How to Hire a Manager

Why hire a manager?

The need for new staff can affect both your existing team and your bottom line. A manager hire can help your business:

• Manage vendor invoices and actively seek ways to control costs
• Plan, hire and train engaged teams
• Collaborate with other teams and departments to break down silos

Deciding between a full-time vs contract manager

Before writing a manager job description or interviewing candidates, decide if you need a full-time, part-time or contract-basis manager (and what your budget will allow).

For example, you may want to hire a manager on a contract basis to help oversee a one-off project or event. If you’re in the retail or restaurant industry, part-time managers can work shorter hours to fill any gaps you may have. You may need a full-time manager, however, if you have employees that need frequent guidance or if you need someone to oversee daily business operations.

What are the types of managers?

When hiring a manager, it’s important to understand the specific kind of manager you need for your business. Whether you need someone to oversee business operations, manage multiple locations or just one small team, there’s a manager for you. Here are some of the most common types of managers to help you find one that meets your needs:

• Area manager: Responsible for managing multiple stores in a certain area. Manages the day-to-day work of staff and collaborates with senior managers.
• Finance manager: Maintains a company’s financial health and manages day-to-day financial planning.
• General manager: Responsible for a department or company’s daily operations, including managing revenue, budgets and costs. In some companies, GMs may be considered top executives. 
• Marketing manager: Implements marketing initiatives and campaigns and typically manages lower-level marketers (e.g., marketing assistants, content writers).
• Restaurant manager: Recruits and hires restaurant staff, ensures food quality, creates restaurant marketing strategies, manages budgets, etc. 
• Shift manager: Typically works in the restaurant or retail industry, overseeing daily operations and assisting the general manager or restaurant manager.

Where to find managers

To find the right manager for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

• Hire from within. Is anyone on your team ready to move up into a manager-level position? Evaluate your current staff and see if there’s anyone who matches your job requirements. Internal promotions can also be a great way to improve team morale and employee satisfaction.
• Ask for referrals: Try asking your current employees if they know anyone who would be a great fit for the role. For example, one of your employees may have had a manager they enjoyed working with at their previous job. 
• Post your job online. Try posting your manager job on Indeed to find and attract qualified chef candidates.

Skills to look for in a great manager

Managers are an essential part of a company. It’s important to note which qualifications and skills are vital for hiring a suitable manager, including:

• Bachelor’s in Business Administration or related field
• More than 3+ years of work experience
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and leadership skills
• Strong negotiation and persuasion skills
• Experience managing budgets and controlling costs

Writing a manager job description

A thoughtful description is important to finding qualified manager candidates. A manager job description includes a compelling summary of the role, a detailed list of duties and responsibilities and the required and preferred skills for the position.

When writing your manager job description, consider including some or all of the following keywords to improve the visibility of your job posting. These are the most popular search terms leading to clicks on manager jobs, according to Indeed data:

• Manager
• Emergency management
• Management
• Restaurant management
• Supervisor
• Hiring immediately
• Restaurant
• Remote work from home
• Retail management

Interviewing manager candidates

To hire a suitable manager, take the time to vet candidates and ask detailed interview questions to understand their knowledge and skills. Strong candidates for manager positions will be confident when answering a variety of questions about the following topics:

• Proficiency in managing  teams to work towards the achievement of goals and objectives
• Past experience in managing vendor relationships and employing cost control techniques
• How they’ve contributed to sales and profit goals of a company

Need help coming up with interview questions? See our list of manager interview questions for examples (with sample answers).