What Does an Assistant General Manager Do in Their Position?

Updated 20 June 2023

The assistant general manager has an important responsibility in supporting the operations of a business. Because assistant general managers are involved in many aspects of a company's day-to-day functions, they have a wide range of duties in their job description. If you're interested in becoming an assistant general manager, understanding the expectations of the position is important so you can prepare for the job. In this article, we explain what an assistant general manager does and review their main areas of responsibility in the workplace.

What does an assistant general manager do?

To learn more about what an assistant general manager does, they support the general manager of a business to supervise the staff and coordinate the daily functions of the company. The general manager develops the overall strategy for how to run the business and the assistant general manager implements their ideas. Their main goal is to help the business optimise its performance and increase profits while also managing the staff. They act as a liaison between team members and company leadership and promote cooperation to achieve company goals.

Work environment for assistant general managers

Because assistant general managers are a member of a company's business leadership team, they can work at almost any type of organisation. They provide support and supervision in different sectors to implement the mission of the manager, business owner and executive team. Assistant general managers can work in retail, hospitality, the service industry and office environments.

Depending on where they work, assistant general managers may adapt their skills and responsibilities to fit the needs of the business. For example, the assistant general manager of a gym may need extensive knowledge of exercise equipment and fitness activities to train their employees and support programming for the business. The assistant general manager of a restaurant has different duties focusing on managing inventory and meeting the quality expectations of diners.

Key duties for assistant general managers

Assistant general managers have several categories of responsibility. Although their exact duties can fluctuate daily and may change depending on the type of business, here are the main duties you can expect:

Creating schedules

Assistant general managers are in charge of developing the staff schedule to ensure that the company has enough people to complete all essential functions for the company. They review the availability of all employees and compare it to the labour needs for every pay period. They consider how many hours each employee wants to work, their full-time or part-time status, the need for any double shifts and the budget for overtime. Assistant general managers often work for employers who use a shift-based schedule, which means that developing a schedule is a key part of their duties each week.

Assistant general managers also help with resolving scheduling issues as they happen throughout the week. If people want to trade shifts, they seek approval from the assistant general manager to complete the request. Assistant general managers also help people find last-minute coverage for a shift if they have an emergency and cannot attend.

Recruiting and hiring

General managers and assistant general managers collaborate to complete the recruiting and hiring process. The general manager typically has the power to make final decisions about hiring, but assistant general managers often complete many of the functions related to recruiting, reviewing applications and interviewing. General managers may even delegate decision-making responsibilities to assistant general managers.

Assistant general managers advertise when their team is hiring, determine the essential qualifications for each role and select applicants to interview. They decide which questions to ask to evaluate candidates, schedule interviews and take notes about which candidates they want to hire. Once they choose their top candidates, assistant general managers submit their choices to general managers and discuss the best long-term candidate for the team.

Training employees

The assistant general manager ensures that everyone on staff is competent in their role and has the skills to be successful in their position. They develop onboarding and training materials to ensure that everyone on the team has the same standards for completing their work. Assistant general managers generate a plan for teaching employees the expectations, procedures and rules of the business. They determine the level of competency that their team members require for various skills in each role, and then create a training plan to achieve those benchmarks. They also create a timeline for accomplishing those goals.

Alongside additional training for new employees, assistant general managers create professional development materials. They research developments in their industry and design courses to educate employees about any updates. Assistant general managers also update employee handbooks as reference material to reflect their training details.

Tracking performance

Assistant general managers monitor the performance of a business by tracking key performance indicators. They review weekly, monthly and yearly goals from management and track company data to ensure that their team is on track to achieve their objectives. Assistant general managers review the individual performance of the employees on their team and the overall success of the business. Based on the data they collect, they report to the manager and make suggestions about strategic changes to how they advertise or manage the business.

Managing inventory

Equipment and inventory management are some of the core responsibilities of an assistant manager. Because inventory, equipment and supplies influence how a company functions, assistant general managers constantly monitor the availability of stock for their business. They determine when to place new purchase orders from vendors, what quantities to buy and how to organise their current inventory. Assistant general managers develop inventory management systems to measure turnover, track damaged goods and decide when to replace products with different offerings.

Another inventory management duty for assistant general managers is maintaining relationships with suppliers. They review product samples, recommend items to the manager for them to review and maintain communication with vendor representatives about making purchases. They may also research other options for suppliers to find affordable equipment and inventory options.

Enforcing policies

The assistant general manager oversees employee behaviour and enforces company policies. During the workday, assistant general managers supervise employees and ensure that they comply with expectations when completing their duties. When necessary, assistant general managers remind their team of company policies and implement disciplinary consequences for infractions. They may also assist with overall company compliance with industry regulations, such as maintaining documentation to prove that the business is following the law.

Gathering feedback

Because assistant general managers are the connection between the team members of a company and the business leadership, they serve a key role in sharing feedback from employees. They communicate with the individuals on their team to learn about their perspectives on the company, its policies and its training process. They can use the information they learn to report back to management with suggestions on how to improve the business, alleviate issues and provide more support to their team.

Troubleshooting issues

Assistant general managers solve problems during shifts and provide hands-on assistance when members of the team encounter an issue. If someone on their team has a problem that they don't know how to resolve, they can talk to the assistant general manager to get their perspective on how to approach the issue. They can also escalate high-level challenges to the assistant general manager, allowing them to directly help customers and clients with complex issues that impact the company.

Salary for assistant general managers

The national average salary for an assistant general manager is $7,334 per month. Many companies offer assistant general managers bonuses and other financial incentives based on the performance of their store, department or team. Because the daily operations of a business run on the assistant general managers' direct involvement, they can use their knowledge and skills to increase profits for their employer, improving their potential to earn raises. Assistant general managers may have higher salaries in some industries depending on the income and financial success of the business they manage.

Assistant manager schedule

Assistant managers often have a busy schedule because they oversee the regular functions of a business. They have regular shifts on-site at the company they help manage. For example, if they work at a retail location that has a morning shift and an evening shift, they may work a swing shift so they can supervise employees for a portion of both shifts. Assistant managers typically work full time, and may work overtime to meet the needs of the business. This can include arriving early to open the business or coming in to cover shifts for employees.

Salary figures reflect data listed on Indeed Salaries at time of writing. Salaries may vary depending on the hiring organisation and a candidate's experience, academic background and location.

What Does an Assistant General Manager Do in Their Position?