How to hire a management trainee

How to hire a management trainee, step by step

Here's a step-by-step management trainee hiring guide:

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

What does a management trainee do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The management trainee 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

   A management trainee's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, management trainees 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.

   Here's a comparison of management trainee salaries for various roles:

   Type of Management Trainee	Description	Hourly rate
   Management Trainee	Management trainees work closely with more senior managers in a department and perform delegated managerial tasks with an goal of earning a promotion to become a manager in the future.	$18-29
   Floor Supervisor	A floor supervisor is personnel hired by the hospitality and retail establishments who provide a quality experience to guests by inspecting the guest area's cleanliness. To maintain freshness, a floor supervisor collaborates with a manager to deploy custodial staff and train new employees... Show more	$10-16
   Key Holder	A keyholder is responsible for ensuring the store's daily security before and after the operation. Keyholders' duties include assisting with administrative tasks, handling customers' inquiries, managing and escalating customers' complaints, monitoring the alarm system, keeping track of the deliveries, supporting staff training, cooperating in company's events, and recommending operational strategies to meet business goals and objectives... Show more	$12-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Enterprise Management
   • Management Training
   • Customer Service
   • Product Knowledge
   • Cash Management
   • Store Training
   • Store Operations
   • Human Resources
   • Cleanliness
   • Financial Statements
   • Work Ethic
   • Leadership
   • Management
   • Professional Work

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage internal marketing programs including telemarketing and email campaigns to increase customer activity.
   • Manage payroll, payments, social security calculations, all administrative functions and vacation rolls coordination.
   • Develop management and leadership principles while managing, training, and motivating employees in fast-pace, high-volume sales/customer service business.
   • Develop workforce management, inventory management, leadership, time-management and prioritization skills through working closely with store and department management.
   • Perform successful sales in roofing and general construction.
   • Create Instagram and Facebook posts having to do with new clothing shipments.

   More management trainee duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the management trainee job description is a good way to get more applicants. A management trainee salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a management trainee in Kentucky may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level management trainee. Additionally, a management trainee with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average management trainee salary

   $48,477yearly

   $23.31 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level management trainee salary

   $38,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average management trainee salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$57,022	$27
   2	Colorado	$56,661	$27
   3	Nevada	$56,201	$27
   4	California	$53,694	$26
   5	New York	$52,156	$25
   6	Massachusetts	$51,898	$25
   7	Minnesota	$51,746	$25
   8	Oregon	$50,839	$24
   9	Maryland	$49,505	$24
   10	Kansas	$49,097	$24
   11	Wisconsin	$49,048	$24
   12	Pennsylvania	$48,336	$23
   13	New Hampshire	$48,209	$23
   14	Texas	$48,049	$23
   15	Oklahoma	$48,002	$23
   16	Georgia	$47,884	$23
   17	Missouri	$47,485	$23
   18	Nebraska	$47,448	$23
   19	Ohio	$47,374	$23
   20	Illinois	$47,168	$23

   Average management trainee salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	BNSF Railway	$72,922	$35.06	44
   2	Canadian Pacific Railway	$70,433	$33.86
   3	IBM	$67,673	$32.54	166
   4	Reckitt Benckiser	$66,775	$32.10
   5	Seneca Foods	$66,527	$31.98	4
   6	Bayer	$66,189	$31.82	7
   7	Beef Products	$64,562	$31.04
   8	Loup Logistics	$63,114	$30.34
   9	Beacon Building Products	$63,037	$30.31
   10	Norfolk Southern	$60,994	$29.32
   11	Kinney Drugs	$59,995	$28.84	3
   12	Capitol Broadcasting	$59,752	$28.73	1
   13	Reynolds American	$59,354	$28.54
   14	Sun Chemical	$59,029	$28.38	2
   15	Forever 21	$58,797	$28.27
   16	Price Chopper Supermarkets-Market 32	$58,792	$28.27
   17	Foster Farms	$58,689	$28.22
   18	Oldcastle Infrastructure	$58,637	$28.19	42
   19	Uline	$57,652	$27.72	127
   20	Thomson Reuters	$56,628	$27.23	2

