How to track employee training

In this article, we’ll take a look at how to track employee training, offering tips and tricks, metrics, and tools that can help you do so – as well as examine how AG5 can further streamline those processes.

It’s no secret that continuous improvement and employee development is crucial in gaining and maintaining a competitive edge. [1] However, ensuring that your employees are aligned and on schedule with their trainings and certification is a challenge – especially so for larger organizations spread across multiple sites.

In this article, we’ll take a look at how to track employee training, offering tips and tricks, metrics, and tools that can help you do so – as well as examine how AG5 can further streamline those processes.

Why tracking employee training is important Copied

 Tracking employee training is not just about monitoring progress; it’s also a strategic approach to improving workforce development and bolstering organizational growth. This is beneficial on multiple fronts. Let’s take a closer look. 

Enhanced accountability and engagement 

If you track employee training, you are taking steps to ensure that both employees and business leaders are accountable for learning and development on an individual, team or department, and organizational level.

Employees are more likely to take their development seriously when their progress is being monitored, while managers can more easily determine if and how their teams are engaging with and benefiting from specific trainings. Such transparency also positively affects motivation and fosters a culture of continuous learning – which can result in a six-times boost in engagement and performance. [2]

Compliance and certifications 

Especially in industrial environments, compliance with legal and regulatory requirements – and staying current with the certifications that accompany them – is as essential as it is mandatory. 

From health and safety to data protection to industry-specific standards, tracking employee training helps organizations ensure that employees remain up to date the qualifications necessary to ensure operations run continuously and smoothly. Missing or inadequate training can lead to hefty fines or even legal action, making an effective training tracker (or training tracking process ) even more crucial.

Identifying skill gaps 

One of the greatest advantages of tracking employee training is the ability to more easily identify skill gaps. With clear, easily digestible information the specific trainings employees have, need, or are currently undergoing, business leaders can pinpoint areas where additional development is needed.

This insight allows businesses to tailor future training to address these gaps, ensuring that their workforce is always equipped with the necessary skills and qualifications. 

Performance optimization

Tracking employee training provides you with data you can use to evaluate the effectiveness of training programs, as well as individual employee and team performance. [3]

By comparing post-training and pre-training performance, for example, organizational leaders can determine whether their investment in training is paying off. This data-driven approach helps refine both training strategies and operational processes, ensuring that they are both effective and efficient.

How to track employee training at work  Copied

You can track employee training in multiple ways, depending on the size and complexity of your organization. In this section, we’ll provide you with two of the most common methods of tracking employee training, as well as how you can use them. 

First, let’s take a brief look at the steps you’ll need to take to put an employee training tracking process in place.

  • Define goals and objectives. Identify the skills and competencies your employees have and need, then set clear training goals aligned with your organization’s needs
  • Choose a tracking method. Decide between manual methods like spreadsheets or adopt a digital solution
  • Assign and schedule training programs. Assign relevant training modules to employees and set timelines for their completion
  • Monitor progress and gather data. Track employee participation, completion rates, and progress, using your employee training tracker method to store relevant data
  • Evaluate and adjust. Analyze key metrics like completion rates, assessment results, and time to completion, then adjust training programs accordingly 

Manual tracking methods 

Organizations that are just beginning to track employee training – or those with limited training needs – might do well with manual methods. These could include physical documentation or digital spreadsheets. However, as you scale up, you may find that such methods present complexity-related challenges.

Spreadsheets, for example, lack the automation and real-time updates that more offered by more advanced solutions training tracking. This can result in inaccuracies, missed training deadlines, or incomplete records.

If you want to learn more about manual training tracking, read our blog “How to Create a Skills Matrix,” which highlights how skills mapping can complement training tracking.

Digital tracking methods 

Larger companies – or those with complex structures and training needs – will in all probability require specialized employee training tracker software. Examples here include learning management systems (LMS) and knowledge management systems (KMS), as well as skills management software like AG5.

These systems often automatically log when employees complete courses or certification programs, as well as offer reporting features taht track individual progress in real-time – allowing you to schedule, track, and evaluate all employee training initiatives in one place.

To learn more about the difference in different types of management systems that could help you track training, be sure to read our article “LMS, TMS, KMS, HRM, and CMS: What’s the difference?” 

Metrics to track for employee training Copied

When you track employee training, you should keep a close eye on several metrics that will help you make data- and performance-driven decisions for your organization. Here, we’ll examine the most important metrics to track for employee training. 

  • Completion rates. Track the percentage of employees who finish assigned training programs. This can help you gain insight into their efficacy, as well as ensure that mandatory trainings are being completed on time
  • Employee engagement levels. Measure engagement through participation, attentiveness, and interaction with training materials. Higher engagement levels often correlate with higher knowledge retention, while lower engagement may be a sign that a training’s content or format needs improvement
  • Time to completion. Track how long it takes employees to complete specific training programs or courses. Patterns in completion times can highlight bottlenecks or inefficiencies, as well as help adjust training programs’ pacing to ensure employees stay on track without rushing
  • Progress toward goals. Monitor employees’ progress against your organization’s overall goals. This helps ensure that employees are building relevant skills and achieving certifications that are relevant to them, while staying aligned with on an organizational level
  • ROI on training programs. Measure your return on investment by comparing training costs with tangible results, such as like increased productivity, improved employee performance, or cost savings

Software for tracking employee training  Copied

We’ve touched on employee training tracker software elsewhere in this article, we haven’t yet highlighted specific features that will be extremely important in effectively tracking employee training.

With the right employee training tracker software, your entire tracking process will be automated, from scheduling and assigning courses to tracking completion and generating data-rich reports. This saves business leaders, teams, and individual employees a great deal of time, reduces the possibility of human error, and ensures all employees remain on track with their respective training programs.

Key features to look for in employee training tracker software here include:

  • Progress tracking
  • Certification management
  • Integration with HR or existing management systems
  • Real-time analytics and reporting
  • Customizable learning paths
  • Scalability 

AG5’s skills management software provides you with all of the above.

With AG5, you will also receive:

  • Clear oversight of the trainings, skills and qualifications that are present within your organization
  • Clear oversight of the skills your employees organization needs, helping you identify and close skills gaps by planning training or targeted recruitment initiatives
  • An easy-to-read overview of certifications and qualifications that will soon need renewing or refreshing, helping you avoid skills gaps altogether
  • Insight into employees who need upskilling or reskilling – preparing you for the future by better enabling succession planning

Want to learn more? Schedule a free, live, 15-minute demo today to see what AG5 can do for your organization.

Sources Copied

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Source number Source title Description Date retrieved Source URL
1How continuous improvement can build a competitive edgeMcKinsey & Company3 Oct 2024 0:00:00https://www.mckinsey.com/capab..
2Improve Work Performance With a Focus on Employee DevelopmentGallup3 Oct 2024 21:14:45https://www.gallup.com/workpla..
3The benefits of investing in staff trainingDeloitte3 Oct 2024 0:00:00https://www.deloitte.com/au/en..

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Original version | October 4, 2024

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