How to hire an employment training specialist

How to hire an employment training specialist, step by step

Here's a step-by-step employment training specialist hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an employment training specialist job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new employment training specialist
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The employment training specialist hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An employment training specialist's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, employment training specialists from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of employment training specialists.

   Type of Employment Training Specialist	Description	Hourly rate
   Employment Training Specialist	Training and development specialists plan, conduct, and administer programs that train employees and improve their skills and knowledge.	$13-21
   Facilitator	A facilitator is responsible for assisting a group event or program, ensuring that the participants coordinate well. Facilitators also monitor that the objectives of the event are smoothly delivered and organized... Show more	$13-33
   Trainer	A trainer is responsible for instilling knowledge and process techniques for a specific business role. Duties of a trainer include facilitating engaging classes, identifying areas of improvement and opportunities for the learner, evaluating skills and attending to the learner's challenges, organizing training materials and scheduling training sessions, and submitting timely reports to the management on progress... Show more	$14-35

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Developmental Disabilities
   • Employment Training
   • Support Services
   • Competitive Employment
   • Autism
   • Data Entry
   • Rehabilitation
   • Social Work
   • Community Integration
   • Employment Services
   • Mental Health
   • Training Programs
   • On-The-Job Training
   • Vocational Rehabilitation

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage payroll, benefits and insurance administration.
   • Demonstrate employability competencies on verbal and written communication, coping and decision making skills.
   • Research and recommend various organizations and resources to communicate company opportunities to minorities, veterans and individuals with disabilities.
   • Maintain reports and changes of consumer cases and on a weekly basis email updates to DARS counselors.
   • Provide job placement assistance for people with disabilities under the PWI grant, DVR and insurance companies.

   More employment training specialist duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your employment training specialist job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. An employment training specialist salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, employment training specialists' average salary in west virginia is 51% less than in washington.
   • Seniority. Entry-level employment training specialists earn 38% less than senior-level employment training specialists.
   • Certifications. An employment training specialist with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in an employment training specialist's salary.

   Average employment training specialist salary

   $35,991yearly

   $17.30 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level employment training specialist salary

   $28,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 21, 2026

   Average employment training specialist salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	New Jersey	$41,314	$20
   2	Maine	$40,511	$19
   3	Rhode Island	$39,144	$19
   4	Virginia	$38,803	$19
   5	New York	$38,260	$18
   6	Massachusetts	$38,235	$18
   7	California	$38,073	$18
   8	Maryland	$37,199	$18
   9	New Hampshire	$37,010	$18
   10	Delaware	$36,944	$18
   11	Michigan	$32,932	$16
   12	Oklahoma	$30,347	$15
   13	Idaho	$29,541	$14
   14	Wisconsin	$28,379	$14

   Average employment training specialist salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Delaware State Government	$42,076	$20.23	4
   2	Wedgwood Christian Services	$40,978	$19.70
   3	Helen Keller International	$40,701	$19.57
   4	Dale Rogers Training Center	$39,303	$18.90
   5	Maine	$38,823	$18.66
   6	Veterans	$38,456	$18.49
   7	Development Workshop	$38,018	$18.28
   8	Public Consulting Group	$37,558	$18.06
   9	Florida Department of Transportation	$35,156	$16.90
   10	Devereux Arizona	$34,558	$16.61	8
   11	The Salvation Army	$34,542	$16.61	49
   12	FHI 360	$34,280	$16.48
   13	My Florida Regional Mls	$33,664	$16.18
   14	Americorps	$33,591	$16.15	23
   15	Goodwill of Orange County	$33,057	$15.89	1
   16	YAI	$32,356	$15.56	8
   17	INALLIANCE	$31,918	$15.35

4. Writing an employment training specialist job description

   A job description for an employment training specialist role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an employment training specialist job description:

   Employment training specialist job description example

   NEW $1,500 Sign On Bonus

   Have you heard the news?

   Devereux has increased our hourly starting rate to $17.35!!!!

   Are you interested in making an impact on the lives of individuals with intellectual/developmental/behavioral health disabilities? Do you enjoy helping others strive to their full potential?

   If you answered YES to either of these questions, then consider joining our Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health team!

   Being a Employment Training Specialist has its Advantages

   As a Employment Training Specialist at Devereux, you will work with other dedicated professionals who share your passion for helping individuals in need.

   We offer: A comprehensive benefit package, paid training, tuition assistance and opportunity for internal growth.

   As a Employment Training Specialist you will:

   • Identify the individual's interests in order to facilitate a job/career of choice.
   • Identify the individual's skills and talents using functional community based assessments in order to facilitate a job/career of choice
   • Identify workplace supports that assist the individual with a disability in becoming employed and/or maintaining employment
   • Identify and Negotiate customized jobs for individuals with disabilities.
   • Address employer concerns about hiring and supervising people with disabilities while maintaining the confidentiality of the job seekers
   • Use data collection techniques to document effectiveness of workplace supports and to guide fading from the job site
   • Provide or facilitate both on and off the job supports to help increase the odds that the individual with a disability becomes successful at work
   • Collect and analyze performance data to assist with making decisions about the effectiveness of work place supports. As needed, modify supports and/or develop new ones
   • Identify and develop natural supports in the workplace

   The Employment Training Specialist is based in Newton, NJ and reports directly to the Program Manager.

   Devereux Advanced Behavioral Health New Jersey touches the lives of nearly 500 children, adolescents and adults, and their families, across the state. Individuals with emotional, behavioral and cognitive disabilities, including autism, are served through a broad spectrum of treatment settings, including community-based homes and supported apartments, vocational training programs, family care homes, and consulting services.

   Governor Murphy's Executive Order 283 COVID-19 vaccine mandate requires unvaccinated staff without a medical or religious exemption requires the following:

   • Must receive the first dose prior to their start date , if you are receiving a 2 dose vaccine, your second dose is three weeks after your first dose.
   • You will also need to receive your booster shot by 3/30 or within 3 weeks of becoming eligible based on CDC guidelines, whichever is later. Currently those guidelines call for booster shots 5 months after receiving the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or 2 months after receiving the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. The order requires all staff eligible receive the booster to be considered up to date on their vaccinations.
   • If you are already fully vaccinated, you will need to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or have an approved medical or religious exemption prior to starting.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right employment training specialist for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your employment training specialist job on Zippia to find and recruit employment training specialist candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit employment training specialists, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new employment training specialist

   Once you have selected a candidate for the employment training specialist position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employment training specialist first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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