Shift Supervisor Job Description

As the name suggests, the main job of a shift supervisor is to supervise the work and activities of the workers, and ensure that they perform their duty while following the laid down procedures, to meet the individual, group and company goals. A shift supervisor is a very important professional in the retail industry as well as in a manufacturing unit, as customer satisfaction is directly dependent on the quality of goods, which these people make sure is adhered to. Here, we will discuss in detail, the basic supervisor duties in both these industries.

Job Description of a Shift Supervisor

Manufacturing Unit
In a manufacturing unit, the main job of a shift supervisor is to ensure smooth production line operations, which meet the plant's policies, procedures and the shift production goals. For this, a shift supervisor conducts employee training on the laid standard operating procedures (SOP). He makes their weekly and daily schedule and delegates work. When they are performing the work, he supervises them and ensures that the quality standards are being met. To maintain quality specifications, a shift supervisor has the authority to reject the products manufactured during the shift which do not meet the product specifications laid down by the company.

A shift supervisor co-ordinates with other departments to ensure that the flow of production is maintained. For instance, if the staff under him is less, he reports it to the human resource department. A shift supervisor is himself involved in the recruitment of workers. A shift supervisor is also involved in employee performance reviews and thus, plays a major role in his worker's increments. Employee leave, planning for back-up employees, shift rotation, employee attendance - all come under the job description.

A shift supervisor in a manufacturing unit has to communicate on a daily basis with the plant manager and fellow shift supervisors. For communicating with his subordinates, he conducts daily shift meetings. Safety of his workers is one of his prime responsibilities and for this a supervisor ensures that workplace safety standards are met.

Retail Industry
In the retail industry, a shift supervisor is a link between the store manager and the workers under him. If it's a big retail store, generally there are a number of shift supervisors who report to the floor manager. He ensures that each worker under him is performing his designated duties so that the customers of the store feel satisfied. For this, he should have good communication, organizational, planning and leadership skills. A supervisor delegates work to his subordinates, he inspects when the work is being done, ensures that it is completed on time and sees that it's quality is in accordance to the standards set by the company. Training of the people who work under him, recruitment and selection of new people are some of the major supervisor responsibilities.

A shift supervisor needs to coordinate with other departments so that there is smooth functioning of the store operations. Inventory management, preparing weekly schedule of workers, allotting them work, opening and closing the store (if it's a small store), taking care of customer complaints - all fall under the purview of a retail shift supervisor's job duties. A shift supervisor in the retail industry has to work on weekends or sometimes in the night as well. A major part of his day is spent on the floor, supervising his subordinates. Sometimes, he may have to fill in for a worker in case he is on leave and perform the same duties as his subordinates.

More than education qualifications, it is on-the-job experience and employee management skills that count for a person to get promoted and become a shift supervisor. That's why, usually companies promote their most efficient and experienced worker as a shift supervisor, someone who knows the nitty gritty of the job at hand. As far as education is concerned, a high school diploma and the ability to read, write and speak well is a prerequisite. Knowledge of the organizational processes, ability to lead and get the work done are the prime requirements to be successful in this profession.