What Does a Convenience Store Manager Actually Do? (Part 2) — Hiring Staff

Working at Konbini

Hello everyone.

Today, I’d like to continue my series about the work of a Japanese convenience store manager.

In Part 1, I introduced the different responsibilities of a store manager.

This time, I’d like to talk about something many people rarely think about:

👉 how convenience stores hire staff.

Many people imagine convenience stores simply put up a sign and hire whoever applies.

However:

👉 from a manager’s perspective, hiring staff is one of the most important — and sometimes most stressful — parts of running a store.

A bad hiring decision can create problems for months.

Sometimes even years.

So how do convenience stores actually find employees?

From my experience, there are three major methods.

1. Recruitment Posters Outside the Store

The first method is simple:

👉 putting hiring signs outside the store.

Surprisingly:

👉 this works better than many people expect.

There are two major advantages.

Advantage 1: Lower Transportation Costs

People who live nearby are more likely to apply.

This matters more than many people realize.

In Japan, many convenience stores help cover transportation costs for employees.

For example:

If an employee spends 500 yen per round trip and works 20 days per month, the transportation cost becomes:

👉 10,000 yen per month (around $65)

or:

👉 120,000 yen per year (around $800)

For a small business:

👉 this is not a small expense.

Hiring local staff can significantly reduce costs.

Advantage 2: No Advertising Cost

Another major benefit is simple:

👉 recruitment posters are basically free.

Online job websites can be surprisingly expensive.

Depending on the service and advertisement placement:

👉 job ads may cost anywhere from 30,000 yen ($200) to over 200,000 yen ($1,300).

For smaller stores:

👉 this cost matters a lot.

The Disadvantage

However:

👉 hiring local people can sometimes create awkward situations.

If someone who lives nearby applies and is not hired:

👉 people may gossip.

For example:

“Apparently, that convenience store rejected them.”

As a manager:

👉 you sometimes have to think carefully about neighborhood relationships.

In Japan:

👉 local social connections can matter more than people expect.

2. Online Job Websites

The second method is:

👉 online job recruitment websites.

The biggest disadvantage is obvious:

👉 cost.

However, there is one major advantage:

👉 you may attract experienced workers.

This matters because convenience stores are surprisingly complicated workplaces.

Many tasks require experience, such as:

  • register operations
  • stocking procedures
  • food expiration management
  • customer service
  • cleaning standards
  • handling deliveries

In other words:

👉 experienced staff can reduce training time dramatically.

From a manager’s perspective:

👉 this is extremely valuable.

3. Referrals from Existing Staff

The third method is:

👉 referrals from current employees.

Personally:

👉 this was often my favorite method.

Why?

Because:

👉 good employees often introduce good people.

If a responsible and reliable staff member recommends someone:

👉 there is a fairly high chance that person may also be dependable.

There is another reason managers appreciate referrals.

When employees introduce friends or family members:

👉 it often means they feel comfortable working at the store.

As a manager:

👉 that makes you happy.

Because:

👉 it suggests the workplace atmosphere is probably healthy.

The Interview Process

After finding candidates:

👉 the interview stage begins.

In my experience:

👉 referrals often had the highest chance of being hired.

However, in the end:

👉 hiring decisions usually come down to one thing: the individual person.

Someone may appear excellent during an interview.

But:

👉 reality can look completely different once actual work begins.

For that reason:

👉 I always included a one-month trial period in the employment contract.

And yes:

👉 I made sure the employee signed it.

Because honestly:

👉 until someone actually starts working, you never truly know.

In the next article, I’ll talk about one of the hardest parts of convenience store management:

👉 training new staff.

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