The Advantages and Responsibilities of a Shift Manager

Shift Manager Responsibilities
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Advantages of Being a Shift Manager

Shift managers are necessary for both making sure business operations are completed and providing excellent customer service. Often times, shift managers are promoted from within a corporation so they already have familiarity with business operations and an established reputation at a business.

With so many responsibilities to fulfill, there are many advantages to being a shift manager including-

1. Growth potential- A challenging work environment keeps employees engaged and productive in the workplace. With a large variety of tasks to perform every day they work, shift managers have more than enough to do to keep themselves busy.

Shift management provides valuable work experience that can be applicable in a wide variety of careers. Communication, task delegation, and customer service skills are just a few of the skillsets that shift managers must develop in their role. Regardless of what career path you take, a shift manager position will give you useful experience to list on your resume.

2. Higher pay- Part of the shift manager job description is covering for other employees or stepping in to help when a rush occurs. Although this means doing the same tasks as hourly employees, shift managers are compensated more.

This increase in pay makes sense considering that shift managers are responsible for overseeing an entire crew of staff members and holding them accountable. As of 2016, food service managers earn a median annual salary of $50,820. The 75th percentile salary for a food service manager is $66,990, with 25% of food service managers earning even more.

3. Flexibility- An experienced shift manager is very valuable to a business. High demand for competent shift managers provides the opportunity to negotiate hours instead of taking a nine to five shift like many other salaried workers.

Shift Manager Responsibilities

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Shift manager responsibilities range from administrative tasks to helping employees with customer complaint issues. A shift manager may be responsible for-

1. Delegation- Proper delegation of tasks is necessary for a business to run smoothly. A shift manager should assign tasks based on employee skill level and schedule availability. Shift managers must also hold employees accountable for the tasks they were assigned.

For example, an employee who is great at cash handling may be assigned to the cash register while another employee who handles customer complaints may have excellent customer service skills.

2. Inventory- Part of the shift manager job description is to make sure that a business is well stocked and ready for upcoming shifts. Making sure that inventory received is high quality is also important to avoiding customer complaints and negative customer service reviews.

Beyond making sure inventory shipments are high quality, managers should order new products as needed and establish a positive working relationship with other companies involved in the supply chain. Coordination of product delivery with consideration of employee scheduling is crucial to ensuring that there are enough staff members available to receive the shipment.

Always check each area of the store and note where stock needs to be replenished. The task of restocking a certain area can then be delegated to appropriate staff members before any item runs out.

3. Customer experience- Customer service should always be a top priority for any business. Excellent customer service creates loyal customers and keeps customer retention rates high.

For customer complaints that staff members cannot handle themselves, a shift manager should step in. Resolving customer complaints and increasing customer satisfaction requires communication skills and consistently professional behavior.

Remember, the shift manager acts as an example for other staff members and should therefore always make sure to demonstrate excellent customer service capabilities. Additionally, meetings and performance reviews are a great opportunity to reiterate to staff members of the importance of making sure customers have the best experience possible.

4. Communication- Staff members will likely have conflicts or misunderstandings while at your business. A shift manager can help make sure that these disputes are swiftly and properly addressed to avoid a worsening problem that poisons the work environment overall.

Keeping the work environment pleasant and communications clear should be a part of company policies and enforced by shift managers. A high quality shift manager will not only handle disputes as they arise but may even avoid them altogether by checking in frequently with staff members individually and as a team.

5. Cash register duties- The cash register holds the profit a business has obtained throughout the workday. The shift manager is responsible for making sure that all money is accounted for. Cash handling and calculator skills are a necessary requirement for shift managers to possess.

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