Employee training can quickly become complicated.
One employee needs compliance training. Another is preparing to become a manager. A new hire needs foundational workplace education. Someone in IT needs security training. Employees working in different roles or locations may have completely different learning needs.
Yet many organizations still approach training as though everyone needs the same courses at the same time.
A more effective employee training program starts with a different question:
What does each employee actually need to learn?
Building a workplace training plan around that question can help organizations provide more relevant learning, use training budgets more effectively, and create development opportunities that extend beyond checking a box once a year.
Here is how employers can build a training program that better reflects the needs of today's workforce.
Start With Why You're Providing the Training
Before selecting courses or purchasing a training platform, identify what the organization wants its training program to accomplish.
Some needs are immediate.
Perhaps employees need a particular compliance course. New supervisors may need help transitioning into leadership. An organization experiencing rapid growth may need a more consistent onboarding process.
Other goals are longer term.
Employers may want to strengthen leadership capabilities, improve workplace safety, increase security awareness, support professional development, or create a culture where employees continue learning throughout their careers.
Most organizations will eventually have several goals at once.
A useful training plan therefore does not begin with a list of courses. It begins by identifying the business and employee needs those courses should address.
Recognize That Different Employees Need Different Training
One of the biggest mistakes employers can make is treating employee training as one-size-fits-all.
Consider a growing organization with employees across several departments.
A newly promoted supervisor might benefit from training on leadership, documentation, handling complaints, workplace accommodations, or effective communication.
An employee who handles sensitive information may need privacy and security training.
Someone working around physical hazards may require safety education relevant to their responsibilities.
An emerging leader might benefit from courses focused on strategic thinking, leadership style, or professional development.
Those employees work for the same organization, but their training needs are very different.
The fpSOLUTIONS eLearning catalog illustrates just how broad workplace learning can become. Its 100+ courses span compliance, harassment prevention, privacy, professional development, safety, security awareness, and ethics and code of conduct topics.
Rather than asking, "What training should everyone take?" employers can ask:
- What does everyone need to know?
- What does this department need to know?
- What does this role require?
- What does this employee need based on their responsibilities or location?
- What skills could help this employee continue developing?
Those questions lead to a much more intentional training program.
Build Training Around the Employee Lifecycle
Training needs also change throughout an employee's time with an organization.
New Employees
Onboarding is an opportunity to establish expectations and introduce employees to important workplace topics.
Depending on the organization and employee's responsibilities, training might include workplace conduct, ethics, security awareness, safety, privacy, or other foundational topics.
Experienced Employees
Existing employees may need refresher training, updated workplace education, or opportunities to strengthen skills relevant to their current responsibilities.
New and Developing Managers
Moving into management introduces an entirely different set of responsibilities.
Supervisors may benefit from learning related to communication, documentation, hiring, employee complaints, accommodations, wage and hour issues, leadership, and other topics they may encounter while managing employees.
The current eLearning catalog, for example, includes courses such as 5 Common Mistakes New Managers Make, Discover Your Leadership Style, Handling Complaints, Lawful Hiring, and The Importance of Effective Documentation.
Emerging Leaders and Employees Preparing for Growth
Professional development does not need to wait until someone receives a promotion.
Employees can build capabilities in areas such as strategic thinking, leadership, communication, security awareness, and other skills that prepare them for future responsibilities.
Thinking about training across the employee lifecycle helps organizations move from isolated courses toward a more deliberate development strategy.
Balance Compliance Training With Employee Development
Compliance may be what initially causes an organization to purchase workplace training.
It does not have to be where the program ends.
A well-rounded training strategy can address several areas of employee development, including:
- Workplace compliance
- Harassment prevention
- Leadership and supervisor development
- Professional development
- Workplace safety
- Ethics and code of conduct
- Privacy
- Security awareness
This broader approach can help employers get more value from the infrastructure they already use to deliver training.
If employees are logging into an online learning platform for required courses, the same environment can also provide opportunities to develop skills that support their current roles or future growth.
That does not mean assigning employees dozens of courses simply because they are available.
More training is not automatically better training.
The goal is relevance.
Choose the Right Amount of Training
Employers can sometimes fall into one of two extremes.
The first is purchasing a large training library when employees realistically need only a handful of courses.
The second is purchasing individual courses repeatedly as new training needs arise.
Neither approach is necessarily wrong, but organizations should consider how much learning access their employees are actually likely to use.
A practical training strategy might look different for different groups.
Some employees may need one specific annual course.
A group of new hires may need a small collection of foundational courses.
Supervisors may need a broader training plan covering several management responsibilities.
Employees participating in an ongoing development initiative may benefit from access to a much larger learning library.
Flexible training plans allow employers to match the level of access to the learner instead of purchasing the same package for everyone.
Make Training Easy to Access
Even a well-designed training plan will struggle if employees cannot conveniently complete the courses.
Self-paced online learning can help employees fit training around their work responsibilities rather than requiring everyone to attend a session at the same time.
Access period matters as well.
Some training is time-sensitive, while professional development may be more useful when employees have the flexibility to complete courses throughout the year.
The eLearning Library Pricing Plans provide learners with 12 months of access to their assigned courses through an included learning management system.
That gives organizations the ability to assign training while allowing employees to complete self-paced learning on a schedule that works for them.
Don't Forget the Administrative Side of Training
Selecting good courses is only part of running an employee training program.
