How to hire a stock manager

How to hire a stock manager, step by step

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

What does a stock manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the stock manager you need to hire. Certain stock manager 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a stock 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 stock manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of stock manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Stock Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Stock Manager		$41-78
   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
   Department Manager	Department managers oversee the operations of the department they are assigned to. They manage all aspects of the operation, including finance, sales, quality control, and human resources... Show more	$18-55

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Sales Floor
   • Store Operations
   • Customer Service
   • Inventory Management
   • Loss Prevention
   • Stock Merchandise
   • Stock Associates
   • Back Room
   • Inventory Control
   • Store Merchandise
   • Cycle Counts
   • Retail Store
   • Display Cases
   • Product Knowledge

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Maintain department by establishing merchandising goals, managing inventory control, and maintaining department organization and cleanliness.
   • Ensure VIP rooms are immaculate prior to guests' arrivals.
   • Rotate coffee, pastries and other perishables to keep freshness daily.
   • Process payroll, scheduling, training, recruitment and hiring of all new employees.
   • Cash handling experience: POS knowledge, nightly deposits, experience with GARDA and other money handling, balancing tills.
   • Utilize expertise in POS system in preparation and record keeping of inventories, prices, expenditures, shipments and shortages.

   More stock manager duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, stock managers' average salary in alaska is 57% less than in rhode island.
   • Seniority. Entry-level stock managers 47% less than senior-level stock managers.
   • Certifications. A stock 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 stock manager's salary.

   Average stock manager salary

   $120,096yearly

   $57.74 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level stock manager salary

   $87,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 25, 2025

   Average stock manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$145,843	$70
   2	Tennessee	$142,014	$68
   3	New York	$137,556	$66
   4	Michigan	$131,679	$63
   5	Maryland	$130,535	$63
   6	California	$128,234	$62
   7	Pennsylvania	$127,885	$61
   8	Virginia	$127,625	$61
   9	North Carolina	$120,203	$58
   10	Massachusetts	$119,842	$58
   11	Nevada	$118,318	$57
   12	Washington	$118,088	$57
   13	Texas	$117,664	$57
   14	Maine	$115,965	$56
   15	Georgia	$115,241	$55
   16	Wisconsin	$110,202	$53
   17	Illinois	$109,457	$53
   18	Minnesota	$109,352	$53
   19	Ohio	$95,659	$46
   20	Oklahoma	$93,594	$45

   Average stock manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Michael Kors	$143,127	$68.81	64
   2	Hy-Vee	$124,414	$59.81	128
   3	Amazon	$119,077	$57.25	57
   4	Revance Therapeutics	$117,887	$56.68
   5	VoloAgri	$89,587	$43.07
   6	Kering Americas Inc	$89,587	$43.07	19
   7	Fabric.com	$87,850	$42.24
   8	Circle K	$83,899	$40.34	545
   9	Kiva	$81,488	$39.18
   10	Jako Enterprises	$80,649	$38.77	2
   11	Coupang	$79,248	$38.10	2
   12	Prada USA Corporation	$76,986	$37.01
   13	Food City	$66,701	$32.07	12
   14	Southern Glazer's	$51,163	$24.60	2
   15	Retail	$51,145	$24.59
   16	Harbor Freight Tools	$43,950	$21.13	928

4. Writing a stock manager job description

   A job description for a stock manager 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 stock manager job description:

   Stock manager job description example

   Chanel Norway is currently looking for a Stock Manager with a passion for upholding operational standards and processes.
   
   The job of a Stock Manager is to support the boutique management and sales team with accurate inventory and ensuring that the flow of goods into and out of the boutique and after sales services are handled in an effective and optimized manner. You understand how to uphold operational standards and processes to deliver the ultimate Chanel experience to the client. The position is expected to be highly organized and must have a strong attention to detail to ensure that all company security policies concerning shipping, receiving, and corrections of inventories is being followed.
   The position is based in Oslo and reports hierarchically to the Fashion Boutique Director.
   
   The Impact You Can Create At CHANEL
   Processing and handling of all boutique's deliveries (internal and external providers), shipments and administration of it, following company standard and procedure.Maintains a neat, organized and well-stocked merchandise area.With direction of Ops Lead, execute the stock cycle count program and annual physical inventory, analyzing results and seeking out discrepancies.Analyzing stock levels, sell through and slow sellers and follow up with management.Responding to incoming phone calls and emails received from CHANEL Clients regarding product requests, after-sales service, complaints, store hours, brand information and repairs follow ups Provide the highest level of customer service by promoting our total after-sale service directives.
   
   You Are Energized By
   The history and heritage of The House of CHANELBeing truly service minded Organize and maintain stock in line with CHANEL expectations Providing After Sales service Support the boutique team and foster a team-centric orientation
   
   Position Requirements
   Minimum 3 years of demonstrated related experience Superior organisation skills and attention to detail with high level accuracy and efficiency.Intermediate to advanced skills in Microsoft Office applications and previous experience in the use of point of sale systems with the ability to use these systems to run reports, manage stock etc.Good oral and written communication skills across all levels of the organisation.Willing to work retail hours, including some weekends when needed and asked from Management.A keen sense of customer service Physical requirements: able to bend, climb ladders, lift and move boxes up to 15kg and from time to time up to 25 kg.Fluent in Norwegian and English
   
   ABOUT CHANEL
   You will become part of an affiliate established in 2016, comprising approximately 110 people across Scandinavia. At CHANEL we offer a unique working environment where you are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and your motivation. At CHANEL, the foundation of the success starts with the employees who defend the values of excellence, creativity, style, and modernity that ensured the originality of Coco Chanel in her time and continue to do so today. Within CHANEL, a true "culture of quality" exists where everyone shares the values of the Brand that they all are proud to represent. CHANEL is a leading luxury goods brand supporting three key businesses: Fashion; Watches and Fine Jewelry; Fragrance and Beauty. Read more on www.chanel.com.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right stock manager 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 stock managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit stock managers 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 stock manager job on Zippia to find and recruit stock manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with stock manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of 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 stock manager

   Once you've found the stock 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 also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new stock 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 stock manager?