what is a team leader?
In an organisation, functions are divided into various departments, and the company hires leaders to supervise workers in each group. A team leader directs a group of people to achieve a particular goal. For instance, marketing executives can have a team leader who ensures the execution of the marketing strategy. However, unlike a manager who directs organisational plans, a team leader takes a motivational role and builds relationships with employees.
what does a team leader do?
As a team leader, you build relationships with your team members and understand their strengths and weaknesses. You also know what inspires and interests them when assigning tasks to achieve the best results.
Job opportunities for team leaders are available in various industries that require employees to work in groups to complete projects. For instance, the manufacturing industry needs team leaders to control quality during the assembly or packaging of products. Healthcare institutions use team leaders to manage community programmes and oversee medical personnel.
Would working as a team leader suit your leadership and interpersonal skills? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in a team leader role.
find your next jobaverage salary of a team leader
According to Payscale, the average salary of a team leader in India is ₹786,754 per year. Team leaders earn around ₹500,000 annually in entry-level positions. As you increase your experience and improve your skills, your earnings can rise to ₹2,000,000 per year. Besides the base salary, team leaders often earn bonuses and overtime pay for working extra hours or achieving targets. The allowances for team leaders often include medical insurance, transport allowance and contributions to a pension scheme. Most employers also offer non-monetary benefits like paid vacations and sick days.
what factors affect your salary as a team leader?
Salaries for team leaders vary based on skills, experience and performance. Your employer evaluates your skills and experience level at entry level and uses them to determine your pay structure. During your tenure, the company measures your performance based on expectations and your achievement of targets and goals. This appraisal forms the basis of salary increments and bonuses.
Your position in the company hierarchy also influences your pay. If you work alongside managers, you are likely to earn more due to the higher expectations. Your specific role can also impact your pay structure. For instance, team leaders who manage large teams have better compensation packages since they supervise, train and direct the teams.
types of team leader
Types of team leaders depend on the industry and roles in a company. Some include:
- marketing team leaders: as a marketing team leader, you coordinate the activities of your sales and marketing teams to achieve targets. That means you develop a marketing strategy for your team and coach them on the best marketing practices.
- manufacturing team leaders: assembling parts of a product or packaging them after production requires a group of workers. As a team leader, you monitor the work progress to ensure quality standards are adhered to and employees finish the work on time. You also train employees on pre-delivery inspections.
- community team leaders: rehabilitation facilities and hospitals host community programmes to provide various services. A team leader oversees the programmes by managing the staff and liaising with the public.
working as a team leader
Curious about what a team leader does daily? Read on to find out team leaders' duties, responsibilities and work routines.
-
duties and responsibilities
Team leaders juggle multiple tasks each day, including:
- managing operations of a team: as a team leader, you organise employees to achieve the set objectives. When you are in charge of multiple workers in the same project, you create a schedule and assign tasks to members. You also monitor the progress of each team member and ensure they have the necessary resources to achieve goals.
- training team members: a team leader coaches and trains employees to help them develop valuable skills and the desired work ethic. Apart from training, your job is to improve members' performance through feedback and demonstration of the procedures for accomplishing tasks.
- solving problems and conflicts: as the team leader, you solve problems and disputes among team members. You can prevent conflicts by assigning tasks to each worker and setting ground rules for interactions within the team. When a conflict arises, you try to find solutions before it escalates.
- motivating team members: team leaders motivate their teams to achieve the set goals and drive performance. You build a good relationship with employees by sharing feedback and planning regular meetings to discuss issues affecting them. Other duties that drive performance include personal development plans, incentives or rewards and supporting social activities. Your team is successful when you provide adequate support and plug any performance gaps with mentorship programmes.
-
work environment
As a team leader, you can work in various industries, from healthcare to manufacturing and retail. Your work environment depends on your sector and the roles you perform. In manufacturing, you work in factories and production plants to manage teams. That means you often need to wear personal protective equipment like masks, gloves or goggles. You also spend most of the day standing and walking around the facility to supervise your team members. By contrast, in retail, your work is predominantly office-based. You organise meetings with sales reps and assign tasks before marketing campaigns begin.
-
who are your colleagues?
Your colleagues might include supervisors, deputy managers and managers based on the company or industry sector. You might also be working in close proximity to project managers and operations managers, as well as other specialists that could include, but are not limited to, facilities managers, engineers and healthcare professionals.
-
work schedule
As a team leader, your work schedule runs from 9 am to 5 pm for office-based work environments. That means you work an average of 40 hours per week full-time. In manufacturing environments which operate 24/7, you may work early morning or late night shifts since a team leader has to be available on each shift. Finding part-time opportunities for team leaders is challenging, but you can look for short-term contracts. Team leaders have minimal travelling unless they are attending workshops or conferences.
-
job outlook
There are usually good numbers of team leader positions available because it is a role that serves virtually any sector. Becoming a team leader is the first step into managerial roles. With experience and exceptional skills, you can become a deputy manager or assistant manager before becoming a manager. In some sectors, you can increase your qualifications and progress to facilities manager or operations manager in charge of all the teams in an organisation. Team leaders also make exceptional project managers since they motivate teams and assign duties contributing to completing a project.
-
advantages of finding a team leader job through randstad
Finding your team leader job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid on a monthly basis
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a team leader is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
While your skills and previous work experience in a leadership role are more important, educational qualifications are a bonus. At entry level, you need qualifications in the industry sector you intend to work for if you want to build your expertise. For instance, if you work in a rehabilitation centre, a certificate or diploma in social work or healthcare helps you conduct community programmes. If you work in retail, a background in sales or a bachelor's degree in marketing improves your skills.
You can also prepare for the management role by gaining a government-approved certificate in team management or management skills. Internships can offer an excellent opportunity to start your career.
skills and competencies
Successful team leaders have great leadership skills but also benefit from the following skills and competencies:
- technical expertise: as a team leader, you are an expert in your field and have good technical experience. Your ability to coach and supervise the performance of tasks relies on your experience and knowledge in relevant areas.
- emotional intelligence: to excel as a team leader, building healthy working relationships is crucial. You can manage your emotions and recognise or influence other people's emotions with emotional intelligence. Emotional intelligence also boosts your social skills and helps you promote engagement and manage stress levels in your team.
- ability to provide objective feedback: a team leader measures each team member's performance and provides constructive feedback. Even when the feedback is negative, you find the right way to convey this and recommend means to improve performance.
- communication skills: as a team leader, you are in constant communication with team members, management and other stakeholders. Communication skills help you provide clear instructions to employees and share any grievances with managers. Written communication skills are also important for conducting performance appraisals and writing reports.
- decision-making skills: team leaders make decisions during the project execution phase to guide team members. That means you have access to relevant information, and your decision-making skills enable you to make the best choices for the project.
FAQs about working as a team leader
FAQs about working as a team leader:
-
what are the five qualities of a team leader?
A team leader has motivational skills, good communication, leadership abilities and decision-making skills. They also benefit from emotional intelligence.
-
what are the qualities of a good team leader?
A good team leader has knowledge and experience in the relevant field. They also use relationship-building skills to develop healthy relationships and inspire staff members.
-
what is the team leader called?
A team leader is a supervisor since they guide a group of workers to achieve a particular goal.
-
what do team leaders do?
A team leader oversees or directs a group of employees to accomplish a particular project. They also report the team's progress and monitor performance.
-
how much does a team leader earn?
A team leader earns an average salary of around ₹800,000 per year. With experience, you can make up to ₹2,000,000.
-
how do I apply for a team leader vacancy?
Applying for a team leader job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
