20 Employee Training Plan Template Options for Small Businesses

If you’re a small business owner looking to create a comprehensive employee training plan, you’re in luck! Here are 20 training plan template options, each designed to help you develop your employees’ skills and knowledge.

What is an Employee Training Plan Template?

An employee training plan template is a document used to outline the training sessions and development activities a company plans to provide to its employees.

What Should a Training Plan Template Include?

A well-designed training plan template should include several key elements to ensure the success of any training session. These include…

Identifying Training Needs

A successful training plan template should begin with a thorough training needs assessment, a review of job descriptions and performance evaluations, and an identification of knowledge or skill gaps. Determine priority areas for training.

Training Objectives

Establish clear and measurable goals aligned with business strategy. Focus on relevant and timely topics and set realistic expectations for learning outcomes. Ensure objectives can be tracked and measured.

A Scalable Training Process

Develop a structured training program that incorporates different delivery methods, assign roles and responsibilities, and determine evaluation and feedback mechanisms. Ensure the process can be scaled to meet changing business needs.

Learning Outcomes

Define what learners should be able to do after training and create assessment criteria to measure progress. Ensure outcomes align with business needs and provide opportunities for ongoing learning and development. Track outcomes and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program.

Why Would a Small Business Owner Need an Employee Training Plan Template?

A training plan template can help a small business owner ensure that employees are properly trained and that the company meets its objectives while improving productivity and enhancing employee performance.

Before reading further, every business can use team members with excellent capabilities, Right? So be sure to check out this companion video on how to rapidly improve team capabilities with an Excel Skills & Matrix template.

20 of the Best Employee Training Plan Templates for Small Businesses

Before you continue to the list that follows, you can reference this handy condensed table that summarizes the key features and offerings of the top 20 employee training plan templates for small businesses.

Creating an employee training plan can be challenging for small businesses. Fortunately, there are many pre-designed templates available that can simplify the process. Here are 20 of the best options.

1. Zavvy

Zavvy’s External Training Library offers various training resources in categories such as Compliance, Soft Skills, Sales, Marketing, Tech, Product & Design, and Data. These include on-demand video courses, live training, and immersive training.

2. Monday.com

Monday.com is a Work OS platform that helps teams centralize their work, processes, and tools, and customize workflows to boost employee productivity. It offers tailored products for different business aspects and has over 180,000 customers globally.

3. Whatfix

Whatfix provides 18 free employee training plan templates to create an effective employee development plan tailored to individual employee needs. The templates include new-hire training, training needs assessment, individual employee training, and an employee development plan template.

4. Template.net

Template.net offers an Employee Training Schedule Template in Word, Google Docs, Google Sheets, Excel, Apple Numbers, and Apple Pages format for easy customization and organization of employee training schedules. Instant download is available for greater efficiency and convenience.

5. Sharepoint

SharePoint Employee Training Management streamlines activities like scheduling, registration, material sharing, and feedback collection. Features include a training catalog, event scheduling, attendee enrollment, attendance status, and feedback. Source code available.

6. Smartsheet

Smartsheet provides free training plan templates for staff, monthly, weekly, daily, annual, employee, new hire, and project plans, with customizable Excel, Word, and PDF formats. They also offer cloud-based HR management tools.

7. Creately

Creately offers customizable templates and tools to help organizations plan and organize effective employee training programs. With real-time collaboration, multiple export options, and integrations, it simplifies creating, visualizing, and sharing training plans. Creately is trusted by over 10 million users, including NASA, Facebook, and Amazon.

8. ExcelDataPro

ExcelDataPro offers a ready-to-use Employee Training Log Excel Template with predefined formulas. The template allows for recording and managing employee training data, including employee details, training schedules, and training output. It is beneficial for HR professionals, consultants, and other HR staff to manage and record employee training data easily.

9. Seismic (customer services)

This free customer service training template by Seismic is a resource that offers a pre-made manual to achieve consistent and thorough training for customer service. The template covers basic principles, do’s and don’ts, and training tips that are easy to modify as needed.

10. Betterteam (onboarding)

Betterteam offers a free Employee Onboarding Process template and checklist in Excel format to help companies integrate new employees effectively by providing necessary knowledge and behaviors. The onboarding process is essential for new hires to perform effectively.

11. Stakeholdermap.com

Stakeholdermap.com offers a free downloadable training plan template in both PDF and Word formats for managers to deliver effective training and organizational change. The template is fully editable and contains everything needed for a successful training plan.

12. Northpass

Northpass offers an editable employee training manual PowerPoint template with tips and strategies to create effective training content. The template includes information on composition and structure and can be downloaded from their website.

13. Venngage

Venngage provides over 20 customizable training plan templates for businesses, including new hire and manager training plans, employee development plans, and training need assessments. Users can edit text, colors, and images with the drag-and-drop editor.

14. Indeed

Indeed offers three types of training plan templates including a new employee training plan, individual training plan, and corporate training plan. These templates can be customized to develop the skills of new hires and existing employees.

15. Workable

Workable suggests a new hire training checklist to smoothly onboard employees. The process includes company overview, policies, benefits package, role-specific and IT setup training, followed by security and safety training a month and three months after the start date, respectively.

16. WalkMe

WalkMe offers a variety of free employee training templates for 2023, including new-hire training, individual employee training, employee development plans, training policies, SOPs, DEI training, skills gap analysis, and pre-training surveys.

17. Helpjuice

Helpjuice provides templates for pre-training needs assessment, employee development plans, better employee onboarding plans, and leadership training plans to facilitate professional growth, identify gaps in skills, and improve team performance.

18. ScribeHow

ScribeHow offers four customizable employee training plan templates, including employee development, training needs assessment, new-hire training, and individual employee training plans. These templates have a general format, with sections on how to duplicate and use them.

