filler and warp end defects and problems by reading and performing written instructions. Will apply correction procedures for all weaving filler and warp defects and problems on dornier and sulzer looms by reading and performing written instructions. Will doff A-Frames and stage in designated locations as documented by reading and performing written instructions. Will perform end of shift duties as documented by reading and performing written instructions. Will perform hour-by-hour duties as documented by reading and performing written instructions. Will perform creel changer duties as documented by reading and performing written instructions. Will perform water spider duties as documented by reading and performing written instructions.
   
   NON-ESSENTIAL DUTIES: May perform 5S tasks as needed. May repair warp and filler breaks in yarn. May monitor and replace empty fill yarn supply packages. May notify Loom Fixer (S2) of mechanical defects. May replace defective warp yarn, repair incorrect threading of looms and monitor looms to insure that fabric and fill yarn conforms to work order. May relieve employees on vacation, holiday, or otherwise absent.
   
   SPECIAL DEMANDS/RESPONSIBILITIES: Must perform all duties in a safe manner. Must perform other departmental duties as assigned by supervisor. Must handle and move material without damage. Must document and account for raw material usage. Must be able to read a tape measure to 1/32 of an inch. Will be required to work overtime as scheduled or required.
   SUPERIVSION RECEIVED: Will receive direct supervision from shift supervisor and or team leader.
   
   ACCEPTABLE EDUCATION: Prefer a High School Diploma or GED. Currently assessed at the 8th grade level or higher on the Test of Adult Basic Education (TABE) exam through our Continuous Education & Development (CED) program or have an appropriate WorkKeys score based on the job profile.
   
   ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE: Prefer 6 months previous work experience in a manufacturing or heavy industrial environment. Prefer 6 months loom operator experience. Prefer knowledge of weaving operations.
   
   CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED: Will have or can obtain certification to operate material handling equipment.
   
   PHYSICAL DEMANDS: Ability to push, pull, front carry, horizontal lift and floor to waist lift using correct lifting procedures. Ability to lift sedentary (occasionally), light (occasionally), medium (occasionally), and heavy (occasionally) materials using correct lifting procedures. Ability to stand, walk, bend, kneel, crouch and flex trunk constantly. Must have 20/35 or correctable vision in each eye. Must wear safety shoes and conform to all safety rules.
   
   Hours of Work: 3p-11p M-F Some mandatory Saturdays are required
   
   Powered by JazzHR

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find spare hands 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 spare hands they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level spare hands 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 spare hand job on Zippia to find and recruit spare hand candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit spare hands, 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 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 spare hand

   Once you've found the spare hand 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new spare hand. 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a spare hand?