How to hire a general sales associate

How to hire a general sales associate, step by step

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

What does a general sales associate do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a general sales associate, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A general sales associate's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, general sales associates 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.

   The following list breaks down different types of general sales associates and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of General Sales Associate	Description	Hourly rate
   General Sales Associate	Retail sales workers include both those who sell retail merchandise, such as clothing, furniture, and automobiles, (called retail salespersons) and those who sell spare and replacement parts and equipment, especially car parts (called parts salespersons). Both types of workers help customers find the products they want and process customers’ payments.	$10-18

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • POS
   • Work Ethic
   • Food Preparation
   • PowerPoint
   • Customer Service
   • Lead Generation
   • Inventory Management
   • Pallet Jack
   • Sales Floor
   • Customer Relationships
   • Credit Card
   • General Merchandise
   • Inventory Control
   • General Sales

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Supervise women's department, manage jewelry department, assist customers on finalizing purchases
   • Exhibit rudimentary math skills and advance communication skills when efficiently cashiering in a fast pace environment.
   • Perform minor repairs on Kohl's jewelry like changing watch batteries and removing watch links.

   More general sales associate duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your general sales associate job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A general sales associate 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 a general sales associate in Indiana may be lower than in Hawaii, and an entry-level general sales associate usually earns less than a senior-level general sales associate. Additionally, a general sales associate 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 general sales associate salary

   $14.10hourly

   $29,328 yearly

   ---

   Entry-level general sales associate salary

   $21,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 22, 2026

   Average general sales associate salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	District of Columbia	$36,802	$18
   2	Massachusetts	$32,467	$16
   3	Rhode Island	$32,328	$16
   4	California	$32,196	$15
   5	New York	$31,903	$15
   6	Pennsylvania	$30,543	$15
   7	Texas	$28,422	$14
   8	Minnesota	$27,037	$13
   9	Illinois	$26,757	$13
   10	Colorado	$26,539	$13
   11	Tennessee	$26,169	$13
   12	Mississippi	$26,150	$13
   13	Kentucky	$26,061	$13
   14	South Carolina	$25,571	$12
   15	Florida	$24,278	$12
   16	Idaho	$24,071	$12

   Average general sales associate salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Kaufman Dolowich & Voluck	$36,547	$17.57
   2	McKesson	$35,398	$17.02
   3	Harley-Davidson	$34,662	$16.66	5
   4	Icma-rc	$33,992	$16.34	2
   5	CohnReznick	$33,920	$16.31	2
   6	Bay Equity Home Loans	$32,851	$15.79
   7	Volt Information Sciences	$32,557	$15.65
   8	Minnesota State Fair	$32,062	$15.41	12
   9	Best Buy	$31,946	$15.36	423
   10	CHARLESGATE	$31,569	$15.18	2
   11	On Time Staffing	$30,753	$14.79
   12	Workbox Staffing	$30,542	$14.68	1
   13	Dollar General	$30,540	$14.68	8,280
   14	Aramark	$29,684	$14.27	98
   15	Greenberg Traurig	$29,407	$14.14	11
   16	Remedy Intelligent Staffing	$28,973	$13.93
   17	Outreach	$28,802	$13.85
   18	Aerotek	$28,701	$13.80	20
   19	Caliper Family of Companies	$28,082	$13.50
   20	Staffmark	$27,742	$13.34

4. Writing a general sales associate job description

   A job description for a general sales associate 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 sales associate job description:

   General sales associate job description example

   Be part of Team Outreach. Outreach, Inc., voted "Best Christian Workplace" by our employees since 2016 is continually hiring! Outreach is a 26-year-old, stable, for-profit company that is growing in influence! We value innovation and agility and are relentlessly trying to make Outreach a great place to work and a company that helps equip the churches to reach their communities for Christ. But, we are not just a church marketing company! We have web properties that reach every country in the world. If you don't see a current job opening that is a perfect fit with your skills and experience, please apply here anyway. Positions may become available during the coming months, in various departments and seasons, as we are always hiring throughout the year.

   BRIEF SUMMARIES...

   SALES positions in both our Marketing Products (OMP) and Media Group (OMG) divisions:

   • Advertising Sales - Media Consultant (OMG) - Selling digital advertising on our various media properties. Contact new and existing Outreach Media Group advertising clients, connecting with businesses that have products and services for helping churches. Make 50 calls/day (min.) Earn uncapped compensation based on results. Maintain achievable but ambitious monthly sales-goal that rolls up into the Ad Sales department goals that supports the revenue needs of Outreach, Inc.

   
   

   • Accounts Manager - Call Center Sales (OMP) - Oversees relationships of most important clients and aggressively seeks out and closes new accounts to help grow annual sales revenue. Responsible for obtaining and maintaining long-term key customers by phone through building relationships, understanding their needs and fitting them with respective product packages. Maintain and grow the sales of your personal book of business / assigned accounts. Provides ongoing leadership and coaching to other members of the sales team in conjunction with the Sales Process Manager and department VP.

   
   

   • Business Development (OMP) - B2B sales and partnerships. Responsible for retaining and expanding existing company relationships for the Outreach Marketing Products division, product lines and soliciting new business from prospective customers. Calls on existing or prospective customers Develop new customer relationships and grow your personal book of business / assigned accounts.

   
   

   • Customer Care Representatives (OMP) - Servicing our church customers nationwide by consistently providing fast, friendly, helpful and professional service. This is a fast-paced, highly productive environment requiring the meeting of deadlines with a sharp attention to detail and working well under pressure using telephone, chat and email. This is a goal-driven environment that demands an energetic and positive attitude, plus patience, a high value is efficiency and process improvement.

   OUR BENEFITS ...

   • Two HSA Plans plus free membership of Direct Primary Care medical concierge service
   • Dental, Vision, $50K Term Life Insurance, LTD/STD
   • 401k Retirement Plan with match option
   • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
   • Employee Assistance Program & Travel Assistance
   • Adventure Equipment Check-out Program
   • Profit Sharing when annual budget goals are met
   • Accrued Vacation: 9 Vacation Days & 1 Personal Day Off per year; 5 paid days of Parental Leave

   OUR QUALIFICATIONS ...

   We are continually looking for people who:

   • Are seeking meaningful work and want to make a lasting difference in the world
   • Are Ideal Team Players that exhibit Humble, Hungry & Smart characteristics
   • Are achievers with a great work ethic and a work/life balance, working in a culture committed to employee wellbeing and high employee engagement

   SO WHY OUTREACH?

   We have a mission and vision that is bigger than ourselves. It's not just a job-it's a calling. Outreach cares for our team with competitive company benefits, an employee benevolence fund, monthly Free Food and Fun events, free adventure equipment check-out program, and flexible work arrangements to fit any qualified individual. Our Company Reviews on Glassdoor and Indeed can give you more unbiased insight. As much as we want to be a great employer, we are a team engaged at work and need talented people who work wholeheartedly while exhibiting our Core Values: integrity, Agility, Teamwork, Continuous Improvement, and Stewardship of the resources entrusted to them.

   If this productivity-driven environment sounds like a fit for you, learn more at www.outreach.com/careers.

   ************************

   Outreach, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

   
   
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5. Post your job

   There are a few common ways to find general sales associates for your business:

   • Promoting internally or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to meet candidates with the right educational background.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to recruit passive job-seekers.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit general sales associates, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   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 general sales associate

   Once you've found the general sales associate candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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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