Enterprise Training Program: How to Create One?

Being competitive and staying ahead requires development. And today’s business landscape, it’s not just about tech. It’s also about people. For a large organization, a well-tailored enterprise training is one of the ways to support the business. 

It empowers employees and addresses skills gaps. Whether you’re a business owner or manager, you need to know how to train employees and use an enterprise LMS as a strategic asset. 

Read on to explore what an enterprise training program is, explore its components, and learn how to create a training program.  

What is an Enterprise Training Program?

Above all, an enterprise training program is an array of learning and development activities that aim to improve skills and expertise, and thus positively affect the performance of employees of the enterprise.

Importantly, it aligns with the business goals and aims to meet the operational needs, instigate innovation, and support growth.

In this regard, it is of utmost importance to outline the key components of the enterprise training program. They refer to:

• Clear learning objectives.

• Customized learning content.

• Practical application of acquired skills.

• Progress tracking.

• Ongoing feedback.

If a program has these components and turns out to be successful, it will have significant benefits for an organization. 

What are the common benefits of an enterprise learning program?

• It enhances productivity via the improvement of skills.

• It reduces employee turnover through greater engagement.

• It accelerates onboarding and supports compliance.

• It supports leadership among employees.

Foundation of an Enterprise Training System 

Before you begin creating a training program, it’s essential to lay a solid foundation for the whole organization. Each step is important, yet you should focus first on the next steps to make it right. 

First, understand the goals and skills that your company wants to achieve. Your ultimate goal is to identify training gaps and assess the possibilities for all employees. 

Secondly, your next pillar is the segmentation of your audience. Note that senior leaders, middle managers, and frontline employees have distinct learning needs. 

Finally, establish accountability. Considering the number of people, it is important to assign internal ownership. A person who will be responsible for training, whether it’s your HR team, a dedicated L&D department, or an external partner. It will help manage planning and implementation. 

5 Actual Steps to Create an Enterprise Training Program

Step#1. Conduct a Training Needs Analysis

First of all, you have to make sure that your program will be useful. For this, you need to identify gaps via training needs analysis. 

As a manager or HR, you have plenty of tools, from surveys and performance reviews to 1-1s and data from HR systems. Once you know what employees need to learn, focus on the significant parts that can be similar for many. This could relate to technical training, compliance activities, or soft skills. Next, the needs should be aligned with the business goals. 

For instance, it may refer to expanding to a new market or improving customer experience. Make sure it is specific and relevant. Importantly, you should involve department heads and employees to get a full picture.

Step#2. Define Learning Objectives and Success Metrics

Next, once you know the gaps, you should link a purpose to each learning initiative. The outcomes of your enterprise training should be specific. There, you’d better use the SMART approach. 

In particular, if you are to launch a new system, the good objective would be the following:

“Ensure all sales personnel know how to input data on clients and generate reports within 2 weeks after the new system launch.”

In case of larger programs, you can link objectives to performance, retention, or productivity. That way, you will get direction and a solid metric to track.

Step#3. Develop or Source Content Strategically

The next important part is the development of content. If you’re a big organization, the creation and development of content may be a challenge. 

The best strategies contemplate the following:

• Having microlearning modules for better retention

• Using workshops for collaboration and problem-solving

• Adopting Webinars and self-paced e-learning for flexibility

• Integrating Roleplay or simulations for leadership and customer service

With each activity, you can customize content to reflect your brand values, industry context, and team challenges.

Step#4. Choose the Right Delivery Platform and Method

Next, you should think of scaling the training programs and their delivery. 

The technology is pretty important there. If you have distributed teams or hybrid workplaces, your corporate training platform should have the following:

• Content updates and live training options

• Tracking and reporting of learner progress

• Mobile access

• Integration with HR tools or performance software

Additionally, blend digital with human interaction. It will significantly add to engagement and help you with knowledge retention. Also, you can integrate other tools or use a suite of L&D tools.

Step#5. Launch, Monitor, and Iterate Continuously

Lastly, the rollout stage is critical. At every stage, you should communicate to the stakeholders why the program exists, what’s expected, and how employees will benefit. 

Managers should lead by example, participating and encouraging their teams.

Other than that, once live, track metrics and gather feedback frequently. There, you’d better look at completion rates, quiz scores, behavior change, and team performance indicators. Use this data to update the content, make alterations to the delivery method, or even the objectives themselves.

In the end, learning is not static. The best enterprise training programs treat feedback as fuel and adapt over time to business shifts and learner needs.

Summing up

High chances are that you won’t build a robust enterprise training program in a week. You will need a structured approach that will add to your organization’s potential. 

For business leaders and managers, it’s about shaping culture and retaining top talent. However, to create a workforce that’s agile and confident, you will need to listen to their needs and respond with quality training materials.