How to hire a General Production Manager

How to hire a general production manager, step by step

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

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

What does a General Production Manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a general production manager to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a general production manager that fits the bill.

   Here's a comparison of general production manager salaries for various roles:

   Type Of General Production Manager	Description	Hourly Rate
   General Production Manager		$12-19
   Supervisor	Supervisors are responsible for overseeing the daily functions of employees in a specific team, department, or even a work shift. They create work schedules, organize work processes and workflows, train new hires, provide necessary reports related to the team function and the employees, monitor and evaluate employee performance, and ensure that goals of the specific team or department are met... Show More	$14-44
   Leader	Leaders pave the way for a company to achieve certain goals. They are in charge of bringing the organization to greater heights... Show More	$23-73

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common Skills:

   • General Production
   • Food Safety
   • Hand Tools
   • HR
   • Quality Standards
   • Production Floor
   • OSHA
   • USDA
   • Production Operations
   • Assembly Line
   • Production Schedules
   • HACCP
   • Product Quality
   • Production Process

   Check All Skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Demonstrate ability to manage multiple departments and improvement projects, prepare short and long term goals focusing on company KPI's.
   • Manage production control group and supply replenishment logistics for the manufacturing division.
   • Facilitate monthly safety meetings and ensure compliance with HACCP, SSOP and GMP.
   • Return work environment within OSHA standards.
   • Provide support for ISO 2001 plant accreditation.
   • Pack finished products manually or by using hoists.

   More General Production Manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your general production manager job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A general production manager can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, general production managers' average salary in florida is 45% less than in wyoming.
   • Seniority. Entry-level general production managers 35% less than senior-level general production managers.
   • Certifications. A general production manager with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a general production manager's salary.

   Average general production manager salary

   $15.59hourly

   $32,434 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level general production manager salary

   $26,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 18, 2025

   Average general production manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. Salary	Hourly Rate
   1	New York	$38,530	$19
   2	Colorado	$38,194	$18
   3	South Dakota	$36,700	$18
   4	Minnesota	$35,512	$17
   5	California	$35,126	$17
   6	Wisconsin	$35,028	$17
   7	Nebraska	$33,963	$16
   8	Michigan	$33,399	$16
   9	Arizona	$33,326	$16
   10	Kansas	$32,507	$16
   11	Indiana	$32,455	$16
   12	Pennsylvania	$32,338	$16
   13	Kentucky	$31,763	$15
   14	Utah	$31,637	$15
   15	Ohio	$31,266	$15
   16	Georgia	$30,926	$15
   17	Texas	$30,259	$15
   18	Iowa	$30,064	$14
   19	Oklahoma	$30,034	$14
   20	Arkansas	$29,557	$14

   Average general production manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average Salary	Hourly Rate	Job Openings
   1	Titan International	$40,307	$19.38
   2	Arconic	$40,033	$19.25	36
   3	Tenneco	$39,650	$19.06	8
   4	Dura Automotive Systems	$39,319	$18.90	7
   5	Cargill	$39,273	$18.88	94
   6	Modine Manufacturing	$38,490	$18.50	11
   7	Post Holdings	$38,363	$18.44	95
   8	ArcelorMittal	$38,068	$18.30	5
   9	Tesla	$37,937	$18.24	33
   10	American Axle & Manufacturing	$37,543	$18.05	14
   11	JELD-WEN	$37,279	$17.92	15
   12	PPG	$36,856	$17.72	13
   13	International Paper	$36,813	$17.70	179
   14	Boise Cascade	$36,564	$17.58	20
   15	Amcor	$36,343	$17.47	24
   16	Flex-N-Gate	$36,109	$17.36	11
   17	Schreiber Foods	$36,035	$17.32	35
   18	Michigan Turkey Producers	$35,687	$17.16	2
   19	WestRock	$35,681	$17.15	153
   20	Amarr	$34,857	$16.76	9

4. Writing a General Production Manager Job Description

   A job description for a general production manager 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 a general production manager job description:

   General Production Manager job description example

   General Production - Full Time FULL-TIME
   $18.40/hr - Uses light to medium knife work to process pork
   - Performs product handling, processing, bagging, boxing, inspection, and sorting.
   -Climbs ladders, and works from elevated platforms. - We offer interpreter services for non-English speaking employees, on-site ESL (English as a second language) classes, GED classes, reimbursement for citizenship, and more! $1.00 shift differential for the 2nd shift. REM-03 WS-03
   Schedule
   Shift start: 5:30AM or 6:00AM or 6:30AM or 7:00AM
   Shift length: 9 hours
   Monday - Friday, some Saturdays
   Benefits
   Health, dental, vision insurance - available after 59 days Paid time off 401(k) plan
   Qualifications
   Must pass drug screen (cannabis included) Must pass background check Can lift 40 lbs Must be at least 18+ years old -Must be willing to work any shift. This facility 6 days a week Monday- Saturday. -At Tyson Foods, the safety of our team members is our top priority. For that reason, Successful applicants for this position must be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 by the 45th day of employment.
   
   About Tyson Foods
   Tyson Foods is one of the world's largest food companies and a recognized leader in protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio of products and brands like Tyson , Jimmy Dean , Hillshire Farm , Ball Park , Wright , Aidells , ibp , and State Fair . Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it's available and raise the world's expectations for how much good food can do. Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company had 121,000 team members at September 29, 2018. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers, communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals, land, and environment entrusted to it.

   Copy This Example

   

5. Post your job

   To find general production managers for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any general production managers they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level general production managers with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your general production manager job on Zippia to find and recruit general production manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with general production manager 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 general production manager

   Once you've decided on a perfect general production manager 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.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new general production manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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 a general production manager?