Training Matrix Software

A training matrix for employees is a tool that maps the skills that employees have to the skills they need to succeed in their roles. The simplest form of a training matrix is a spreadsheet that lists employees on one axis and skills on the other. At each cell intersection, you can note whether employees have that skill and some indication of the level at which they have mastered the skill.

Then, you can start tying other information to the matrix: What training it would take to acquire the skill? When and where should that training be available? When should employees complete training? Organizations can also make the matrix available as an online training matrix with visibility, as needed, through the organization. It’s easy to imagine all sorts of functionality that could be stuffed into a training matrix spreadsheet. It should also be noted that an ordinary Excel spreadsheet can be overloaded by the amount of information and flexibility that’s demanded of it.

That’s why a company that’s serious about employee skill development needs to consider training matrix software. Rather than expend the time, money, and effort to maintain and coordinate multiple spreadsheets, they can use software to integrate training and skills information in one, accessible location. Vendors that provide training matrix software have invested the effort and gained experience in skills tracking. They have anticipated and resolved many of the issues you can expect to eventually face in a homegrown training matrix. This means that training matrix software provides not only the functionality you know you’ll need but also includes features that you may find important as you move forward.

Training Management Software

Training matrix software is a key element in any training management system (TMS). The best training management software provides a number of features to help organizations with maintaining training records in the workplace. For example:

It provides training record software that tells everyone at a glance which employees have which skills and have received which training.

It makes training and skills information readily available to everyone who needs it. It provides relevant views for managers, employees, training developers, and recruiters.

It can be easily and centrally updated on an ongoing basis.

It supports the development and tracking of new training related to new skills.

It includes a learning management system that supports the development of employee training plans as well as the scheduling of employee training.

Employee training management software stores vital information that may have previously been scattered throughout the organization or in some cases may not have existed at all. Once training management software, including a training matrix, has been put in place, your company has taken a step forward in managing employee skills development. It becomes readily apparent who has what skills and what skills are either lacking or in abundant supply throughout the organization. For many companies, this will be the first time they’ve had a genuinely good overall look at employee competencies and opportunities for skills development. It’s the springboard for the development of a company-wide skills development effort.

Training Tracking Software

Training tracking software such as a training matrix is a key component of any training management system. It’s true that a company can use spreadsheets and free employee training trackers. And, it’s common for a comprehensive training management system to include free training tracker software as part of the package.

One way or another, an organization should have training record management software. It’s an investment that will pay dividends. Consider all of the advantages training management record software such as a training matrix can bring.

It provides a picture of skills development at any level: individual, team, departmental or across an entire corporation.
It helps an organization assess the adequacy of its overall skills development program.
The company can tell where it’s doing well and also see what skills areas need work.
It gives the individual employee a view of their own skills and provides a road map for career development. It gives clarity on steps they can take to become more valuable to themselves and to the company.
It shows managers what skills need to be upgraded on their teams, either by training current employees or adding employees who have those skills.
It provides a list of who’s available internally to fill corporate needs.
It helps in developing a skills checklist for recruiting.
It highlights which are the most valuable employees, the “skills superstars” throughout the company.
It allows progress tracking overtime at the individual, team, and corporate levels.
It’s a vital piece of input into the development of corporate training plans.
It not only highlights skills gaps but also identifies team and company skills strengths. It suggests ways in which a company might exploit its special competencies.
It allows a company to track training to key performance indicators (KPI).
It allows the update of an employee’s skill rating from multiple sources, including training completed, self-assessment and performance evaluation.

The Evolution of Employee Training Matrix Software

Just about every organization is already doing some form of training tracking. It may be a training matrix template such as a training records management Excel spreadsheet. Or, your company may be maintaining some type of basic training matrix template at a corporate level or even departmental level. This happens when different departments have created solutions to meet their immediate needs, and usually, there’s limited coordination across the organization.

Any company with a patchwork solution, or a combination of solutions, knows the issues that arise from managing and coordinating those solutions. It requires management time, employee time, and in some cases even dedicated employees to keep those ad hoc systems running and talking to one another. In many cases, an in-house training records template simply won’t provide the information your company really needs. It may not have the flexibility to adequately support competitive training assessment and skills development.

In today’s environment, with its ever-changing employee skills and training requirements, it’s a best practice to make use of a sophisticated, comprehensive training management system that includes an agile training matrix.

Training matrix software is becoming a new solution for a lot of businesses. However, training tracking has evolved. It’s no longer a matter of simply maintaining a skills and training list employee by employee. Today’s training management software doesn’t merely slice and dice employee skills information any way an organization wants to see it. These days, a company can use training matrix software to plan its training program, allocate employee resources where they can be most effective, support career planning, and ensure that recruiting practices meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Deliver ongoing training and enablement with Lessonly

So now that you’ve tracked, inventoried, and mapped your training matrix, what’s next? Ensuring that your employees learn new skills and don’t lose perishable ones isn’t easy, but with training management software, you can put the power of automation on your side.

Learning how to manage and track employee training shouldn’t take the next several years. That’s why Lessonly makes it easy to train, track, and implement skills improvement across your entire company. Our enablement software empowers teams to create engaging training, hone essential skills, and deliver effective feedback so employees can learn, practice, and improve on the skills that matter most. Ready to learn more? Jump into this free lesson, or click on any of the links below to learn more.