How To Become a Walmart Team Lead: Step-by-Step Guide
Learn about the steps important to pursuing a career as a Walmart team lead, including education, skills, salary and more.
Working as a team lead at Walmart can be a very rewarding experience. You get to help lead a team of associates and help contribute to the success of the store. In order to become a team lead at Walmart, you must first meet the minimum requirements and then complete an application and interview process. In this article, we will discuss the steps you need to take to become a Walmart team lead.
What Does a Walmart Team Lead Do?
Walmart team leads are responsible for managing a team of associates in a Walmart store. They may be responsible for a specific department or area of the store, such as the electronics department or the garden center. Team leads typically report to the store manager and their duties include:
- Supervising and coaching a team of associates
- Ensuring that customers have a positive shopping experience
- Helping associates with tasks and answering their questions
- Delegating tasks to associates and ensuring they are completed in a timely manner
- Monitoring sales numbers and working to meet department goals
- Maintaining cleanliness and organization in the department
- Unloading trucks and stocking shelves
- Processing customer returns and handling customer complaints
- Completing paperwork and other administrative tasks
Walmart Team Lead Salary and Job Outlook
The average salary for a Walmart team lead is $54,075 per year. However, this figure can vary based on the location of the store, the size of the team, and the specific duties of the position.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects job prospects for retail salespersons to decline over the next decade. This might result from an increase in the number of customers who choose to fulfill their shopping needs online rather than visiting a brick-and-mortar store.
How to Become a Walmart Team Lead
Here are several steps you should take to become a Walmart team lead.
1. Complete a high school diploma or equivalent
Walmart team leads typically have a high school diploma or equivalent. If you are currently in high school, consider taking courses in business, math and computer applications to help prepare you for this role. You may also want to consider joining your school’s retail club or participate in an internship at a local store to gain experience and build your resume.
2. Gain experience working in customer service or retail sales
Walmart team leads typically have at least one to three years of experience working in a retail environment. Entry-level positions such as cashier, sales associate or customer service representative are all good places to start building your experience and skills for a career as a Walmart team lead.
Working in these roles can help you develop the interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work with other employees and customers. It can also give you an understanding of how inventory management works and how to keep track of stock levels.
3. Develop strong leadership and interpersonal skills
Walmart team leads are responsible for supervising and training their employees. As such, it is important that you develop strong leadership skills to effectively manage your staff. You should also have excellent interpersonal skills so that you can interact with customers and employees in a positive manner.
You may be required to train new hires on the company’s policies and procedures. This will help ensure that all of your associates are following Walmart standards. You may also need to conduct performance evaluations to make sure that your employees are meeting these standards.
4. Be able to work a flexible schedule, including nights and weekends
Walmart team leads often work shifts that are outside of normal business hours. This may include working evenings, weekends or holidays. If you want to become a Walmart team lead, it is important to be flexible with your schedule and willing to work these types of hours.
If you have experience as a shift manager at another retail store, this can also help you qualify for the position of Walmart team lead.
5. Take initiative to solve problems and provide excellent customer service
Walmart team leads are responsible for ensuring that their store runs smoothly and that customers have a positive shopping experience. If there is an issue with the products or services offered in your store, you need to take initiative and find solutions to these problems. You also need to make sure that all associates are providing excellent customer service.
For example, if you notice that one of your cashiers seems stressed or has a negative attitude, you should step in and help them resolve the situation. You can also provide additional training to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
6. Be able to lift heavy objects and stand for long periods of time
Walmart team leads are required to lift and move large boxes of merchandise, which can weigh up to 50 pounds. They may also be required to stand for long periods of time while supervising employees or customers in the store. Because of these physical requirements, it is important that you stay in good health and physically fit to become a Walmart team lead.
7. Have good communication skills
Walmart team leads must be able to communicate effectively with their employees and customers. Walmart team leads may need to speak in public or present information to a large group of people, so it is important that they practice their speaking skills before such an opportunity arises. They should also have excellent listening skills to ensure they are meeting the needs of their employees and customers.
