Build a Staff Hiring Plan That Gets You Hired Fast (2026)

Build a staff hiring plan that speeds up recruiting, streamlines interviews, and simplifies onboarding. Start hiring the right people today.

Interviewing is easier (and faster) when your staff hiring plan includes a simple, repeatable process.

This post was authored by our friends at Homebase, who provide scheduling software for business owners.

What if your next great hire didn’t depend on luck—or a last-minute scramble? A clear staff hiring plan helps you recruit, interview, and onboard faster so you can stay fully staffed through seasonal peaks, turnover, expanded hours, or a new store opening.

Key Takeaways

• Build a staff hiring plan that’s repeatable: define roles, standardize interviews, and document onboarding so you can hire quickly without sacrificing quality.
• Make virtual hiring frictionless: use familiar video tools and a paperless document workflow to reduce drop-off and speed up time-to-hire.
• Write job posts that filter for fit: use clear titles, minimum requirements, and plain language to attract qualified applicants (and discourage mismatches).
• Start recruiting before you’re desperate: keep a warm pipeline of candidates so you can move straight to final interviews and offers when a shift opens up.

In the Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index (Wave 42, Nov. 2021), 54% of Americans said they had visited a non-grocery retail store in the last month. For a more current view of retail demand, use ongoing retail sales reporting (for example, the U.S. Census Bureau retail sales releases) to track how consumer spending is trending in your category and region, then plan staffing levels accordingly.

If you own or manage a business, your staffing strategy likely includes hiring new employees and setting up a scheduling strategy that works for everyone involved. Using the right tools to optimize these critical business processes can set you up for success as you serve customers and grow.

Create an easy hiring experience

When hiring, it’s important to not only find top talent for your retail shop, but also to do so quickly to keep operations running smoothly.

Keep virtual hiring simple for candidates

Today’s recruitment processes should be as contactless as possible. Having a plan and the right technology installed is key to conducting successful interview, training, and onboarding experiences.

If you don’t already have an online program that can help with all of these buckets, find one. Your candidates have most likely gotten pretty comfortable with doing everything virtually. Showing you can adapt to virtual hiring can help you attract qualified candidates.

The first step in implementing the right technology is to ensure your video interviewing strategy is easy for the candidate to participate in—meaning the login process is simple, and there aren’t too many bells and whistles to confuse them.

It’s also preferable if they don’t have to download any type of new software, so well-known platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, or even Facetime are great options.

Go paperless with documents and onboarding

Next you’ll need to implement a virtual process for sending and receiving documents. When hiring someone virtually, your candidates and new hires will need to send legally required paperwork back and forth to complete the process.

Hiring and onboarding software, like Homebase, can help transition your business to a paperless environment and make it easier to complete the hiring process without having the candidate step foot in your location.

With an automated onboarding system, your new employees will receive a welcome packet containing all the necessary documents that need to be signed. You can also include any extra paperwork you’d like them to complete.

They can then e-sign every form, and send it back to you. Once everyone has finished signing the documents, the software can securely store them for you.

Terracotta, a Houston plant boutique, uses hiring tools to streamline onboarding and paperwork.

Businesses like Houston-based plant boutique Terracotta have seen the benefits of Shopify partner Homebase’s hiring tools first hand.

I really like how it streamlines the hiring process. It makes onboarding easy…I really appreciate how it makes my job easier.

Eben Forrest, Owner, Terracotta

Write a meaningful job post

A hastily written job post benefits no one. Inadequate job postings can result in under-qualified applicants, and the right applicant may be overlooked because they did not highlight their more relevant work experiences on their application.

Instead, write a job description that contains your minimum requirements for the role. This will reduce the number of applicants who don’t meet your needs and boost the amount of applicants who have work experience relevant to your open position.

According to research from Indeed, “most people search for roles that match their skills and experience, and so, using terms like ‘ninja’ and ‘rockstar’ in job titles and descriptions can confuse job seekers and put them off from applying.” Avoid using gimmicky words in the title to stand out, because oftentimes it could have the opposite effect.

You should also focus on providing clarity and accuracy in the description of the role itself. Candidates may be turned off by industry-specific jargon and confusing phrases they might not understand if they’re not already on the job.

Use clear titles and minimum requirements to filter applicants

Here’s an example of a bad job description:

“We’re looking for a rockstar retail sales-increasing ninja who can navigate the labyrinth of customers while managing the rest of the staff as they do other things like restock shelves and clean the store. This employee will also serve as an ambassador for their co-workers and manage the schedule for every employee.”

Now, here’s a good example of a description for the same job:

“We’re looking for a retail manager who can lead the sales team, create employee schedules, and ensure the staff is completing their tasks on a daily basis.”

Start looking now

Waiting until you’re fully staffed to begin your hiring process and fill empty roles will result in lost time and missed opportunities. Hold initial interviews online, check references on potential new hires, and line up a list of the best candidates. This way, when you’re ready to bring someone on, you can focus on final interviews and job offers.

Standardize interview questions (and stay compliant)

Once you’ve found great candidates to interview, the next step is to draft a list of questions. Be careful, there are several laws around what you can and cannot ask during an interview in order to prevent discrimination.

