Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey is the location of the headquarters for Spirit Halloween, which was established in 1983. Spirit rents temporary facilities throughout the summer and fall seasons in order to offer Halloween costumes, decorations, accessories, and more as an alternative to running a regular retail business that is open all year long.
Over 1,400 pop-up locations of Spirit Halloween businesses had been opened across the country by the end of September. During the autumn season, they take up residence in the empty big box locations that are left behind by businesses such as Toys R Us and Sears and remain there for around six to eight weeks. Then, immediately following Halloween, the stores are promptly cleared out.
Performing Spiritual Work on a Rhythmic Basis
The vast majority of employees at Spirit Halloween are hired on a temporary basis in order to staff the stores during their limited working times, which range from the end of August to the beginning of November. There are a variety of job options available, including positions such as sales associates, cashiers, stockers, and shift leaders/assistant managers.
Late in the summer, hiring takes place at Spirit with the goal of having all stores completely staffed for opening day in early September. Employees often put in anything from four to ten weeks of work, with shifts winding down by the middle of November following the closure of stores following Halloween. Therefore, positions with Spirit are ideal for students looking for flexible fall employment.
Management of the Store
There is a general manager at each Spirit store, and they are responsible for the overall operations, including hiring, payroll, and inventory. They are assisted by a number of shift leaders who watch over the daily responsibilities of the colleagues working on the sales floor.
All staff go through a series of interactive online training sessions that teach them about costumes, props, and other products, as well as the best techniques for merchandising sales and providing excellent customer service. In addition, managers conduct on-site training for new employees during their first shifts on the job.
Remuneration and Benefits
Spirit Halloween staff receive varying pay rates, each of which is dependent on the function they do as well as the area minimum wage rules. You should anticipate the following, on average:
- $10–$12 per hour for Sales Associates
- Shift Leaders earn between $12 and $15 per hour
- Store Managers get between $25,000 and $35,000 per year
Workers who are only employed part-time throughout the season are typically ineligible for benefits. Spirit does, however, provide flexible schedule options to students and other individuals who have other responsibilities such as classes. Additionally, associates are eligible to receive employee discounts on purchases of costumes.
Submitting Applications for Spirit Jobs
Late in the month of July, open opportunities will begin to be posted on the careers website for Spirit. You can search for available positions according to the location of the shop, and then submit your application online. To fill up rosters, hiring will continue on a rolling basis through the middle of August.
Candidates that are enthusiastic, customer-focused, and have basic retail experience are sought after by Spirit but are not necessary to have such experience. The employment procedure always includes doing a background check. The selected candidates will be interviewed first over the phone, and if they advance in the process, they may be asked to attend an in-person interview.
After they have been hired, Spirit will get in touch with new seasonal hires by the middle of August to discuss start dates and other onboarding specifics. In order to get personnel ready for the rush of the grand opening in early September, paid training hours start in the latter half of August.
Regular Duties and Obligations
The majority of Spirit Halloween‘s employees are front-line sales staff. Typical duties include of things like:
- Meeting and greeting customers and responding to their inquiries regarding costumes
- Providing assistance to consumers while they try on clothing and ringing up their purchases
- Organizing and stocking the shelves and racks in order to keep the merchandise in order
- Providing assistance to consumers in retrieving things from the stockroom
- Checking prices, accepting payments, and bagging goods are all part of the job.
- Assisting in the setting up and taking down of displays for new arrivals
- Regular chores including cleaning, sanitizing, and other store maintenance
When the manager is not present, it is the shift leaders’ responsibility to assist in the supervision of other colleagues, ensuring that all responsibilities are done, and keep store operations running smoothly. Both positions demand candidates to be on their feet for shifts lasting up to eight hours.
Why Do You Need to Work at Spirit?
Working at Spirit Halloween may not appeal to everyone because of the transient nature of the seasonal labor, but there are a few distinct advantages to doing so:
- Students benefit greatly from schedule flexibility during the fall semester.
- Experience in retail sales that you may add to your CV
- Friendly and festive environment created by the team
- Costumes and Halloween-related accessories are on sale at a discounted price.
- The possibility of getting to know one’s frequent clients on an annual basis
- A commitment for the short term that will expire immediately after Halloween
- There is the possibility of returns the next year if performance is satisfactory.
Overall, Spirit Halloween provides a simple opportunity for many people to make some more income while still having fun throughout the Halloween season. Be aware that the number of customers shopping in stores will likely be higher than usual in the days running up to and including October 31.