Someone also has to manage it.
HR or training administrators may need to:
- Set up learners
- Assign courses
- Monitor progress
- Identify incomplete training
- Maintain completion records
- Generate reports
- Access certificates
- Add training as employee needs change
These tasks can become difficult when training records are spread across spreadsheets, email, shared drives, and multiple vendors.
This is where the training plan and the learning management system should work together.
Every standard fpSOLUTIONS eLearning plan includes one year of LMS access, personalized account setup, completion tracking and reporting, and certificates of completion. The training team contacts purchasers within 24 business hours to confirm learners, course selections, and account setup.
For employers, that means the technology needed to administer training does not have to become a separate purchasing decision.
Give Employees Time to Apply What They Learn
Completing a course is not the same as developing a skill.
Training becomes more valuable when employees have opportunities to apply what they learn.
Managers can reinforce learning through team discussions, coaching conversations, project assignments, or follow-up questions.
An employee who completes leadership training might be given an opportunity to lead a meeting or project.
Someone who completes security awareness training might discuss common risks with their team.
A supervisor who takes a course on documentation or handling complaints can use that knowledge as part of their broader management development.
The goal should be to connect learning with work whenever possible.
That is how training moves from an isolated activity to part of employee development.
Review Your Training Program Regularly
A workplace training plan should change as the organization changes.
New employees join. People are promoted. Business operations expand. New technology is introduced. Teams take on different responsibilities.
Training priorities should evolve with them.
Employers can periodically review:
- Which courses employees are completing
- Which training is assigned by role or department
- Where managers see skill gaps
- Which topics employees request
- Whether new hires need additional foundational training
- Whether employees are receiving meaningful development opportunities
- Whether the organization is paying for training access employees are not using
This review can help HR teams adjust the program instead of simply repeating the same training calendar every year.
Build a Training Plan Around What Each Learner Needs
Organizations do not necessarily need to choose between purchasing one course at a time and buying an enormous training library for everyone.
The eLearning Library Pricing Plans are designed around different levels of learner access:
1 Course: $24.95 per learner
A focused option for a specific workplace training need, individual employee training, or an annual refresher.
5 Courses: $32.95 per learner
A broader option that can support onboarding, HR and compliance essentials, or supervisor development.
10 Courses: $39.95 per learner
Designed for broader learning needs such as leadership development, cross-functional learning, or department-wide training.
Full Library: $44.95 per learner
Provides access to more than 100 courses for organizations that want continuous learning and maximum training flexibility.
Every plan includes 12 months of LMS access, personalized setup, completion tracking and reporting, and certificates of completion.
Most importantly, different employees can receive different courses based on their role, responsibilities, location, and training needs.
That makes it possible to build a workplace training program around the workforce you actually have instead of forcing every employee into the same training package.
Ready to Build Your Employee Training Plan?
Start by deciding what your employees actually need.
Then choose the level of access that fits each learner.
Compare eLearning Training Plans to see the one-course, five-course, ten-course, and full-library options.
Want to see what training is available first?
Browse the 100+ Course Library to explore workplace training across compliance, leadership and professional development, safety, security, privacy, harassment prevention, ethics, and other topics.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should an employee training program include?
The right training program depends on the organization and its workforce. Employers may include compliance training, onboarding education, leadership development, professional development, safety, security awareness, workplace conduct, privacy, and other topics relevant to employee roles.
Should every employee receive the same training?
Not necessarily. Some training may be appropriate for the entire workforce, while other courses should be assigned based on an employee's role, responsibilities, location, department, or development needs.
How do you create an employee training plan?
Start by identifying organizational goals and employee needs. Determine which training applies broadly, which courses are role-specific, how training will be delivered, how completion will be tracked, and when the program should be reviewed or updated.
What are the benefits of online employee training?
Online training can provide employees with flexible access to learning while helping organizations deliver courses consistently across different schedules or locations. An LMS can also simplify assignments, completion tracking, reporting, and training records.
How often should employees receive training?
There is no single schedule appropriate for every training topic. Organizations should determine timing based on the purpose of the training, employee responsibilities, workplace needs, and any applicable requirements.
Can different employees take different online courses?
Yes. With the fpSOLUTIONS eLearning plans, courses can be selected based on each learner's role, responsibilities, location, or training needs, as long as assignments remain within the purchased plan.
Is an LMS included with the eLearning plans?
Yes. Every standard plan includes access to the fpSOLUTIONS learning management system for 12 months. Organizations can use it to assign courses, monitor learner activity, review completion status, and access training records.
What if our organization already has an LMS?
Organizations that already use their own learning management system can explore SCORM delivery options. fpSOLUTIONS also offers a usage-based SCORM subscription at $5 per user, per course, per month, subject to a $150 monthly minimum.
Build Training Around Your People, Not a Package
A strong employee training program does not begin by assigning everyone the same courses.
It begins by understanding what employees need to know today and what skills can help them succeed tomorrow.
For one employee, that might mean a single compliance course.
For another, it could mean five courses supporting onboarding or supervisor development.
A department may benefit from ten-course access, while an organization committed to continuous learning may want the flexibility of the complete 100+ course library.
The eLearning Library Pricing Plans give employers the flexibility to choose the training access that fits their workforce while providing the LMS, setup, reporting, and completion documentation needed to manage the program.