How to hire an assistant activity director

How to hire an assistant activity director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step assistant activity director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an assistant activity director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant activity director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the assistant activity director you need to hire. Certain assistant activity director roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect assistant activity director also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   This list shows salaries for various types of assistant activity directors.

   Type of Assistant Activity Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Assistant Activity Director	Recreation workers design and lead recreational and leisure activities for groups in volunteer agencies or recreation facilities, such as playgrounds, parks, camps, aquatic centers, and senior centers. They may lead activities such as arts and crafts, dance, sports, adventure programs, music, and camping.	$12-29
   Group Leader	A group leader is responsible for overseeing and distributing fair tasks to the members, ensuring clear instructions and procedures. Group leaders are mainly the ones leading the team towards their success... Show more	$27-83
   Program Lead	A program lead is responsible for managing a business program's operation from its conceptualization to implementation. Program leads must have excellent communication and researching skills to monitor current industry trends, adjusting program techniques and strategies to meet society's demands... Show more	$28-82

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Student Organizations
   • Event Planning
   • Bed Facility
   • MDS
   • Alzheimer
   • Front Desk
   • Leadership Development
   • Budget Management
   • Memory Care
   • Program Planning
   • Student Government Association
   • Student Clubs
   • Educational Programs
   • Bingo

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage pet therapy/pat visitation protocol.
   • Review goals and progress notes; document MDS reports and progress notes.
   • Play bingo, exercise, watch movies, dance, garden, etc.
   • Conduct varies activities with patients including; bingo, gardening, crocheting, cooking, and socializing.
   • Complete and update state require paperwork such as assessments, notes, attendance, care plans, and MDS.
   • Provide quality and empathetic care for older adults with Alzheimer's type dementia, confusion, or other limiting disabilities.

   More assistant activity director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your assistant activity director job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An assistant activity director salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, assistant activity directors' average salary in louisiana is 47% less than in mississippi.
   • Seniority. Entry-level assistant activity directors earn 60% less than senior-level assistant activity directors.
   • Certifications. An assistant activity director with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an assistant activity director's salary.

   Average assistant activity director salary

   $39,926yearly

   $19.20 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level assistant activity director salary

   $25,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average assistant activity director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New York	$46,690	$22
   2	California	$46,671	$22
   3	Massachusetts	$44,897	$22
   4	Arizona	$44,113	$21
   5	Pennsylvania	$39,961	$19
   6	Texas	$37,192	$18
   7	New Mexico	$35,895	$17
   8	Washington	$34,875	$17
   9	Colorado	$34,178	$16
   10	Florida	$33,716	$16
   11	Nevada	$33,423	$16
   12	Michigan	$33,412	$16
   13	Kentucky	$29,999	$14
   14	Ohio	$29,115	$14
   15	Louisiana	$28,116	$14

   Average assistant activity director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	UMiami Health System	$57,798	$27.79
   2	Temple University	$57,418	$27.60
   3	University of Nevada, Reno	$55,946	$26.90
   4	LA State University Continuing	$52,199	$25.10
   5	The City University of New York	$51,691	$24.85
   6	University of Southern California	$51,152	$24.59
   7	Life Care Centers of America	$48,777	$23.45	33
   8	New York State Restaurant Association	$48,529	$23.33
   9	University of Rochester	$47,093	$22.64
   10	Aegis Therapies	$45,198	$21.73	5
   11	University of Washington	$44,570	$21.43
   12	University of Louisville	$42,089	$20.24
   13	State Bar of Michigan	$41,267	$19.84
   14	PHMC	$39,057	$18.78
   15	Colorado Christian University	$37,844	$18.19	1
   16	Univ. Of Texas Cancer Ctr.	$37,840	$18.19
   17	Life Care Solutions	$36,780	$17.68	27
   18	Genesis HealthCare	$36,491	$17.54	10
   19	Bucknell University	$36,355	$17.48
   20	WKYU	$32,570	$15.66

4. Writing an assistant activity director job description

   A good assistant activity director job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of an assistant activity director job description:

   Assistant activity director job description example

   Genesis is a leading provider of healthcare services from short-term to long-term care and a wide variety of living options and professional clinical services. We are changing how care is delivered by bringing together people like you -- passionate, highly skilled and motivated to make a difference.
   
   Why Genesis? We improve the lives we touch through the delivery of high-quality healthcare and everyday compassion! *We Care Deeply about YOU! Guided by our Core Values, Code of Conduct and Ethics program, we foster a culture of care and compassion. We focus on improving the quality of care through creativity and innovation, honesty and integrity in all we do. *We Develop YOU! We provide career ladders, education and training opportunities so you can build a long and successful career with Genesis. *We Appreciate YOU! We value your contributions to the Genesis mission and vision and instill an environment of teamwork and enjoyment in working together. We recognize and celebrate our shared successes. *We are Committed to YOU! We know you are the vital link between Genesis, our patients and residents! We inspire you to be your best self. *We Protect YOU! We take great pride in meeting or exceeding CDC and CMS standards.
   
   Enrich your life and the life of our patients/residents' by joining Genesis as an Assistant Recreation Director.
   
   Position Highlights *Assist with planning the nursing center recreation program by contributing to the development of program philosophies and policies, writing procedures, goals and objectives for the program. *Contribute to the implementation of meaningful activities for all patients/residents' that engage them creatively, intellectually, physically, socially and spiritually. *Assist in the recruitment and training of recreation program volunteers. May assume responsibility for volunteer program development and implementation.
   *Position is Sunday - Thursday.
   
   SHAREDAR2
   
   Qualifications: *High school degree is required. *Completion of the NAAP/NCCAP Basic Education Course for Activity Professionals is required. *Must possess certification in accordance with regulatory agencies governing the center, by the National Certification Council of Activity Professionals (ADC) or the National Council of Therapeutic Recreation Certification (CTRS). To protect the health and safety of our patients, residents, employees, family members, and the communities we serve, Genesis has implemented a universal COVID-19 vaccination requirement for employees, care partners and onsite vendors.
   
   Position Type: Full Time
   
   
   Pay Target:
   
   Genesis HealthCare, Inc. and all affiliated entities are proud to practice Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action. Genesis provides equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, actual or perceived disability, marital status, genetic information, amnesty, or status as covered veterans in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. Genesis takes affirmative action to employ and advance in employment qualified minorities, women, individuals with disabilities and covered veterans. This policy is fully supported by the CEO, COO and all members of the leadership team.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right assistant activity director for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your assistant activity director job on Zippia to find and recruit assistant activity director candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with assistant activity director candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new assistant activity director

   Once you've selected the best assistant activity director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new assistant activity director first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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