19. TemplateLab

TemplateLab provides 43 Employee Training Plan templates in Word and Excel formats including training plans, schedules, training curriculum, and programs templates to help employers provide the necessary training that strengthens employees’ skills, reduces weaknesses, and boosts company growth.

20. Stackby

Stackby’s Employee Training Management Template lets you organize and monitor ongoing and upcoming employee training programs, including recording program details, participants, and feedback. Easy to use, customizable, and accessible with a simple copy.

Training Plan Apps

Training plan apps provide a convenient and efficient way for small businesses to manage their employee training programs. Here are some top training plan apps for your consideration:

CYPHER Matrix LMS

This is a comprehensive and customizable employee training platform with an intuitive UI, mobile app, and real-time analytics. It offers affordable pricing for all business sizes, starting at $549 monthly for 100 users. Gamification features keep employees engaged.

iSpring Learn LMS

iSpring Learn is a user-friendly LMS for employee, compliance, or product training. Plans start at $2.87 per user each month and include iSpring Suite for creating courses. Suitable for small to midsize businesses with an intuitive interface and affordable plans.

TalentLMS

TalentLMS offers an intuitive user interface with gamification features, including badges, points, and leaderboards. Small businesses can use the forever-free plan or choose from affordable plans with unlimited courses, starting from $69 per month.

Types of Training Plan Template

When it comes to designing an employee training plan, businesses have several types of templates to choose from. Here are some common types of training plan templates.

Pre-Training Needs Assessment

Before designing a training plan, identify employee skill and knowledge gaps, determine areas in which training is needed, and use assessment results to inform the training plan design.

New Hire Training Plan

A new hire training plan should orientate new employees to the company culture, cover basic policies and procedures, and train them on job-specific tasks and responsibilities to get them up to speed quickly.

Safety Training

Safety training is essential to ensure employee safety and well-being. Train employees on emergency response procedures, and cover health and safety regulations to maintain a safe working environment.

Specialized Training

Specialized training helps employees develop specific skills, such as leadership or technical skills, and train them on new equipment or technology. This helps employees prepare for future career growth.

Structured Training Program

A structured training program establishes a comprehensive training plan using a variety of training methods to meet the needs of different learners. Measure progress and evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

How Much Do Training Plan Templates Cost for a Small Business?

The cost of training plan templates for small businesses varies widely, with some being available for free online and others costing several hundred dollars.

The Bottom Line

Creating an employee training plan is essential for small businesses to ensure employee development and growth. With the help of the 20 training plan templates we discussed, businesses can design a comprehensive training plan, from pre-training needs assessment to structured training programs.

Other essential business tasks such as employee onboarding, SWOT analysis, diversified employee benefits, using a work schedule app, having an action plan, employee bonus, employee of the month program, and giving an employee financial help can also be managed effectively with proper planning. To ensure your small business’s long-term success, consider investing time and resources to write a business plan.

Employee Training Plan Template FAQs

What is a Training Plan Outline?

A training plan outline is a structured framework that identifies the goals, learning objectives, and methods of delivering training.

What are The Basic Components of a Training Program?

The basic components of a training program include goals and objectives, content, instructional methods, assessment, and evaluation.

How Do You Write a New Hire Training Template?

To write a new hire employee training template, start with an orientation to the company culture and cover policies, procedures, and job-specific tasks.

Are There Any Free Employee Training Plan Templates?

Yes, many free employee training plan templates are available online. Look for reputable sources and customize templates to meet specific business needs.

What are The 5 Steps in a Good Employee Training Program?

A well-designed employee training program typically consists of the following five steps:

1. Assessing Training Needs:
   • Conduct a thorough analysis to identify the specific training needs within your organization.
   • Determine the skills and knowledge gaps that exist and prioritize the areas that require attention.
   • Consider factors such as job roles, performance evaluations, employee feedback, and future business goals to inform your assessment.
2. Designing the Training Plan:
   • Based on the identified training needs, develop a comprehensive plan outlining the objectives, content, and delivery methods of the training program.
   • Determine the appropriate training methods, such as instructor-led sessions, e-learning modules, workshops, or on-the-job training, based on the nature of the skills being taught.
   • Establish the timeline and logistics for the training, including scheduling, resources needed, and participant requirements.
3. Delivering the Training:
   • Implement the training program according to the designed plan.
   • Conduct training sessions using engaging instructional techniques, interactive activities, and practical examples to ensure effective learning.
   • Provide clear instructions, resources, and support materials to facilitate understanding and skill acquisition.
   • Utilize various training formats, such as classroom sessions, online modules, simulations, or a blend of different approaches, to cater to different learning styles and preferences.
4. Evaluating the Training:
   • Assess the effectiveness of the training program through various evaluation methods.
   • Gather feedback from participants to gauge their satisfaction, understanding, and perceived value of the training.
   • Measure the progress and improvement of participants’ skills and knowledge before and after the training using assessments, tests, or performance evaluations.
   • Analyze the training outcomes against the predefined objectives to determine the program’s success and areas for improvement.
5. Revising the Training Plan as Needed:
   • Based on the evaluation results and feedback, identify areas where the training program can be enhanced or modified.
   • Incorporate suggestions for improvement and adapt the training content, delivery methods, or instructional approach accordingly.
   • Continuously monitor and update the training program to align with evolving business needs, industry trends, and employee development requirements.

Here is the list of information in tabular form. You can hang it on a wall, put it on a clipboard or bring it up on a smart device for easy viewing and reference:

By following these five essential steps and using excellent employee training plan templates, organizations can create a robust employee training program that addresses skill gaps, enhances performance, and fosters continuous learning and development within the workforce.

Image: Envato Elements