How to hire a manager trainee

How to hire a manager trainee, step by step

Here's a step-by-step manager 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 manager trainee job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new manager trainee
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a manager trainee do?

Post a manager trainee job for free, promote it for a fee

Post free

1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a manager trainee, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

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

   Yes

   No

   A manager trainee's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, managers trainee 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 presents manager trainee salaries for various positions.

   Type of Manager Trainee	Description	Hourly rate
   Manager Trainee		$17-31
   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
   Shift Supervisor	Shift supervisors are responsible for the employees assigned to the shift that they are handling. Shift supervisors ensure that the employees who were expected to report to work at the specific shift came in... Show more	$12-21

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Management
   • Management Position
   • Store Management
   • Inventory Management
   • Leadership
   • Customer Complaints
   • Product Knowledge
   • Customer Orders
   • Customer Service
   • Customer Satisfaction
   • Cleanliness
   • Building Materials
   • Branch Management
   • Multitasking

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage the appearance of the store in conjunction with the store priorities to present a desirable image of Aldi.
   • Work in a fast-pace environment where multitasking and stress management is essential.
   • Improve sanitation, cleanliness, and customer experience exceeding such levels maintain by previous management.
   • Train within the organization on various aspects regarding leadership, merchandising, customer service, inventory, profit/loss and civic responsibility.
   • Talk about ADT and UPT with the employees every morning and night.
   • Provide team support such as weekly contests to motivate increase UPT performance.

   More manager trainee duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the manager trainee job description is a good way to get more applicants. A manager 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 manager trainee in Kansas may be lower than in Rhode Island, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level manager trainee. Additionally, a manager trainee with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average manager trainee salary

   $49,193yearly

   $23.65 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level manager trainee salary

   $36,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 14, 2025

   Average manager trainee salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Rhode Island	$74,112	$36
   2	New Hampshire	$64,250	$31
   3	New Jersey	$61,953	$30
   4	Washington	$61,435	$30
   5	New York	$60,162	$29
   6	Massachusetts	$58,360	$28
   7	California	$58,264	$28
   8	Nevada	$56,471	$27
   9	Oregon	$52,603	$25
   10	Texas	$51,711	$25
   11	Louisiana	$51,231	$25
   12	Mississippi	$50,521	$24
   13	Michigan	$49,044	$24
   14	Pennsylvania	$48,953	$24
   15	Alabama	$48,759	$23
   16	Wisconsin	$48,744	$23
   17	Wyoming	$48,516	$23
   18	Maryland	$48,415	$23
   19	Minnesota	$48,080	$23
   20	Colorado	$47,934	$23

   Average manager trainee salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Seneca Foods	$66,615	$32.03
   2	Hannaford Supermarkets	$66,300	$31.88	29
   3	ALDI USA	$60,952	$29.30	292
   4	Roehl Transport	$59,960	$28.83
   5	GPAC	$59,782	$28.74
   6	First Student	$57,267	$27.53
   7	First Transit	$56,067	$26.96
   8	Town & Country Markets	$55,966	$26.91	3
   9	Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.	$55,161	$26.52	1
   10	Stewart's Shops	$54,947	$26.42
   11	RCI	$54,846	$26.37
   12	Waste Connections	$51,532	$24.77	5
   13	Henry Clay High School	$48,603	$23.37	1
   14	Baillie Lumber Co.	$47,150	$22.67
   15	Jerry's Enterprises	$46,587	$22.40
   16	Town Pump	$46,384	$22.30	7
   17	Massey Services	$46,198	$22.21
   18	Weis Markets	$45,621	$21.93
   19	Hatfield Meats	$45,250	$21.75
   20	The Citizens First National Bank Of Storm Lake	$44,541	$21.41

4. Writing a manager trainee job description

   A good manager 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 manager trainee job description:

   Manager trainee job description example

   This is a 10 month position.
   Assumes total responsibility for managing all foodservice department functions in a satellite school operation serving packaged meals from the IPS Food Center. Insures customers receive breakfasts and lunches that have been cooked and served in an atmosphere of efficiency, cleanliness, cooperation, and friendliness while adhering to food safety, sanitation, and USDA meal accountability requirements. Practices standards of personal appearance and grooming as determined by foodservice policy. Performs assigned tasks from the following categories of duties as well as other related duties assigned by Foodservice Operations Manager.
   QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to satisfactorily perform all assigned tasks in each category of essential duties as evaluated in a performance review. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
   High school diploma or general education (GED); one to three years related experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience. Previous foodservice, clerical, and supervisory experience desired.
   ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES Orders prepackaged meals and supplies from the Food Center and milk and juice products from the dairy per established schedules.
   Counts number of meals delivered to verify accuracy.
   Stores meals, milk, juice, and supplies in a food-safe and secure manner.
   Supervises and assists, as required, or assumes the role of a foodservice assistant in performing
   Assists with the meal/textbook application process in assigned school as directed from staff in the Foodservice Central Office.
   Maintains up-to-date roster of each student's eligibility status. Uses daily updated information from the Meal/Textbook Applications Specialist.
   Accounts for students and adults who receive a breakfast, lunch, or other items at the point of sale using the approved method of counting or tabulation.
   Insures students take the required menu components that constitute a reimbursable meal.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find the right manager 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 managers trainee they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit managers trainee 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.

   To find manager trainee candidates, you can consider the following options:

   • Post your job opening on Zippia or other job search websites.
   • Use niche websites that focus on engineering and technology jobs, such as salesjobs, salesheads, allretailjobs.com, sales trax.
   • Post your job on free job posting websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit managers trainee, 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.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you 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 manager trainee

   Once you've found the manager trainee candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new manager trainee 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.)

   Sign up to download full list

   Sign up

How much does it cost to hire a manager trainee?