How to hire an associate relations specialist

How to hire an associate relations specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step associate relations specialist 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 relations specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new associate relations specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an associate relations specialist do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the associate relations specialist you need to hire. Certain associate relations specialist 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 relations specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, associate relations specialists 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.

   Here's a comparison of associate relations specialist salaries for various roles:

   Type of Associate Relations Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Associate Relations Specialist	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$18-34
   Publicist	Public Relations Supervisors are responsible for implementing the media and public relations strategy of an organization. Their duties include developing public relations campaigns, organize public relations events, assist in emergency response planning, updating documentation, monitoring media, improve management of press office, and manage media databases... Show more	$14-39
   Media Coordinator	A media coordinator acts as a communications professional in charge of developing and implementing target communications and advertising for various media platforms. Media coordinators plan, implement, and monitor the social media strategy of an organization... Show more	$16-30

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Customer Service
   • CRM
   • Human Resources
   • Management System
   • PowerPoint
   • Salesforce
   • Phone Calls
   • Donor Database
   • Conflict Resolution
   • Government Relations
   • Employment Law
   • Appeals
   • Payroll
   • Performance Management

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Generate HRIS reports and manage personnel files, management information, and candidate data utilizing standardize reporting systems.
   • Educate accounts on hospice services, key indicators, medicare benefits as well as participating in presentations and community education.
   • Process payroll for all hotel employees with ADP.
   • Leverage entrepreneurial orientation and expertise in government transactions to acquire excellent relationships outside of FEMA.

   More associate relations specialist duties

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, associate relations specialists' average salary in mississippi is 42% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level associate relations specialists earn 46% less than senior-level associate relations specialists.
   • Certifications. An associate relations specialist 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 associate relations specialist's salary.

   Average associate relations specialist salary

   $52,142yearly

   $25.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level associate relations specialist salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 17, 2025

   Average associate relations specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$67,713	$33
   2	California	$64,377	$31
   3	District of Columbia	$63,225	$30
   4	Illinois	$58,274	$28
   5	Oregon	$57,624	$28
   6	North Carolina	$56,885	$27
   7	Arizona	$56,791	$27
   8	Maryland	$55,415	$27
   9	Virginia	$55,102	$26
   10	New York	$54,916	$26
   11	Colorado	$54,077	$26
   12	Arkansas	$53,546	$26
   13	Pennsylvania	$52,733	$25
   14	Wisconsin	$51,481	$25
   15	Alaska	$50,254	$24
   16	Tennessee	$49,598	$24
   17	Michigan	$48,949	$24
   18	Nebraska	$48,059	$23
   19	Indiana	$47,168	$23
   20	Texas	$46,558	$22

   Average associate relations specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Regeneron	$82,803	$39.81
   2	Edward Jones	$63,397	$30.48	3
   3	American Senior Benefits	$61,188	$29.42	1
   4	Palantir	$61,043	$29.35	9
   5	Diamondback Energy	$60,995	$29.32
   6	American Humane	$59,976	$28.83
   7	Deloitte	$58,485	$28.12	297
   8	Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center	$58,053	$27.91
   9	Friends School of Baltimore	$57,646	$27.71
   10	Hannaford Supermarkets	$57,383	$27.59
   11	American College of Cardiology	$57,135	$27.47
   12	University of Alaska	$57,087	$27.45	4
   13	Pri	$56,667	$27.24
   14	UPS	$56,238	$27.04	7
   15	Walgreens	$55,758	$26.81	13
   16	Burlington	$54,550	$26.23	4
   17	First Service Residential Florida Inc	$54,496	$26.20
   18	Dartmouth-Hitchcock	$54,344	$26.13
   19	Aledade	$54,207	$26.06	21
   20	Perot Systems	$54,203	$26.06

4. Writing an associate relations specialist job description

   A job description for an associate relations specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an associate relations specialist job description:

   Associate relations specialist job description example

   Assist and support protecting the interests of the Auto Club organization as appropriate in designated jurisdictions. Work collaboratively with legislative, regulatory, and other Public and Government Affairs team members to assist with organizational and departmental goals, priorities, and initiatives. In addition, the following lists typical duties that will be assigned:
   
   Assist California Government Affairs team with legislative and regulatory administrative matters Coordinate meetings with legislators and regulators as needed Draft fact sheets, flyers, and reports Assist with preparing the Insurance Update Report, the Year End Traffic Digest, and other reports as needed Assist with planning events including ones held at the Sacramento office Conduct research and analyses as needed Assist with planning Public Affairs community engagement events Handle office tasks as required or requested.
   Qualifications
   4-year college degree mandatory Exceptional communication skills and ability to interact well with wide range of
   internal and external professionals
   Position based in Sacramento, CA
   
   #LI-LG1
   
   Remarkable benefits:• Health coverage for medical, dental, vision• 401(K) saving plan with company match AND Pension• Tuition assistance• PTO for community volunteer programs• Wellness program• Employee discounts
   
   The Automobile Club of Southern California is part of the largest federation of AAA clubs in the nation. We have 14,000 employees in 21 states helping 17 million members. The strength of our organization is our employees. Bringing together and supporting different cultures, backgrounds, personalities, and strengths creates a team capable of delivering legendary, lifetime service to our members. When we embrace our diversity - we win. All of Us! With our national brand recognition, long-standing reputation since 1902, and constantly growing membership, we are seeking career-minded, service-driven professionals to join our team.
   
   “Through dedicated employees we proudly deliver legendary service and beneficial products that provide members peace of mind and value.”
   
   AAA is an Equal Opportunity Employer
   
   The Automobile Club of Southern California will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable federal, state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles' Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right associate relations specialist for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with associate relations specialists they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit associate relations specialists who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your associate relations specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit associate relations specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit associate relations specialists, 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 relations specialist

   Once you've decided on a perfect associate relations specialist candidate, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, it should include benefits and perks available to the employee. Qualified candidates may be considered for other positions, so make sure your offer is competitive. Candidates may wish to negotiate. Once you've settled on the details, formalize your 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 relations specialist?