Here is a safe and creative list of questions to help get you started:

• What would you do in a difficult work situation?
• You’re behind schedule and a client or employee needs your help—how do you respond?
• Tell me about yourself.
• How do you think your previous employer would rate you from 1-10?
• Can you teach me something in 5 minutes?

Plan ahead for seasonal hiring and minors

A chunk of candidates currently looking for jobs will also include minors on the hunt for a summer position. While it’s great to have an influx of eager workers coming in when you need them the most, things get a bit more complex and strict when it comes to child labor laws.

LEARN MORE: Our partners at Homebase wrote a great blog post on the 7 tips for hiring minors that you can reference.

Hire for culture fit, not just credentials

Also consider workplace culture in your hiring decision. A candidate’s ability to fit into the culture you’ve worked hard to cultivate among your team is arguably just as important as their qualifications. When you put too much weight on a candidate’s qualifications, you might overlook other key personality traits.

Determining if a candidate fits into your culture starts with asking the right questions in the interview:

• Describe your ideal work environment.
• Tell me about your preferred work style
• How would coworkers describe your work style?
• What characteristics make the best boss/manager?
• Describe a work environment in which you’d be unhappy.

It’s also a good idea to include your existing employees in the interview process—they are the main drivers of your workplace culture after all. Choose a few leaders among your team to have a conversation with your favorite candidates and give them the opportunity to provide feedback on who they think would be the best fit. Doing so will also show your existing employees that you value their opinion.

Revamp your benefits package to attract and keep great staff

The pandemic changed employee expectations around benefits—especially paid time off, health coverage, and mental health support. In 2026, the most effective approach is to review what your team values, benchmark against roles you compete with locally, and prioritize benefits you can sustain long term.

SKIP NOTE: The article previously cited a “recent study” for “1 in 4 business owners…” and “around 40% of surveyed employers…”. Those exact figures can’t be verified from the provided National Alliance link in this editing environment, so the specific percentages have been removed to avoid publishing unverified stats.

Mental health benefits remain a common area of focus for employers, but the specific “53% of employers…” figure in the original copy can’t be verified against the provided 2023 GlobeNewswire release in this editing environment. If you want to include a current percentage, replace this sentence with a verified metric from a 2024–2026 benefits survey (and cite it directly).

Job seekers have had time to think about what they need in terms of benefits, and offering the right package could be the deciding factor between your business and a position elsewhere. Take a look at what you currently provide and determine if you can afford to make any improvements.

To better understand how much you can afford to offer, you can view this helpful resource to learn more about the financial aspects of each benefit bucket.

Turn these tips into a repeatable staff hiring plan

To make the most of your hiring process, utilize the tips mentioned above:

• Create an easy hiring experience with simple virtual tools
• Write a clear, concise job description
• Make the most of your interview with questions focused on not only the employee’s work style but also their culture fit
• Revamp your benefits package to fit the needs of today’s workforce

Adapting your hiring practices to fit your business needs as well as the needs of today’s job seekers can make your staffing plan more effective. Optimize your staff hiring plan, then put a repeatable onboarding and scheduling process in place so new hires can contribute quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included in a staff hiring plan?

• Job Description: A clear definition of the position, including duties, responsibilities, and qualifications.
• Recruitment Strategy: A plan for attracting and sourcing qualified candidates, such as online job postings, employee referrals, and job fairs.
• Selection Process: A step-by-step guide for evaluating and selecting the best candidate, including how to conduct interviews and check references.
• Onboarding: A plan for introducing the new hire to the company, including training and orientation.
• Follow-up: A strategy for checking in with the new hire and providing support during the transition period.

What is a staff plan?

A staff plan is a document or strategy outlining the staffing requirements of an organization. It is used to ensure that all staff members have the necessary skills and experience to fulfill their roles and that the organization has the right number of employees to achieve its objectives. It may also include information on recruitment and training, job descriptions, job evaluations, and performance management.

Why do you need a hiring plan for retail?

A hiring plan helps you fill shifts faster, keep the candidate experience consistent, and reduce costly last-minute staffing gaps. It also supports fair, repeatable hiring practices and helps you stay aligned with applicable labor laws and interview guidelines.

How do you make the hiring process faster without lowering quality?

Standardize your job post, screening steps, and interview questions so every candidate is evaluated the same way. Use familiar video tools and a paperless onboarding workflow to cut delays, then keep a shortlist of “ready” candidates for when roles open.

What are alternatives to virtual interviews for retail hiring?

If virtual interviews aren’t ideal for a role, consider structured phone screens, short in-store interviews during low-traffic hours, or a paid working interview where legally appropriate. Whatever format you choose, keep the steps consistent so your staff hiring plan stays fair and repeatable.

Put your staff hiring plan into action

When you make hiring easier for candidates, write clearer job posts, and start recruiting before you’re short-staffed, you’ll fill roles faster and protect the customer experience. Next, pick one improvement you can implement this week—standardize your interview questions, switch to a paperless document flow, or refresh your benefits package based on what your team actually values.

Ready to turn this into a system you can run on repeat? Build your staff hiring plan around tools that simplify hiring, onboarding, and scheduling—then take the next step by trying Homebase from the Shopify App Store so you can hire the right people faster and keep shifts covered as you grow.