Employment at Harbor Freight
Since 1977, Harbor Freight has grown from a family-owned business to one of the country’s leading chains for hardware and construction supplies. Their company objective is to sell tools at the absolute lowest prices and provide the greatest customer service in the hardware industry. The company provides great work opportunities for those who love the construction and building environment. They also hire for many positions on a regular basis.
Completing the Harbor Freight application is time-consuming, but this article will show you how. We will provide a comprehensive guide to the Harbor Freight application process, the company’s culture and work environment and important details for potential candidates.
Harbor Freight Application
To put it mildly, Harbor Freight’s website could use updates in several areas. Like many other large corporations, their landing page features an outdated design that makes it difficult to find important information. However, if you’re keeping a close eye on the page’s small text, you can find the company’s career portal located near the bottom of the viewable page.
On the career portal, candidates must choose between the following areas:
Retail Positions
These are the day-to-day positions that keep the Harbor Freight company moving. The company does most of its business in the retail environment, and positions in this area are responsible for seeing that customers have a positive shopping experience. Candidates in this field should prepare extensively for customer service situations, and they should be adept at working as part of a team.
- Cashier
- Logistics Manager
- Loader / Unloader
Corporate
The corporate retail scene varies widely between every major company, but Harbor Freight’s corporate employees are very close to the ground. In fact, it’s not uncommon to see these employees going in and out of retail locations. these employees do a lot of their work behind the scenes, but team skills are just as important here as anywhere else. Meetings are a huge part of the Harbor Freight corporate employee’s day.
- Benefits Specialist
- Marketing Manager
- Payroll Coordinator
Distribution Center
Harbor Freight has several distribution centers throughout the Southern United States, and each one is constantly moving. This part of the company never sleeps, and jobs here are plentiful. This department is for employees who want a unique schedule and enjoy working around cargo of all kinds. In many cases, applicants in this department must be in good physical shape.
- Product Category Manager
- Truck Driver
- Delivery Specialist
Quality Control
Last is the company’s quality control department. These employees are the middle ground between corporate, retail and distribution center. It’s common to see these employees in all areas of the Harbor Freight corporation. They are the ones who assure that business is moving along properly.
- E-commerce Analyst
- Product Owner
- Quality Assurance Specialist
These are only the most popular positions in each of the company’s departments. If you look online, there are many more opportunities for each category. It’s also possible to submit more than one Harbor Freight application and to apply for positions in different departments. It should also be noted that Harbor Freight does a lot of its hiring from within. Landing a job in one department may lead to opportunities in another.
After landing on the Harbor Freight career portal, finding your desired job is as follows:
- Select your desired department. Most entry-level positions will exist within the retail or distribution center categories.
- A new window will appear with all the jobs in that department. View some of the top options on the list.
- If none of the top options are relevant to your job search, narrow the search by job title or location.
- After finding a more relevant job, read through the job description to gain an understanding of the position’s day-to-day routine.
- Click “Apply Now”. This will bring you to the account creation screen.
- Applications can also be completed in person, but the Harbor Freight application process moves along quicker online.
Unfortunately, Harbor Freight candidates must create accounts on the website before they can apply. The account creation process includes these 8 steps:
- Click on the “Don’t Have an Account Yet?” button.
- Agree to the Harbor Freight application privacy policy.
- Enter your contact information, address and other important information.
- Create a password and security question.
- Update your employment and education history.
- Upload your resume. This is especially important for corporate and quality control positions. However, it will also give you an edge in retail and distribution center positions.
- Include at least one professional reference.
- Sign the company’s eSignature.
After completing the account creation process, applying for jobs at Harbor Freight is a lot easier. In fact, with an account, it’s possible to apply to jobs with the simple click of a button. Utilize this opportunity to increase your odds of landing a position with the company.
Minimum Age for Employment at Harbor Freight
The minimum age for employment at Harbor Freight was recently raised to 18. During the Harbor Freight application process, candidates may notice warnings about some of the work conditions found in the Harbor Freight environment. Some positions require the operation of equipment that one must be 18 to use legally in the workplace.
However, entry-level jobs are plentiful for 18-year-olds. Particularly in the South, many young college students enjoy working with the company because of their flexible part-time scheduling. Also, some applicants go on to begin great careers with the company directly after high school.
Harbor Freight Hours of Operation
All Harbor Freight locations are open from 8 AM to 9 PM, and 9 PM to 6 PM on Sundays. During the Harbor Freight application process, candidates learn the company’s corporate hours are more in line with the 9 to 5 structure of the corporate world. However, quality control and corporate employees must occasionally attend work-related events on weekends and off-hours.
