How to hire an organizational development manager

How to hire an organizational development manager, step by step

Here's a step-by-step organizational development manager hiring guide:

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

What does an organizational development manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring an organizational development manager, 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

   An organizational development manager's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, organizational development managers 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 organizational development manager salaries for various roles:

   Type of Organizational Development Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Organizational Development Manager	Training and development managers plan, direct, and coordinate programs to enhance the knowledge and skills of an organization’s employees. They also oversee a staff of training and development specialists.	$29-57
   Director Of Training	Training directors are responsible for directing the planning, design, and implementation of training programs. They are responsible for assessing and identifying the company's training needs, maintaining a consistent culture regarding training, and managing and directing employee training... Show more	$22-62
   Training Administrator	Training administrators coordinate employees and management training programs. The administrators administer competency or skill assessments, outplacement, career counseling, and other specialized training for employees... Show more	$15-28

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Organizational Structure
   • Human Resources
   • Project Management
   • Organizational Effectiveness
   • Organization Development
   • Employee Engagement
   • Succession Planning
   • PowerPoint
   • Training Programs
   • Continuous Improvement
   • Employee Development
   • Career Development
   • Professional Development
   • Business Strategy

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Develop compelling PowerPoint presentations, manage online sign-ups for seminars, and ensure all paperwork is complete.
   • Develop a school-wide leadership program that incorporate leadership theory and practice, social change, emotional intelligence and basic skill development.
   • Identify the highest-potential leaders and create new practices that prepare and result in several program participants promotions into executive-level leadership roles.
   • Call center operations, HRIS and strategic PMO.
   • Develop and facilitate performance management initiatives including defining accountability and measuring results.

   More organizational development manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the organizational development manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. An organizational development manager 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 an organizational development manager in Louisiana may be lower than in New Jersey, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level organizational development manager. Additionally, an organizational development manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average organizational development manager salary

   $86,091yearly

   $41.39 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level organizational development manager salary

   $61,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

   Average organizational development manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$122,956	$59
   2	New York	$110,125	$53
   3	Massachusetts	$107,492	$52
   4	Maryland	$100,042	$48
   5	Virginia	$98,074	$47
   6	Illinois	$97,482	$47
   7	Wisconsin	$96,373	$46
   8	Nevada	$90,898	$44
   9	District of Columbia	$89,365	$43
   10	Pennsylvania	$84,363	$41
   11	Arizona	$83,443	$40
   12	Texas	$83,240	$40
   13	Georgia	$82,996	$40
   14	Colorado	$82,233	$40
   15	Kansas	$80,622	$39
   16	Michigan	$79,984	$38
   17	Tennessee	$79,200	$38
   18	Indiana	$77,637	$37
   19	South Carolina	$73,478	$35
   20	Louisiana	$72,491	$35

   Average organizational development manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	The TJX Companies	$132,267	$63.59
   2	Avanade	$126,575	$60.85	1
   3	ASR Group	$122,923	$59.10	2
   4	Oriental Trading	$118,963	$57.19	1
   5	Boulder Community Health	$112,504	$54.09
   6	EMPLOYERS	$110,459	$53.11
   7	Pharmavite	$110,156	$52.96
   8	Blommer Chocolate	$106,184	$51.05
   9	Outbrain	$105,557	$50.75
   10	Syniverse	$104,454	$50.22
   11	Altice USA	$102,393	$49.23	1
   12	Mercy Children's Hospital	$102,304	$49.18	2
   13	Delta Air Lines	$101,920	$49.00
   14	Florida Crystals	$101,280	$48.69
   15	EPAM Systems	$99,238	$47.71	1
   16	LCMC Health	$98,187	$47.21	1
   17	Indiana University Health La Porte Hospital Inc	$98,079	$47.15	1
   18	Sinclair Broadcast Group	$96,673	$46.48	2
   19	Virginia Credit Union	$96,296	$46.30
   20	Vince & Associates Clinical Research | An Altasciences Company	$91,864	$44.17

4. Writing an organizational development manager job description

   An organizational development manager job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of an organizational development manager job description:

   Organizational development manager job description example

   The L&OD Manager has knowledge and experience in training and learning principles with expertise in working with evolving organizations. The L&OD Manager will be responsible for leading a team who collaborates with others including stake holders, managers, and supervisors to develop and implement creative, engaging, and high-quality training for our employees, across all levels, operations, and work locations, in-person, and virtually.
   
   This role is as much about strategic thinking as it is about substantive implementation. This is a working manager position with an expectation that this role leads by example with a train-the-trainer mentality, mentor, coach, and practitioner attitude.
   A Few Reasons You Might Love This Job:
   
   · The Office of the City Administrator is the place of choice for people who are invested in a career in public service.
   
   · We offer flexibility with a hybrid remote and in-person work environment.
   
   · You can be a change agent in ideology and practice.
   
   · You will work on a supportive team.
   
   · You will not be invisible, your voice and ideas will be heard and valued.
   
   Examples of Important and Essential Duties:
   
   · Monitoring and providing support to divisions and departments for their training and organizational development needs.
   
   · Managing the performance of the L&OD team.
   
   · Preparing and monitoring reports to ensure compliance with various City and department mandatory training requirements.
   
   · Providing consultation, advise, and coaching to Department heads, directors, managers, and supervisors on organizational strategy and performance planning, and management development;
   
   · Coordinating organizational and employee development activities to improve workforce growth and performance;
   
   · Preparing and/or monitoring the design and development of training programs; monitoring staff implementation of programs, training, and facilitation;
   
   · Collaborating with subject matter experts to determine learning needs and analyzing learning gaps to design programs and learning content.
   
   · Advising on best practices for content creation and execution using innovative organizational development.
   
   · Designing/adapting assessment tools or approaches for assessing learning needs, determining appropriate instructional design and content, and evaluating the effectiveness of related training programs.
   
   · Performing other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right organizational development manager 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 organizational development manager job on Zippia to find and recruit organizational development manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with organizational development manager candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 organizational development manager

   Once you've selected the best organizational development manager candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   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.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new organizational development manager. 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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How much does it cost to hire an organizational development manager?