How to hire a vendor

How to hire a vendor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step vendor hiring guide:

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

What does a vendor do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The vendor 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 vendor's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, vendors 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 vendors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Vendor	Description	Hourly rate
   Vendor		$15-40
   Merchandising Representative	Merchandising representatives are professionals who are responsible for providing point-of-purchase and shelf management services to produce sales. These representatives are required to plan and develop merchandising strategies so that they can balance the expectations of customers and the organization's objectives... Show more	$12-19
   Canvasser	A canvasser is responsible for supporting the sales operations by researching the current market trends to know the public demands, sell goods and services, negotiate sales offers to customers, and recommend the organization's product to potential clients through marketing sales pitches. Canvassers must have a broad knowledge of the goods and services of the company to respond with the customers' inquiries and concerns, record recommendations, and improve products' features based on clients' feedbacks... Show more	$14-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Service
   • Stock Merchandise
   • Purchase Orders
   • End Caps
   • Excellent Guest
   • Alcoholic Beverages
   • Inventory Control
   • Sales Floor
   • Safety Standards
   • Pallet Jack
   • POS
   • Stock Shelves
   • Strategic Sourcing

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Attain prime floor display space and provide point of sale (POS) signage.
   • Handle various tasks from cashier, managing supply and back-stock, responsible for ordering merchandise for cereal department.
   • Work directly with local and national retailers to negotiate sales, places orders, and manage deliveries of wine and spirits.
   • Operate hand-held and truck mount RF scanning guns.
   • Stock home depot trees and keep it looking organize.
   • Have also work in the depot loading bread and cake trucks overnight

   More vendor duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, vendors' average salary in hawaii is 67% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level vendors 62% less than senior-level vendors.
   • Certifications. A vendor 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 vendor's salary.

   Average vendor salary

   $52,533yearly

   $25.26 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level vendor salary

   $32,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 29, 2025

   Average vendor salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$84,496	$41
   2	Ohio	$74,827	$36
   3	Virginia	$66,831	$32
   4	Nevada	$66,342	$32
   5	District of Columbia	$59,655	$29
   6	Iowa	$55,262	$27
   7	California	$54,749	$26
   8	Washington	$53,664	$26
   9	Michigan	$52,061	$25
   10	North Carolina	$51,994	$25
   11	Missouri	$51,928	$25
   12	Indiana	$51,696	$25
   13	Georgia	$51,511	$25
   14	Arkansas	$48,450	$23
   15	Colorado	$48,184	$23
   16	Wisconsin	$47,849	$23
   17	Maryland	$47,834	$23
   18	Texas	$45,593	$22
   19	Massachusetts	$45,540	$22
   20	Minnesota	$45,401	$22

   Average vendor salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	DoorDash	$109,175	$52.49
   2	Splunk	$97,406	$46.83
   3	JPMorgan Chase & Co.	$92,799	$44.61
   4	Western Alliance Bank	$85,855	$41.28
   5	Allison Transmission	$82,593	$39.71
   6	Barclays	$80,990	$38.94
   7	V-Soft Consulting	$80,658	$38.78
   8	HSBC Bank	$80,539	$38.72
   9	Los Alamos National Laboratory	$78,826	$37.90
   10	Syngenta	$78,345	$37.67
   11	White Plains Hospital	$73,583	$35.38
   12	Cognizant	$72,651	$34.93
   13	Equifax	$72,090	$34.66
   14	Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria	$71,331	$34.29
   15	Bank of America	$70,581	$33.93
   16	Medline	$68,386	$32.88	4
   17	Applied Industrial Technologies	$67,732	$32.56
   18	Regions Bank	$67,497	$32.45
   19	Amazon	$66,458	$31.95
   20	CommerceHub	$63,349	$30.46

4. Writing a vendor job description

   A vendor 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 vendor job description:

   Vendor job description example

   Macy's is proudly America's Department Store. There's a reason we've been around for 160 years. Customers come to us for fashion, value, and high-quality products. Now is an exciting time to join Macy's. The face of retail is changing, and change requires innovation.

   Online sales are booming at Macy's. Our Distribution Center teams are key to our success in the modern retail landscape. They make sure that products arrive at our stores - and each customer's doorstep - on time, in perfect condition. Behind the scenes, a lot goes into getting products to customers. When a shopper makes an online purchase, we plan, prep, and package the merchandise to get it delivered as quickly and efficiently as possible - across the country and around the world. It takes a lot of smart people working together to make that happen, and so there are many roles you can play, including (but not limited to): material handlers, equipment drivers, inventory control, packers, quality assurance, safety specialists, asset protection, and many more. Whatever role you play - we value you as a colleague. Choose the challenge that's right for you!

   Job Overview

   Perform work duties within the return to vendor department. Operate powered equipment to execute the tasks of picking, validating, packing and shipping of product to return to vendors and the central return centers.

   Essential Functions

   • Complete OSHA required documents/checklists daily.
   • Report all equipment failures, damages, and truck accidents as they occur. Provide feedback to OHS on environmental issues affecting safe equipment operation.
   • Physically count, move boxes and use lifts to accurately perform transfers of warehouse items.

   · Scheduling trailers for pick-up as well as systemic transactions that will move inventory between locations.

   Perform root-cause analysis and provide consistent feedback on inventory issues to Supervisor and/or management

   • Research and reconcile all shortages and overages.
   • Research and locate missing product.
   • Completion of the daily task list.
   • Train in all Cycle Counting functions.
   • Environment where noise level is moderately high; Loading product onto trailers on the dock in in which they will be exposed to the outside temperature.

   · Work on elevated platforms and conveyor systems.

   • Any other function management deems essential.
   • Regular, dependable attendance & punctuality.

   Qualifications and Competencies

   • High School or GED

   • Ability to read and interpret instructional documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedural manuals

   • Resourceful self-starter, works well independently as well as part of a team

   • Must be proficient in the use of computers and handheld technology

   • Ability to work a flexible schedule with retail hours, including day, evening, weekends, and/or holidays

   Physical Requirements

   • Position requires prolonged periods of standing/walking around store or department

   • May involve reaching, crouching, kneeling, stooping, climbing ladders, depth perception and color vision

   • Frequent use of computers and other technology necessary to perform job duties, including handheld electronic equipment.

   • Frequently lift/move up to 50lbs

   Supply Chain Only and Colleagues Working in a Supply Chain Facility except in locations governed by a Collective Bargaining Agreement:

   Random drug testing for all colleagues will be conducted on a monthly or semi-monthly basis, depending upon factors including but not limited to the size of the facility and the number of colleagues on roll. Colleagues will be randomly selected for testing by a third party. Testing must be completed on the same workday the colleague is informed of selection for testing, absent extenuating circumstances. In all circumstances, testing must be completed within 24 hours of notification.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

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

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting vendors 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.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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 vendor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the vendor 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.

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

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