How to create an employee training plan: 7 steps + template

What is an employee training plan, and what is its purpose?

An employee training plan provides the details for a learning program that the company has decided to offer. For example, if the L&D team wants to offer a leadership development program to employees, it would develop a training plan as a next step. The training plan would include items such as the goals and objectives of the learning program, when the training is being offered, prerequisites, the curriculum for the course, training methods and different types of learning opportunities, such as instructor-led training, online courses, assessments and, perhaps, mentoring.

The training plan is meant to educate managers and employees about the value of the program. It will help them determine if the program is the right one for a particular employee. It will also help decide if an employee is ready for the program based on their education and experience, as well as the time commitment required to complete the training program.

It is worth noting that the terms learning program and employee training plan are sometimes used interchangeably. Some websites will include the details of the plan in the program definition rather than splitting them into two distinct items. Also, an employee could have their own training plan focusing on their own short-term learning needs, which can cause confusion. This article will discuss training plans as they relate to learning programs.

7 key steps to create an employee training plan

Here are the top-level actions most organizations take to develop a plan:

1. Identify the need

The first step is to identify the specific need to be addressed by the learning program, such as training employees about health and safety as part of a legal requirement or providing product training. You should also rank this need against other training needs in the company.

2. Develop a high-level overview

Document the main features of the learning program so it can be shared with others. Include the learning objectives, define the needs that the program will address, outline the courses to include in the curriculum, and state the eligibility requirements and training approach.

Eligibility requirements might include working at the company for more than six months or taking certain leadership training courses to become a manager.

3. Evaluate existing training options

Before developing a new learning program and plan, it's important to step back and see if existing programs can meet the company's and the employees' needs. This is especially important in large multinational companies, where it's not always obvious what might be available elsewhere in the company. For example, different branches of a company might use different onboarding training for new employees, so new hires are getting inconsistent information.

4. Engage key stakeholders

Once you have a high-level program documented, share it with key stakeholders, including employees, managers and other leaders in the company.

At this stage, the program is still high-level. Key stakeholders will depend on the learning program being developed. For example, if the training is about a company's products, key stakeholders might be people leaders and members of the product development team, since they are the subject matter experts. However, for a leadership development program, getting input from the C-suite may be beneficial, since the training should be aligned with the company's vision and values.

5. Develop the employee training plan

With feedback from key stakeholders and a clear understanding of primary needs, it's time to develop the employee training plan using an employee training plan template. This step consists of important decisions such as choosing the training content, instruction types and supporting materials that will be included in the curriculum. The training plan needs to provide enough detail to help employees and managers determine if the learning program is right for them.

Deciding what learning content to include in the curriculum requires determining how the training will be provided to the target audience, since training materials can take many forms. Providing a one-page summary of key steps that employees can refer to might be more helpful than having employees watch a long training video. Also, employees might find it more engaging to watch a series of short videos instead of one long one.

Additionally, using a mix of online and in-person courses enables employees to progress through the curriculum mostly at their own pace, while still providing the benefits of discussing the training content in person.

6. Get input on the employee training plan

The L&D team must get input on their draft of the employee training plan.

Reaching out for input can include asking for feedback on the types of courses being considered, the format in which the courses will be delivered and the training duration. Double-checking any company announcements, such as an acquisition or reorganization, that could affect the plan can also help avoid future issues.

7. Finalize the training plan

Once the L&D team has received and incorporated any feedback, they can finalize the employee training plan.

Storing the plan properly for future reference is important. The next steps are the development of the training materials, sourcing any needed third-party specialists and finalizing the training schedule for live training. Depending on the complexity of the learning program, these processes can be time-consuming.

Employee training plan template

An employee training plan should contain enough information that the people reading it can take action. The L&D team will need to know what courses are included in the employee training plan so they can make sure they have the instructors, rooms and video conferencing systems they need, whereas managers and employees might be more concerned with the training content and time commitment.

Once the template is created, it's important to use it for all future employee training plans and review it from time to time to make sure it's capturing all the relevant information.

