What does a department supervisor do?
Department supervisors connect company goals with their team’s daily duties. For example, on a retail sales floor, a Retail Department Supervisor might assign team members to sales zones. Throughout their shift, they might coach a new employee on customer service techniques, handle a customer complaint and check inventory levels for a popular product.
In a manufacturing warehouse, a department supervisor may prioritize production targets and safety. They might lead a pre-shift safety meeting, monitor the packaging line output, address an equipment malfunction and complete a report for the plant manager.
Department supervisor skills and qualifications
Department supervisors generally benefit from good communication, leadership and interpersonal skills, since the position involves earning the team’s respect and guiding them to achieve daily targets.
Skills for your department supervisor job description might include:
- Ability to motivate a team to help employees learn and improve through recognition and rewards
- Communication skills to clearly explain tasks, actively listen to employee concerns and report to upper management, such as department managers
- Organizational skills such as planning, scheduling and prioritizing tasks to help a team meet daily and weekly goals
- Familiarity with company equipment, software, processes and the responsibilities of workers they supervise
Department supervisor experience requirements
You might use a skills-first hiring approach for this role to source both experienced candidates and those new to management. Despite working in non-management roles, quality candidates may excel in their current position and demonstrate leadership abilities.
Formal supervisory experience isn’t always necessary if candidates can show they have the skills to lead others effectively. For example, a candidate may have previously worked as an assembler, teaching colleagues how to use a new power tool. They might apply these mentorship skills to your department supervisor position.
Department supervisor education and training requirements
The department supervisor position doesn’t generally require formal education. You can prioritize a candidate’s work experience and leadership potential over their formal education. Most companies provide leadership training for new supervisors, covering topics such as performance management, conflict resolution, company policies and workplace safety regulations.
Department supervisor salary expectations
According to Indeed Salaries, the average salary for a department supervisor is $49,249 per year. Salaries can vary depending on the industry, team size and company location.
Department supervisor salary expectations
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Common salary:
20.96 HOURLY -
Typical salaries range from
7.25 -42.65 HOURLY - Find more information on Indeed Salaries
*Indeed data –
Job description samples for similar positions
If this department supervisor job description doesn’t align with your company’s needs, you can explore these descriptions for other leadership roles:
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