How to hire shoe machine operators and tenders
A job description you can copy, interview questions tied to the real work, and what to pay. Free.
Job description template
Copy it, fill in the brackets, and remove anything that does not fit your job. Keep only must-haves you would really turn someone away for.
[Job title] at [Company name] [City, State] · [Full-time / Part-time] · [Pay range] About the role [Two or three sentences about your team, the work and why it matters.] What you will do • Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles. • Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles. • Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications. • Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts. • Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles. • Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels. • Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used. • Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls. What you bring • [Required license, certification or years of experience, if any] • [Education, only if you truly need it. Typical to start in this job: High school diploma or equivalent] • Strong reading comprehension, active listening, critical thinking and monitoring skills • [Anything else you would really turn someone away for] Pay and benefits [Pay range]. For reference, the U.S. median for this job is $17.14 an hour ($35,650 a year). [Benefits, schedule and anything else candidates should know.] How to apply [Apply on JAI Bot. Every applicant hears back.]
Interview questions for shoe machine operators and tenders
Ask every candidate the same questions, in the same order, and write down what they say. Questions about past work show what someone has actually done.
- Tell me about a time you had to align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about a time you had to operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts. What did you do, and how did it turn out?
- Tell me about written instructions, a policy or a manual you had to follow closely. How did you make sure you followed it correctly?
- Tell me about a time you had to understand a request or problem that was explained poorly. How did you make sure you got it right?
- Describe a decision at work where the obvious answer was wrong. How did you work out the better choice?
- Why this job, and why now? What would make you stay here for the long term?
Good answers name a real situation, what the person did themselves and what happened. Avoid questions about age, family plans, religion, health, national origin or anything else unrelated to the job.
What shoe machine operators and tenders do
- Align parts to be stitched, following seams, edges, or markings, before positioning them under needles.
- Draw thread through machine guide slots, needles, and presser feet in preparation for stitching, or load rolls of wire through machine axles.
- Inspect finished products to ensure that shoes have been completed according to specifications.
- Operate or tend machines to join, decorate, reinforce, or finish shoes and shoe parts.
- Perform routine equipment maintenance such as cleaning and lubricating machines or replacing broken needles.
- Remove and examine shoes, shoe parts, and designs to verify conformance to specifications such as proper embedding of stitches in channels.
- Study work orders or shoe part tags to obtain information about workloads, specifications, and the types of materials to be used.
- Switch on machines, lower pressure feet or rollers to secure parts, and start machine stitching, using hand, foot, or knee controls.
Skills that matter most
Education, experience and outlook for shoe machine operators and tenders
- Typical education to start: High school diploma or equivalent (BLS)
- Related work experience most have: None (O*NET)
- Training on the job: Short-term on-the-job training (BLS)
- Job outlook: -6.9% over ten years, declining · about 400 openings a year (BLS)
What to pay shoe machine operators and tenders
Pay depends a lot on where the job is. Highest and lowest median yearly pay by state:
| State | Median yearly pay |
|---|---|
| Maine | $39,850 |
| Texas | $26,560 |
See shoe machine operators and tenders pay in every state
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Post a job freePay by areaJob duties and skills: O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license; O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. JAI Bot has modified this information; USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. Pay: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS, May 2025. Interview questions and the job description template: JAI Bot, based on the duties and skills above.