Tools for Running a Training Program

Among the keys to your business' success are well-trained employees. Not only that, but employees want the opportunity to develop job and career enhancing skills. "Virtually everybody in an organization wants to feel like they have room to grow, whether your organization or team has two people or 2,000," says Paul Spiegelman, CEO of the Beryl Companies, a call-center business in Bedford, Texas. As such, the right employee training, development and education can provide big returns for the employer in the form of increased productivity, knowledge, loyalty, and contribution. Whether you decide to add a training specialist to your company or revamp your current training offerings, here are the tools you need.

Training and Development Strategies Plan
The first thing any business interested in starting a training program should do is create a strategic plan that is aligned to its long-term goals. The training and development strategies plan provides an overview with checklists, motivation for participation, implementation process, the training involved, methods of coaching and mentoring, and assessments with certificates of completion.
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Training Needs Analysis
In general, it's great to offer training but, for it to truly accomplish anything, you have to determine what training is needed exactly. The training needs analysis tool provides an outline for goals to be achieved, type of training, and expectations set by past results. This is best used for when you are doing a company wide or department-by-department analysis. Read more

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Training Analysis Sheet
When creating a training program you want to get input from your employees. Be sure to include workers in the process of deciding what training to offer. Employees can determine and communicate training needs to their managers with the training analysis sheet. The training analysis sheet provides a format to identify what skills and knowledge are needed to perform necessary duties. The analysis is used when communicating what skills need improvement or development to make the company more efficient. This document can help you to create customized training goals for each employee. Read more

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Employment Training Cost Form
Training doesn't have to be expensive, but, if you decide to outsource your staff training, you need to budget for those costs. You can evaluate the total cost of employment training using the employment training cost form. The form provides a spreadsheet to tally the training needed for each employee and the cost associated with that training. Read more

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Training Manager Job Description
When considering your training strategy, you have to decide who will oversee it. The training manager will be accountable for the development and implementation of training strategies, plans and processes to support your business goals. This includes new hire training and continuous training for staffers. The training manager might be you, someone on your team or a new hire. This job description can serve as a guide for the responsibilities of the training manager. Read more

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Training Director Job Description
Depending on the size of your staff, the responsibilities of a training manager may not be a role that one person can handle in addition to their other responsibilities. If that is the case for your business, you may want to hire or reassign someone to be the training director. The training director is responsible for planning, organizing, leading and supervising training at the strategic level. Read more

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