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What does an associate/team lead do?

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted expert
Travis Kurowski Ph.D.
What does an associate/team lead do

An associate/team lead oversees the performance of team members while ensuring that clients get to receive optimal services. Their responsibilities typically include establishing guidelines and objectives, managing schedules, generating leads, performing market research and analysis, and developing strategies to optimize the daily operations. They may communicate with clients and assist them by identifying their needs, answering inquiries, and resolving issues and concerns. Moreover, as an associate/team lead, it is essential to guide and encourage staff to reach goals, all while enforcing the company's policies and regulations.

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Associate/team lead responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate/team lead resumes:

  • Accomplish requirements, allocating resources, scheduling and coordinating staff and assure accuracy of payroll.
  • Ensure all sales transactions, refunds and POS system function smoothly and take corrective action when necessary.
  • Process sales transactions, POS, credit applications, discounts, trade-in allowances, warranties and delivery dates.
  • Provide leadership and mentoring of team members to increase productivity while ensuring accuracy.
  • Handle inbound/outbound escalate customer complaints, including executive escalations from various levels of leadership.
  • Aggregate, analyze and organize information from QC reports into a department-wide WIKI to facilitate information sharing and best practice utilization.
  • Team member on many projects company wide and act as SME for implementation of new OSS.
  • Utilize SharePoint for data repository and team collaboration.
  • Utilize SharePoint tools to implement innovative views and organization of data.
  • Coordinate and develop SME support in cultural, economic and political arenas to assist commanders to understand human terrain.

Associate/team lead skills and personality traits

We calculated that 18% of Associate/Team Leads are proficient in Excellent Interpersonal, Product Knowledge, and Quality Standards.

We break down the percentage of Associate/Team Leads that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Excellent Interpersonal, 18%

    Displayed excellent interpersonal skills in fast-paced, high-pressure environment.

  • Product Knowledge, 9%

    Designed/Launched/Led training focused on job performance, operations, merchandising, product knowledge, processing, and technology evolution.

  • Quality Standards, 9%

    Achieved project goals/objectives, implementing new initiatives and maintaining high quality standards and meeting/ exceeding SLA expectations.

  • Leadership, 7%

    Conducted briefings and gave presentations on Electronic Warfare to company leadership and our Government customers.

  • Math, 6%

    Utilized Microsoft Excel to break down all outbound activity with transactions to provide accurate sales math.

  • Customer Satisfaction, 6%

    Verified contents of shipment against original order and invoice reducing shortages, ensuring accuracy, speed and meeting customer satisfaction.

Most associate/team leads use their skills in "excellent interpersonal," "product knowledge," and "quality standards" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential associate/team lead responsibilities here:

Most common associate/team lead skills

Compare different associate/team leads

Associate/team lead vs. Floor supervisor

A floor supervisor is personnel hired by the hospitality and retail establishments who provide a quality experience to guests by inspecting the guest area's cleanliness. To maintain freshness, a floor supervisor collaborates with a manager to deploy custodial staff and train new employees. A floor supervisor must be knowledgeable in booking and checking-in guests and resolve complaints using his/her conflict resolution skills. Also, a floor supervisor should have an associate's degree in hospitality management.

If we compare the average associate/team lead annual salary with that of a floor supervisor, we find that floor supervisors typically earn a $26,758 lower salary than associate/team leads make annually.While the two careers have a salary gap, they share some of the same responsibilities. Employees in both associate/team lead and floor supervisor positions are skilled in excellent interpersonal, product knowledge, and leadership.

These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an associate/team lead are more likely to require skills like "basic math," "quality standards," "math," and "regulatory compliance." On the other hand, a job as a floor supervisor requires skills like "keep management," "store management," "develop proficiency," and "store operations." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.

On average, floor supervisors reach similar levels of education than associate/team leads. Floor supervisors are 2.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Associate/team lead vs. Shift supervisor

Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in. They also ensure that the employees are doing their jobs while at work. Shift supervisors are expected to ensure that employees are really working during working hours and properly delegate work. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees are productive and efficient in their jobs. They are expected to provide coaching and guidance so that the employees will be able to reach the goals assigned to the work team.

A career as a shift supervisor brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an associate/team lead. In fact, shift supervisors salary is $20,580 lower than the salary of associate/team leads per year.Only some things about these jobs are the same. Take their skills, for example. Associate/team leads and shift supervisors both require similar skills like "basic math," "product knowledge," and "quality standards" to carry out their responsibilities.

While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that associate/team lead responsibilities requires skills like "excellent interpersonal," "regulatory compliance," "credit card," and "ladders." But a shift supervisor might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "cash handling," "store operations," "store management," and "food products."

In general, shift supervisors achieve similar levels of education than associate/team leads. They're 2.2% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for associate/team leads in the next 3-5 years?

Travis Kurowski Ph.D.Travis Kurowski Ph.D. LinkedIn profile

Assistant Professor of Creative Writing, Writing Program Lead, York College of Pennsylvania

It's probably because I'm answering these questions in 2020, and so during a health pandemic and economic recession, but it seems the fact that video conferencing and other tools that allow people to work as teams from a distance (such as project management apps) will become much more critical over the coming years for all workplaces. These tools have long been available, and students on campuses already use many writing programs. But these tools will become integrated and essential for almost all businesses moving forward as we adapt to current economic realities and plan for a successful future for companies and communities.

Associate/team lead vs. Cashier supervisor

A cashier supervisor is responsible for monitoring the performance of the cash register staff, ensuring the accuracy of sales and balance sheets, and manage payment discrepancies. Cashier supervisors also monitor stock inventory, organize shelves based on client and market demands to increase sales, help on developing promotional strategies and discount offers, process product replacements, and issue refunds as needed. A cashier supervisor must have excellent communication skills, especially on responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, and resolve escalated complaints timely and efficiently.

On average, cashier supervisors earn lower salaries than associate/team leads, with a $24,180 difference per year.By looking over several associate/team leads and cashier supervisors resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "product knowledge," "leadership," and "customer satisfaction." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, associate/team leads are more likely to have skills like "excellent interpersonal," "basic math," "quality standards," and "math." But a cashier supervisor is more likely to have skills like "front end," "service desk," "customer returns," and "payroll."

When it comes to education, cashier supervisors tend to earn similar degree levels compared to associate/team leads. In fact, they're 3.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Associate/team lead vs. Stores supervisor

Store or retail supervisors are management professionals who are responsible for managing a team of staff members to ensure the smooth operation of a retail store. These supervisors are required to arrive early at the store so that they can open the store and disable the alarm system as well as prepare the cash registers. They must maintain inventory level and order new products when necessary while keeping records of every product available in their backroom. Store supervisors must also act as a customer service agent to help customers enjoy their experience in the store.

Stores supervisors tend to earn a lower pay than associate/team leads by an average of $20,675 per year.According to resumes from associate/team leads and stores supervisors, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "excellent interpersonal," "basic math," and "product knowledge. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between associate/team leads and stores supervisors, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an associate/team lead might have more use for skills like "quality standards," "leadership," "math," and "regulatory compliance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of stores supervisors require skills like "store management," "cash handling," "store operations," and "payroll. "

In general, stores supervisors hold similar degree levels compared to associate/team leads. Stores supervisors are 2.1% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of associate/team lead

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.