The potential for overtime is always available to distribution center employees.
For those employees who are interested in overtime, it’s not unusual to land 50 – 60 hours per week in the distribution center environment. Overtime opportunities throughout the rest of the company, however, are much more limited.
Entry Level Harbor Freight Careers and Respective Income
Each of Harbor Freight’s four company departments features entry-level positions, but certain departments are easier to enter than others. For example, most of the company’s absolute entry-level work exists in the retail environment. These positions require little more than a high school diploma, but advancement through the ranks is slow. Pay can range anywhere from minimum wage to $13.00 per hour.
On the corporate side, most entry-level positions require a college degree. In this setting, pay varies on a positional basis. However, most entry-level corporate positions start at $36,000 – 44,000. This pay is slightly below average for similar jobs across the country.
Careers in Management
It’s nearly impossible for new Harbor Freight employees to begin in management. For these positions, the company hires almost exclusively from within their ranks. However, those with extensive retail experience should still submit a Harbor Freight application for those types of positions.
On the other hand, management positions in the corporate setting are even more difficult to come by. The manager to non-manager ratio is very low, and leadership opportunities are very competitive throughout the company. The only part of Harbor Freight’s company environment that promotes many managers is the distribution center. Hard workers can be promoted to leadership roles in less than a single year.
Benefits of Working at Harbor Freight
After completing the Harbor Freight application, the website will provide a link to view the company’s benefits. the company offers an impressive range of benefits for the retail environment.
First, employees can expect ample opportunity for health, dental and vision insurance. Prescription compensation and life insurance are also available to full-time employees.
Sick days, vacation time and salary continuation rival that of larger corporations the American workforce. Candidates can plan for two weeks of paid vacation. This is much better than what’s available at competing retail outlets.
Harbor Freight matches up to 3% on 401k contributions for full-time employees. This is slightly below the American average but is excellent for a big-box retail company.
Lastly, Harbor Freight offers a range of additional perks for full and part-time employees. These include a generous in-store discount, food delivery, memberships to premier grocery stores, discounts to major sporting events, improved rates on cell phone bills and more.
Basic Tips for Applying at Harbor Freight
The Harbor Freight application process isn’t overly difficult, but there are ways to maximize your chances of success. These tips will help your application stand out from the rest:
Use a Resume for All Positions
Applying for corporate of quality control positions obviously requires a resume, but many applicants may forgo the resume upload option for in-store and distribution center positions. For any job application, you give yourself a huge advantage with a well-written resume. If you don’t already have one, this may be a great time to put together a resume.
Apply For Several Positions
applying for jobs can often be thought of as a numbers game. If you get your resume floating around for as many Harbor Freight positions as possible, you greatly increase your chance of being noticed by the company. Since most applicants apply online, it’s important to do something that sets you apart from your competitors.
Follow Up
After applying online or in-person, don’t wait around for a hiring manager to call you. The call may never come. Instead, give your location a call a few days after submitting your application. It’s possible that your phone call will get the ball rolling on an interview. Plus, hiring managers love seeing employees with the initiative to take matters into their own hands.
Apply to the Distribution Center
This is a bonus tip, but if you’re in desperate need of employment, apply to the Harbor Freight distribution center. This is the busiest department in the company, and they are constantly hiring. This department also presents the clearest pathway to progression within the Harbor Freight company ladder.
Harbor Freight Interview Tips
Former Harbor Freight applicants have reported formal interviews for all Harbor Freight positions. Whether you’re interviewing for in-store or corporate positions, it’s best to follow these general guidelines:
Dress Professionally
Even for in-store positions, it’s helpful to wear dress clothes to the Harbor Freight interview. For corporate, a suit and tie may be the most appropriate outfit. But, for in-store positions, black pants, dress shoes and a button-down shirt may be enough. Dressing like a serious candidate will give you an edge over your competitors.
Smile and Maintain Confidence
Since most positions at Harbor Freight require extensive customer service, it’s best to use the interview to showcase your people skills. Smiling and answering questions with strong, detailed answers is the best way to exude confidence. This will let hiring managers know you’re up to the task.
Know Your Role
Hiring managers will be interested in your knowledge and enthusiasm for the position. Be prepared to answer questions about your passion for home improvement, and how your skills fit within the hardware environment.
Working at Harbor Freight
Candidates who make their way beyond the Harbor Freight application process speak highly of the company’s culture and work environment. Currently, one could argue that Harbor Freight’s best opportunities exist in the distribution center. However, there is room for advancement all throughout the company for hard-working employees.
Image source: 1
To discover other popular job applications read here: