EXAMPLES OF JOB TITLES
- Head cashier
- Sales team leader
- Sales manager
- Supervisor
JOB DESCRIPTION
Of a higher hierarchical level than sales staff and cashiers, supervisors manage personnel by hiring, training and coordinating their activities. They delegate and distribute tasks to various sectors, as well as work schedules.
They are also jointly in charge of resolving customer complaints and merchandise shortages.
Day-to-day tasks include the following:
- Supervising and coordinating staff activities
- Hiring and training sales staff
- Authorizing payments by cheque and the return of merchandise
- Selling merchandise to customers
- Maintaining sufficient inventory and ordering merchandise
- Preparing reports regarding sales volumes, merchandising and personnel matters
WHAT THE PROS SAY: WILLIAM, SUBWAY SUPERVISOR
“The most important thing in this job is to be responsible and to have leadership skills to motivate the troops!” explains William, a supervisor for the Subway fast food chain. Personnel management is a key task in managing a retail business, and requires tact, organization and authority.”
“I’m there to help employees, in their professional tasks as well as in achieving a work/personal life balance, by arranging their use of time, for example. I don’t hesitate to talk to them, and to lend an ear to understand their needs and motivate them. Supervisors are there to guide their employees, while allowing them to be independent.”
It’s a challenging job, often requiring many hours on the job. Often Williams gives his team a head by taking a turn at the cash register, but also in directly assisting the store manager to manage the store. “It’s a very stimulating job, where you need to have a lot of energy, be able to spot problems and tackle them. It’s never boring,” he says.