How to Hire a Store Manager

Hiring a Retail Store Manager

Retail has been facing challenges for years, including the rise of online shopping and, more recently, a global pandemic. However, while brick-and-mortar stores are in a crucial period of change, they are unlikely to disappear completely any time soon. This is why having a capable and knowledgeable manager at the helm of your store is vital for its success.

A store manager oversees all the aspects of running a store and keeping it successful, even if they’re not directly involved with each piece every day. Sometimes, they will have assistant managers for each department, giving them the information needed to make sound decisions. But in other cases, it’s just the manager and their associates making the store work.

Regardless of how many employees they’re managing, though, their tasks will be the same. Here are a few of the many responsibilities that a manager oversees at a store:

Handling inventory and ordering merchandise
Hiring, training, and directing employees
Improving sales
Increasing foot traffic
Overseeing payroll
Opening and closing the store
Optimizing store layout
Providing excellent customer service

As you can see, a store’s success ultimately falls on the manager’s shoulders, and they must be able to handle that responsibility.

Highest Education Level

Store Managers offer the following education background

Bachelor's Degree (41.3%)

High School or GED (20.9%)

Associate's Degree (13.4%)

Master's Degree (11.9%)

Vocational Degree or Certification (8.1%)

Some College (2.9%)

Doctorate Degree (1.0%)

Some High School (0.6%)

Licensing and Certification

Store Managers offer the following licenses and certifications
- - ServSafe Certified
- - OSHA Certified
Qualifications / Skills

The following top skills are often required or desired to land a Store Manager position

Hardlines, Store Operations, Replenishing, Manager Training, Bank Deposits, Sales Growth, Store Management, Merchandising, Talent Development, Guest Service, Expense Control, Point-of-Sale System, Retail Management, Cash Management, Complaint Resolution

Average Work Experience

Here's a breakdown of the years of experience offered by Store Managers

4-6 years (36.0%)

2-4 years (20.6%)

None (18.7%)

Less than 1 year (18.3%)

1-2 years (3.6%)

6-8 years (1.5%)

8-10 years (0.8%)

10+ years (0.5%)

Requirements to Be a Store Manager

So, how can you tell if a candidate will make a great store manager? While it would be nice to find someone who is an expert in all aspects of your business, it’s extremely unlikely that you’ll be able to. In general, you’ll find that most store managers have a bachelor’s degree and 4–8 years of experience behind them, but that doesn’t mean that you should only hire people with those qualifications. Instead, you’ll want to look for certain soft skills as well as a solid background in your store’s particular industry.

In terms of soft skills needed, the number one trait a manager needs in order to succeed is an aptitude for leadership. That’s vague and hard to define though, so you will need to break it down. For store managers, leadership means communicating efficiently with staff and customers, maintaining a positive work environment, and juggling all the different departments under their control. Your store manager should also be detail-oriented, meaning they feel comfortable with tasks like handling store finances, memorizing product information, and scheduling employees.

Should You Promote From Within for a Store Manager?

Experience is the next most important quality behind the soft skills mentioned above. However, you may wonder if it’s better to promote from within or go with an outside hire with a few more years behind them. Both options have their pros and cons, but if possible, hiring from within will usually be the smarter choice. Not only will you have to spend less time and money getting the new manager up to speed on how things work at your store, but promoting from within can also have a positive impact on employee retention by showing other employees there is a path for advancement.

If you don’t have any qualified candidates already at your store, going with an outside hire isn’t bad. Just make sure their experience is relevant to your store, and they show the same values that your company does. And regardless of whether you promote from within or hire from outside the company, you want to know you can trust your store managers. So be sure to run a background check and call their references to remove any doubts you might have.

Store Manager Salary Data

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics and iHire’s salary data, the national average salary for a store manager is just above $44,000, or about $22.50/hour. However, your location and the size of your business may cause the salary required to attract top talent to increase or decrease.

Be sure to use our free Salary Research Tool to determine a fair salary in your area.

Sample Store Manager Job Posting

Salary isn’t the only thing that will attract the best store managers to apply to your opening. A well-written and enticing job ad is needed to really sell the position. Use the following sample store manager job posting to get started, and keep in mind the basics of what makes a great job ad when creating your own.

Store Manager

XYZ Retail Store is looking for a detail-oriented and experienced Store Manager to ensure that sales targets are met, and customers are satisfied with their service. The Store Manager will oversee a hard-working and energetic workforce while also hiring and training new staff, scheduling shifts, and managing the store’s monthly budget.

We’re seeking a successful retail manager who can multitask and has experience managing similarly sized stores in the XYZ industry. In addition, you will bring excellent customer service and leadership skills.

Retail Manager Responsibilities:

Hiring, training, and directing employees
Ensuring customer service is excellent
Opening and/or closing the store
Handling inventory and ordering merchandise
Improving sales and increasing foot traffic
Overseeing payroll
Optimizing store layout

Retail Manager Requirements:

A bachelor’s degree in business management or related field
4+ years of experience in retail
Excellent interpersonal skills
Natural leadership abilities
Ability to juggle multiple tasks and departments

Benefits for Store Managers

Don’t skimp on the benefits when trying to attract the best store managers. Remember, this person will be directing the entire store, and their benefits should match that responsibility. Usually, that means more PTO, a better retirement plan, and health/vision/dental insurance. But if you really want to stand out, you should consider offering benefits like flexible schedules, tuition reimbursement, and bonuses for exceeding KPIs.

Store Manager Interview Questions

Your aim when interviewing for a store manager position is to determine how well the candidate is able to manage employees and handle difficult situations, while also making sure they’ll fit with your company culture. For that reason, ask a mix of behavioral and situational interview questions to get a feel for how they react to different circumstances. Use these sample store manager interview questions to get you started:

What training have you received in management or leadership?
Which businesses have you managed previously? Alternatively, have you managed a team within a business before?
How do you set sales goals, and how do you ensure those goals are met?
Have you ever failed to meet goals? How did you handle the situation?
Have you ever had an underperforming employee? How did you resolve the situation?
What are the best personality traits a retail store manager should have?
How do you keep your employees motivated? Can you provide examples?
What would your strategy be for turning a profit on a specific product that hasn't sold well at this store?