As the title implies, the assistant manager’s primary responsibility is to assist the manager in completing his responsibilities. The specific responsibilities vary greatly depending on the industry. The assistant manager often works more closely with line employees and customers if the manager supervises production and employees while reporting to upper management. As a result, the assistant manager may become more involved in human resources and customer service. The manager will have a better understanding of floor needs as well as more time to plan strategic growth and communicate with upper management with an extra set of eyes monitoring production and employees.
Assistant managers may also be assigned to carry out some of the manager’s responsibilities. In the case of retail establishments, one example of how the assistant manager can assist the manager is depositing earnings into a bank account. This may be the first managerial position reached by disgruntled customers during the customer service process. This task relieves the manager of some of his or her responsibilities while ensuring that the customer is heard and treated with respect.
The assistant manager position is frequently regarded as a training position, with future managers assisting and learning from current managers. A manager-in-training program ensures that new managers are well-versed in their responsibilities and have sufficient on-the-job experience. Manager-in-training programs can prepare you for positions within the company or at a different branch. For example, restaurant franchises frequently train assistant managers at different locations so that they can gain sufficient experience without losing control over their employees.
The assistant manager may be required to be on the front line at all times, depending on the company’s customer service relationship management strategy. For example, an assistant retail store manager may be in charge of interacting with customers and gauging their satisfaction as they are served. Clients will notice a commitment to customer service, and upper management will have quick access to problems that need to be addressed on the front line.
Assistant managers may take on some human resource responsibilities on occasion. This can include things like conflict resolution and hiring and firing practices. However, because human resource practices have legal implications, the assistant manager should be trained in the local human resource requirements before completing these tasks. As a result, not all organizations assign these responsibilities to assistant managers directly.