A staff manager oversees a team of employees. Staff managers work in every industry, with duties varying greatly by each individual company. Some work in marketing, some in sales, some in advertising, others in construction or insurance. But regardless of field, staff managers share a common goal: to keep their employees motivated and working as a team.

Basics

Staff managers in every industry handle many of the same tasks. That includes interviewing and hiring employees, and making certain they are properly trained. Staff managers also conduct performance reviews, and if necessary, fire employees. But that is often a last resort, as staff managers aim to keep morale and production high, limiting discord and turnover. They also handle scheduling their staff, assigning accounts and duties, and identifying problems and finding ways to overcome them.

Skills

Staff managers must be strong leaders who display passion in their work. They must possess excellent communication skills, often both written and verbally. They must be assertive, patient, resilient, professional, organized, rational and often creative. They also must be experts in their company’s policies, guidelines and mission, making sure members of their staffs understand them as well. Also, in today’s workforce, it’s highly likely staff managers will need some form of computer and technical skills.

Background

Educational requirements to become a staff manager vary widely by industry and individual company. A staff manager in marketing may be required to carry a bachelor’s or even master’s degree, while the manager of a computer repair shop may need only a certificate from a vocational school. Staff managers normally have to spend time as members of a staff, or on the staff of a related industry, before being promoted to run the team.

Prospects

Opportunities for managers are likely to be plentiful regardless of industry, as every business needs someone to organize and motivate employees in every department. Among the fastest-growing manager positions, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, are those in human resources, sales, public relations and marketing. The BLS projected that employment of human resources managers is expected to increase by 22 percent through 2018, while that of sales managers is projected to increase by 15 percent. Public relations and marketing managers, meanwhile, are estimated to see their jobs increase by 13 and 12 percent, respectively, according to the BLS.

Earnings

Wages for staff managers differ as greatly as the many industries in which they work. For instance, according to PayScale.com, information technology managers earned from $57,000 to nearly $101,000 in May 2010, while those in retail sales earned from $31,000 to more than $53,000.