How to hire a relief mate

How to hire a relief mate, step by step

Here's a step-by-step relief mate hiring guide:

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

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the relief mate you need to hire. Certain relief mate 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 relief mate 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 relief mate that fits the bill.

   This list presents relief mate salaries for various positions.

   Type of Relief Mate	Description	Hourly rate
   Relief Mate	Water transportation workers operate and maintain vessels that take cargo and people over water. The vessels travel to and from foreign ports across the ocean and to domestic ports along the coasts, across the Great Lakes, and along the country’s many inland waterways.	$10-79
   Ship Worker	Ship workers are employees assigned to crew the ship. They may be transferred to cargo ships, cruise ships, or any other sea vessel... Show more	$9-20
   Mate	A Mate is the seafaring captain's assistant in charge of the ship's welfare and crew on board. The Chief Mate is responsible for leading the team... Show more	$10-31

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Engine Room
   • Safety Drills

   Responsibilities:

   • Work closely with surveyors, clients and ROV supervisors to achieve safe and effective subsea operations.
   • Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.
   • Trained/Mentore multiple junior officers in dynamic positioning, ballast control, and seamanship.

3. Make a budget

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

   • Location. For example, relief mates' average salary in idaho is 56% less than in district of columbia.
   • Seniority. Entry-level relief mates 87% less than senior-level relief mates.
   • Certifications. A relief mate 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 relief mate's salary.

   Average relief mate salary

   $60,561yearly

   $29.12 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level relief mate salary

   $22,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 24, 2026

4. Writing a relief mate job description

   A good relief mate 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 a relief mate job description:

   Relief mate job description example

   Full Vaccination (including Booster) is an eligibility requirement for all positions unless in case of religious or medical exemption.
   .
   
   DESE-relief position will fill in for staff when skills trainers are out sick, on vacation, etc
   
   The DESE-Relief staff assists the individual in normative home-based activities and during community-based activities to increase the individual's development of independent living and community living skills. Locations available in Fitchburg and Worcester areas.
   
   Essential Functions:
   
   · Assists the individual in participating in home-based activities and community-based activities, both generic and specialized.
   
   · Works in the home with the individual to help increase daily living skills or independent living skills, including hygiene tasks, chores, meal preparation, money management, etc.
   
   · Works in the community with individuals to help increase community living skills development, which may include learning to use the library, making a purchase at a store, or participating in a group-based community setting like a swim program or the gym.
   
   · Actively advocates for individuals served and demonstrates agency mission and values in all interpersonal and professional relations.
   
   · Conducts oneself professionally by maintaining respect, following regulations and agency policies and adhering to confidentiality requirements in all assigned duties.
   
   · Attends mandatory training and meetings as assigned and required. Maintains all required certifications.
   
   · Physical demands include Frequent standing, pushing, pulling, walking, stooping, lifting and twisting.
   
   Required Qualifications:
   
   · High school diploma or GED is required, bachelor's degree and training in positive behavior supports interventions preferred.
   
   · A valid driver's license and acceptable driving record and CORI/Fingerprinting is always required during employment with The Arc of Opportunity.
   
   · Staff must have direct experience working with children ages 6-22.
   
   · Ability to transfer, change, shower assist with toileting and all personal care needs of the individuals supported.
   
   · Demonstrated communication skills, in verbal and written English, which convey concise information in a professional and respectful manner to individuals supported, family member/guardians, peers, government agencies, community partners and employees.
   
   · Ability to lift up to 50 lbs.
   
   · Ability to kneel, bend, push and carry items.
   
   · Ability to physically assist individuals according to their needs and perform physical restraint if necessary.
   
   · Ability to sustain periods of walking, standing, and sitting.
   
   · Computer literacy skills.
   
   · Ability to see, speak and hear.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right relief mate 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 relief mates they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit relief mates 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 relief mate job on Zippia to find and recruit relief mate candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit relief mates, 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 relief mate

   Once you've selected the best relief mate candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the 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 relief mate. 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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