The Difference Between the Deputy Manager and the Assistant Manager in Terms of Responsibilities

The difference between the deputy and assistant manager lies in the hierarchy and job duties. Often, despite the difference in naming, they are confused. So, in this article we are going to use an example of a large retail organization to illustrate the difference between a deputy and an assistant manager.

While it is easy to list the duties of a deputy manager and those of an assistant manager, a practical example should make it easier to understand and define their respective roles and responsibilities in the organization.

"Russell and Williams" is a furniture and home appliances company with more than 200 branches and thousands of employees.

The company is considering expansion until it has 300 branches. Therefore, their goal this year is to raise the pace of marketing operations in order to achieve expansion as quickly as possible. In line with that, the company recently has implemented a new advertising strategy that boosted its sales and doubled its clients' base.

Although the new development was positive, the duties of the company manager Kelvin doubled and the burden of responsibilities increased significantly. For example, in addition to preparing annual budgets and developing project policies, he must take care of client complaints and supervise the tasks delegated to employees .

So, Kelvin decided to reach out to the company's administration regarding how to help him. The administration decided that it was wise to appoint a deputy manager who would relieve him of some duties.

Deputy Manager:

Administrative positions impose a high level of responsibility and a large amount of duties, so help must be provided, and here the importance of the deputy manager's role emerges. The main job is generally to help and support the manager. People holding this job are usually considered as the second people in the company according to the organizational structure, and charged with taking on all the burdens of the manager's job when the manager is busy.

The deputy manager contributes to strategic program planning, policy development, and project coordination. In most cases the deputy manager has the same skill set as the manager.

Duties of the Deputy Manager:

1. Manager assistant.
2. Taking on the responsibilities and duties of the manager when the latter is not present.
3. Helping in the strategic planning of programs and the development and coordination of the company's projects. Through their strategic location, they play a role in making important decisions, taking into account the nature of each of the company's departments.
4. Assisting the manager in preparing annual budgets to monitor revenues and expenses. It is their duty to communicate with the heads of the finance and accounting departments to provide an annual financial plan, and this is necessary to enable the company to track and achieve specific goals in a manner that suits the company.
5. Attending internal and external meetings as requested by management.
6. Compilation of reports submitted by department heads in order to prepare annual reports for the company. These reports help the deputy manager to monitor the key performance indicators for each department head on a monthly basis.
7. Submitting direct reports to the manager about the progress that has been achieved in the company's work domains, and providing the manager with detailed reports on activities and projects in order to keep them informed of all the issues related to the company.

The basic set of skills required for a deputy manager:

1. Team leadership skills.
2. Presentation skills.
3. Project and program management skills.
4. Problem solving skills.
5. Effective communication skills.
6. Planning skills and decision-making skills, especially making decisions on behalf of the manager. 

While many of Kelvin's manager duties have been delegated to the deputy manager, the company still has many outstanding matters such as unresolved client complaints and employee oversight.

Kelvin once again drew the attention of management to these matters, and management emphasized that it was the duty of the deputy manager to deal with these issues. Kelvin offered a different point of view, and cited the reasons why these procedural activities are among the duties of the assistant manager rather than the deputy manager.

Assistant Manager:

An assistant manager is a person who assumes administrative responsibilities and acts as a link between management and employees. An assistant manager is also responsible for defining the duties of employees, overseeing the day-to-day operations and ensuring the proper conduct of the company's activities. Their primary responsibility is to implement the goals and procedures set by the manager. 

Assistant Manager Duties:

1. Recruitment and training of employees where the assistant manager collaborates with the human resource management department to recruit the best capabilities in the company.
2. Delegating and supervising the tasks assigned to them by the manager, thus ensuring their implementation in the right time. The managerial functions entrusted to the manager are more than those required of the assistant manager, so the assistant manager plays a role in making sure that given tasks are followed up and accomplished.
3. Guiding and directing employees in the performance of their job duties.
4. Maintaining a high level of client service by effectively communicating with them and ensuring that their needs are met.
5. Implementation of strategies that ensure the efficiency of purposes in the company.
6. Assistance in handling customer complaints.
7. Ensure that disputes between employees are settled amicably. 

Essential Skills Required for an Assistant Manager:

1. Organization and supervision skills.
2. Important decision making skills.
3. Skills to provide high-level services to clients.
4. Outstanding communication skills.
5. Performance management skills.
6. Motivational and problem solving skills.
7. Computer driving skills as required depending on the level of experience. 

Comparison between the salary of the deputy manager and the salary of the assistant manager:

A deputy manager usually has more years of experience than an assistant manager. According to the hierarchy of both positions, the deputy manager's job is higher than that of the assistant manager; therefore, the salary and compensation of the assistant is less than the salary and compensation of the deputy manager.

The average salary for a deputy manager is $61,593 per year, while the average salary for an assistant manager is $45,972 per year in the United States of America (USA). Compensation and salaries vary between companies, but in general, the goal of both jobs is to achieve the company's goals by performing integrated duties.