- 1,731supervisor and team leader jobs on our site
- 36employers hiring, in retail and hospitality
- £13.05–£18.00typical top hourly rate in adverts that show pay
- 14 of 35employers we sampled talk about progression
What Does a Supervisor Do?
Supervisors and team leaders work alongside the team and lead it at the same time. We read 92 adverts from 35 employers on our site. These are the parts of the job they mentioned most.
- Leading the shiftOrganising and motivating the team so the shift runs smoothly. Mentioned by 32 of the 35 employers.
- Customer serviceSetting the standard for service and sorting out problems. Mentioned by 30 of the 35.
- Stock and deliveriesKeeping shelves, bars and kitchens stocked, and taking in deliveries. Mentioned by 22 of the 35.
- Sales and targetsHelping the store or restaurant hit its targets. Mentioned by 18 of the 35.
- Coaching the teamTraining colleagues on the job and giving feedback. Mentioned by 15 of the 35.
- Safety and complianceHealth and safety, food safety and company procedures. Mentioned by 13 of the 35.
You'll often take on management jobs too. 10 of the 35 mention opening and closing or holding the keys, 6 mention rotas and 5 mention cash handling. In 6 of them, you take charge when the manager isn't there.
One restaurant chain describes its supervisors as the people in between the management team and the team members, learning what it's like to be a manager.
Where You Could Work
Supervisor and team leader jobs on our site are in:
- Pubs and pub restaurants, the largest group by far, including kitchen team leaders.
- Restaurants and quick service restaurants.
- Coffee shops and bakeries.
- Shops of every kind: DIY, fashion, beauty, homeware, opticians and discount stores.
- Cafés inside shops and supermarkets.
- Hotels and inns.
- Airports, including luxury retail and airline catering.
Do You Need Experience?
It depends on the employer. Some promote from the team. A coffee chain wants experience as a team leader or someone ready to step into the role. A discount store needs retail experience and says leadership experience is a bonus, not essential.
Others want supervising experience already. A restaurant group asks for at least a year as a supervisor or team leader. A fashion retailer wants a retail supervisor, or a senior sales assistant ready to progress.
Some jobs need specialist knowledge, such as optical experience for a team leader in an opticians, or a passion for make-up in a beauty store. Airport jobs can need five years of references and a criminal record check.
What Employers Look For
How many of the 35 employers mention each quality in their adverts:
Leading by example comes up again and again. A typical advert wants someone who gets stuck in with the team and keeps it calm and organised when things get busy.
What Does a Supervisor Earn?
£13.05–£18.00an hour
That's the spread of typical top hourly rates across the 23 employers whose adverts show an hourly rate at or above the National Living Wage. The middle of that spread is £13.85.
- The top rates include tips in some restaurants. 8 of the 35 employers mention tronc, tips or service charge. One restaurant group says its supervisors can earn £2 to £4 an hour on top of their pay.
- Some jobs pay a supplement. One supermarket pays its team leaders the retail assistant rate plus £2 an hour for the time they run a shift.
- A few pay a salary. Three employers advertise yearly salaries of £27,477 to £33,300.
Look beyond the pay as well. Of the 35 employers, 27 mention a staff discount, 20 a pension and 10 free food on shift.
Where It Can Lead
This is where a management career starts. One retailer calls its supervisor job the gateway to management. Others name the next step: assistant manager, assistant store manager, then store manager. The ladder on our site:
- Supervisor or Team Leader: running a shift or a section.
- Duty Manager or Shift Manager: managing the site on your shift. Read our Duty Manager guide.
- Assistant or Deputy Manager: second in charge. Read our Assistant Store Manager guide.
- Store, Restaurant or General Manager: running the whole site. Read our Store Manager guide.
Job Titles to Search For
- Team Leader
- Supervisor
- Shift Supervisor
- Kitchen Team Leader
- Retail Supervisor
- Key Holder
- Assistant Manager
How to Get Started
- Step up where you are. If you're already on the team, ask about training to lead shifts or hold the keys.
- Show you can lead. Have examples of times you trained someone, sorted out a problem or kept a busy shift running.
- Upload your CV. Employers can then find you as well as the other way round.
- Prepare for the interview. Read our 20 common interview questions before the day.
Ready to step up?
Find supervisor and team leader jobs in shops, pubs, restaurants and cafés.