4. Writing a management trainee job description

   A good management trainee job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a management trainee job description:

   Management trainee job description example

   ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:
   
   Responds to and consistently meets the needs of internal clients. Supports and cultivates new ideas and methods to deliver business solutions. Identifies ways to increase efficiencies or improve product or service. Delivers assignments/projects on time and completes all aspects before delivering to internal clients. Clearly communicates programs/services to necessary people, seeks their support and keeps them informed of changes that may impact the business. Keeps track of existing products/services and/or progress on new initiatives. Prepares project plans that aid in moving project forward. Stays up to date with the latest developments in the profession. Develops skills to handle increasingly complex matters. Complies with and upholds company expectations including Code of Commitment, policies, procedures, industry regulations, department goals and business strategy. Politely gives consistent, timely and accurate information and finds answer when unsure. Consistently demonstrates superior customer service skills and acts as a positive role model for all internal and external guests.
   
   This position is part of a corporate approved \"Management Development Trainee Program\" to be utilized solely as a training position. The Program is designed to prepare the employee for a professional or supervisory level position by providing on-the-job training, self-study and observation of each department within a functional area of our business. The program offers the trainee an opportunity to perform as a contributing member in any functional area. Under the guidance of a current Manager, the Management Development Trainee will work on a variety of tasks, projects and assignments that will teach the basics of each department within any of the functional areas. The rotation of assignments will offer an opportunity for the trainee to develop a thorough knowledge and understanding of the basic job skills requirements and overall demands of the functional area to which they are assigned. The Management Development Trainee will be assigned to areas deemed essential to meeting program objectives. He/she will work with all levels of employees as a professional in that area. As assignments are completed the trainee will perform job functions commensurate with their skills and licensure.
   
   EDUCATION/SKILLS/EXPERIENCE:
   
   BS/BA in Business Administration with concentration of studies related to trainee's assignment. Strong interpersonal, problem solving and leadership skills. Strong orientation toward customer service. Demonstrated excellence in quality of work experience. (i.e., employee must meet a minimum performance rating of highly successful on their most recent review).
   
   DISCLAIMER:
   
   "This is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, skills, duties, requirements, effort or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed when circumstances change (e.g., emergencies, changes in personnel, workload, rush jobs, or technical developments)."
   
   At Caesars Entertainment, Inc., our Team Members create the extraordinary. We are the largest casino-entertainment company in the U.S. and one of the world's most diversified casino-entertainment providers. Since beginning in Reno, Nevada, in 1937, Caesars Entertainment has grown through the development of new resorts, expansions and acquisitions. Our resorts operate primarily under the Caesars , Harrah's , Horseshoe and Eldorado brand names. We focus on building loyalty and value with our guests through a combination of impeccable service, operational excellence and technological leadership. The company is committed to its Team Members, suppliers, communities and the environment through its PEOPLE PLANET PLAY framework.
   
   Our Caesars family is driven by our Mission, Vision and Values. We take great pride in living these values - Together We Win, All In On Service and Blaze the Trail - every day. Our mission, "Create the Extraordinary". Our vision, "Create spectacular worlds. That immerse, inspire and connect you. We don't perform magic; we create it with excellence. #WeAreCaesars". If you are ready to create some magic, we invite you to explore our dynamic, yet unique, career opportunities.
   
   full time - position requires CER 35 NJ LICENSE

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right management trainee for your business, consider trying out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important sources of talent for any company is its existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and current employees and ask if they know or have worked with management trainees they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit management trainees who meet your education requirements.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter now have more than 3.5 billion users, and you can use social media to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit management trainees, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates can move on to the technical interview.

   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 management trainee

   Once you have selected a candidate for the management trainee 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 important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new management trainee. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

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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