Here are the core elements of an employee training plan:

• Plan overview. Include the name of the learning program, a program summary, the date the plan was finalized and a primary contact.
• Program goals. List the aims of the learning plan.
• Target employees. Identify who the training is for and the requirements or prerequisites that students should possess.
• Outcomes. Highlight what the employee should have learned by the conclusion of the courses included in the plan.
• Timeframe. Outline the amount of time in which a student should complete everything included in the employee training plan, such as courses, tests and quizzes. This section can include the number of hours per week and the number of weeks or months it should take to complete the whole program.
• Training curriculum. Include a course list with enough detail that someone could use the plan to draft a course that meets the requirements in terms of content, time and delivery type.
• Resources. List the resources that will be needed to teach each course included in the plan. These might include training rooms, computers and the assistance of third-party trainers.
• KPIs/measures. Explain how the success of the training plan will be graded or evaluated to confirm that the plan is adding value and meeting its goals.

You can download a blank template here to get started. Users can customize the template to meet their company style guidelines and make changes such as adding sections and moving items.

Different types of employee training plans

As the L&D team identifies the need for new, company-level learning programs, it will, in turn, create new employee learning plans. Companies can have an unlimited number of learning programs and associated learning plans. However, the following types are commonly found in most companies:

Onboarding

Onboarding helps the employee get acquainted with the company and will often cover information that is generic to all employees, such as policies. It might also introduce new hires to additional information about the company and the products and services it offers.

Onboarding might include role-specific training as well. In this case, new hires will be split into appropriate groups. For example, employees hired into customer service will likely have specific applications to learn, along with training that enables them to answer questions from customers.

Identifying subject matter experts for various courses in the template could be helpful. For example, if a training course includes an overview of each department within the company, the course content creator should know who to speak to in each department to get relevant information. Also, since onboarding can cover a lot of topics, the content creator should ensure they receive enough feedback about the content.

Health and safety training

Companies often include some level of safety training for new hires. It might be included in the onboarding for employees who only need to understand the basics. For example, office staff who sit at desks have little risk and only need to know risks that are specific to their role. However, employees working on a construction site or in dangerous roles may require in-depth training to avoid injury and meet legal requirements.

Depending on the type of business, expanding the template to account for multiple learning paths could be helpful. For example, creating a list of courses for office workers and a list of courses for warehouse workers could be beneficial. If the training diverges significantly, using more than one employee training plan to define the health and safety learning program could be best.

Also, since health and safety are regulated, it's crucial to check the requirements in each district that employees work in, including references to information tied to specific locations, where possible.

Product training

Product training is often broken down according to the different needs of employees grouped by role, since not everyone requires the same level of detail. However, it is good for all employees to have a general understanding of the products the company makes.

For office staff who don't deal directly with customers, such as HR and accounting employees, a short overview built into the onboarding process might give them the level of detail they need. Salespeople must be able to speak to customers about products and, therefore, might need training beyond the basics without requiring all the details. Technical support staff, on the other hand, might need detailed training so they understand the products in sufficient detail to answer specific questions from employees.

Using multiple employee training plans or creating multiple sections in the plan to accommodate the various training needs, such as the general product overview versus the deep knowledge required by technical support, could be helpful.

Leadership training

Companies often develop leadership programs to support the development and growth of their current and future leaders. The employee learning plan could include items such as how to give feedback, coaching and instruction on the systems used to view employee data, approve time cards and measure employee performance. The learning plan will also be tailored to how the company wants its leaders to work, often taking into account the company's values, mission and business goals.

Clearly identifying the target audience in the prerequisites or requirements section of the employee training plan is important, particularly when enrollment is limited. In addition, feedback from senior leaders in the company should be sought out to make sure the training plan incorporates the leadership team's needs.

Diversity and inclusion training

A company might offer a diversity, equity and inclusion program to educate employees on how they are expected to interact with their peers, highlighting examples of conduct that won't be tolerated, such as sexual harassment or racial discrimination. The training plan might include a course that is generic to all employees and courses specific to employees in certain roles who need additional training, such as those in recruiting or leadership positions.

The section of the template about the purpose of the training is important. Employees need to understand why they need to complete the training and how it will help them. Also, if the training is required by law, identifying what needs to happen in the training for the company to remain compliant helps content creators be aware.

Soft skills training

Companies often develop programs to help employees improve specific soft skills. An example would be an employee training plan focused on communication. Other examples include project management, teamwork, time management and problem-solving skills.

If the courses include in-person training, or if the training will require a cost per employee, then listing the restrictions and necessary approvals for enrollment is important.

Eric St-Jean is an independent consultant with a particular focus on HR technology, project management and Microsoft Excel training and automation. He writes about numerous business and technology areas.