How to hire an associate general manager

How to hire an associate general manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate general manager hiring guide:

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

What does an associate general manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate general manager you need to hire. Certain associate general manager 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

   An associate general manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate general managers from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of associate general managers.

   Type of Associate General Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate General Manager	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$24-87
   Lead Manager	A lead manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the progress of a particular office or department. Although the responsibilities will vary depending on their industry, it will typically revolve around producing progress reports, reviewing documentation and transactions, managing the budget, procuring supplies, and devising strategies to generate leads and reach goals faster... Show more	$35-67
   Store Manager	A store manager is responsible for monitoring the daily operations, making sure of its smooth and efficient performance with the best services provided to the customers. Store managers' duty also includes tracking the budget of the store to ensure that all expenses are meeting the sales goals... Show more	$14-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • Customer Complaints
   • Sales Floor
   • Product Knowledge
   • Financial Reports
   • Direct Reports
   • AGM
   • Loss Prevention
   • Labor Costs
   • Inventory Management
   • Business Plan
   • Business Operations
   • SLA
   • POS

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Purchase inventory, implement POS hardware/software, manage all financial and business areas, and develop new marketing strategies.
   • Purchase inventory, implement POS hardware/software, manage all financial and business areas, and develop new marketing strategies.
   • Train and manage FOH staff and improve overall quality, organization and professionalism of restaurant and bakery.

   More associate general manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your associate general manager job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An associate general manager salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an associate general manager in Wyoming may be lower than in California, and an entry-level associate general manager usually earns less than a senior-level associate general manager. Additionally, an associate general manager with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average associate general manager salary

   $96,469yearly

   $46.38 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate general manager salary

   $51,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 19, 2025

   Average associate general manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$140,889	$68
   2	District of Columbia	$121,249	$58
   3	New York	$117,609	$57
   4	Colorado	$115,938	$56
   5	Massachusetts	$114,781	$55
   6	Pennsylvania	$105,111	$51
   7	Nevada	$104,013	$50
   8	Ohio	$99,309	$48
   9	North Carolina	$98,858	$48
   10	Texas	$94,513	$45
   11	Michigan	$93,889	$45
   12	Illinois	$93,483	$45
   13	Indiana	$91,142	$44
   14	Tennessee	$86,367	$42
   15	Florida	$85,392	$41
   16	Missouri	$83,939	$40
   17	Alabama	$83,404	$40
   18	Montana	$78,819	$38

   Average associate general manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Chartwell Law	$163,308	$78.51	2
   2	Bennett Packaging of Kansas City, Inc.	$148,262	$71.28
   3	RWJBarnabas Health	$139,577	$67.10	3
   4	Carvana	$123,214	$59.24	21
   5	Cognizant	$123,048	$59.16	9
   6	Brookfield Properties	$120,816	$58.08	7
   7	HCL Technologies	$120,354	$57.86	19
   8	Elevance Health	$118,023	$56.74
   9	American Woodmark	$116,572	$56.04
   10	Tesla	$113,428	$54.53	43
   11	Perkins Restaurant & Bakery	$106,457	$51.18	93
   12	International Paper	$103,580	$49.80	8
   13	Versace	$102,892	$49.47	6
   14	The Walt Disney Company	$100,915	$48.52	42
   15	Capsule	$92,980	$44.70
   16	Meijer	$91,110	$43.80	8
   17	Aramark	$85,775	$41.24	203
   18	Via Transportation Inc	$83,666	$40.22	6
   19	Xponential Fitness	$83,438	$40.11	96
   20	Staffmark	$82,658	$39.74

4. Writing an associate general manager job description

   A good associate general manager 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 associate general manager job description:

   Associate general manager job description example

   Join a team of more than 32,000 team members, comprised of our home office and over 229 clubs and 7 distribution centers. We're committed to delivering value and convenience to our Members, helping them save every day on everything they need for their family and home. BJ's Wholesale Club offers a collaborative, team-oriented environment where all team members can learn, grow and excel.
   
   The Associate Merchant is responsible for the merchandising functions for assigned categories, contributing to the development of business objectives, achieving sales and margin goals, executing the merchandising strategy, and providing analytical support, insights, and recommendations to the merchandise team. Additional responsibilities include:
   
   + Collaborates on the development of sales and margin plans and sales forecasts for assigned categories.
   + Manages and controls open-to-buy positioning and buys merchandise for assigned categories.
   
   + Participates in negotiations directly with vendors on merchandise pricing, quantity, delivery and terms.
   
   + Identifies and implements merchandise packaging and presentation techniques that enhance productivity and execution.
   
   + Objectively assesses merchandise mix based on consumer trends and business needs to develop planograms and to provide recommendations on assortments.
   
   + Reviews advertising and promotion analytics to evaluate performance, refine merchandise plans and suggest adjustments to strategy.
   
   + Responsible for the implementation of category pricing strategy and executes exit strategies on slow selling items.
   
   + Assesses pricing based on knowledge of competitive landscape, sales and margin objectives, and price indexing and targets.
   
   + Researches competitive landscape and consumer trends to ensure alignment with strategy.
   
   + Identifies merchandising risks and opportunities and presents recommendations.
   
   + Provides effective and supportive direction and guidance to Merchant Assistants.
   
   + Performs other duties as assigned.
   
   Requirements
   
   + Bachelor's degree in business or operations related field
   
   + 2-5 years of professional merchandising or retail operations experience
   
   + Knowledge of vendor negotiation techniques
   
   + Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
   
   + Excellent written and oral communication skills
   
   + Ability to multi-task and work independently in a fast-paced environment

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right associate general manager 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 associate general manager job on Zippia to find and recruit associate general manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit associate general managers, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   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 associate general manager

   Once you have selected a candidate for the associate general manager position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize 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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new associate general manager. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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How much does it cost to hire an associate general manager?