So, you’ve heard of the term ’employee training matrix’ but aren’t quite sure what it is. Well, you’ve come to the right place.

In this post, we’ll provide you with a comprehensive overview of what exactly an employee training matrix is and how it can benefit your organisation.

Let’s get into it!

What is an employee training matrix?

For every company who has a strong focus on the professional development of their staff, an employee training matrix is a vital tool. 

In layman’s terms, it is a mechanism by which managers can keep abreast of the different training programmes and processes that are run by the company, for their employees.

The goal of the matrix is to streamline their overall training process by mapping out the competencies and skills required by each member of the workforce to do their job as effectively as possible.

Overall, it provides a clear visual representation of which training each employee has received. It also identifies if there are any gaps in their knowledge base that need to be addressed and assists with the prioritisation of ongoing training programmes.

If used properly, it can even be a strategic tool that helps your business meet its strategic and operational goals.

Why does your company need an employee training matrix

There are a few reasons why your business needs an employee training mix.

Perhaps the main one is that it provides you with an efficient approach to meeting your organisation’s learning and development goals. 

It does this by providing you with a detailed overview of all the learning activities you offer your employees, enabling you to keep multiple tabs on every aspect of your L&D function.

At the same time, it helps you to meet deadlines for each section of your company’s learning process and also improve employee engagement and retention, particularly among those who are motivated by career progression.

Additionally, it assists your staff to achieve a higher level of proficiency and better level of customer service within their individual remits and can provide them with increased knowledge in other areas that can make them even more valuable to your business.

What are the benefits of an employee training matrix?

You will no doubt be aware that a robust training programme will help you to keep your best talent and increase your overall business performance.

But why is a training matrix the best way to do this specifically?

Well, for any organisation that chooses to adopt one, there are several benefits to an employee training matrix. One of the main ones is that they provide you with a clear visual picture of the current status of your company’s training landscape. This, in turn, helps you to keep your company focused on its mission and vision.

A training matrix also improves efficiency by streamlining the process of determining which employee requires a certain aspect of training and provides managers to better allocate their resources in terms of what is perceived to be the most pressing need.

Looking to the future, a training matrix can also help employees to be at the forefront of innovation, through the learning of new technologies and innovations that can give you even more of a competitive advantage.

What information needs to be in an Employee Training Matrix?

In order to run an effective employee training matrix, there are several key components that need to be included within it.

Typically, this includes details like a list of all your staff members and the roles they perform within your company. It should also include what specific competencies, certifications and skills are required to perform each and every one of them.

In addition, the matrix should use data from an employee training tracker to highlight which courses, programmes and modules are available to each individual and the completion status of each particular aspect that falls within it. (For instance, have not yet started, currently in progress or completed etc).

You should also include the findings or results from any training evaluations or assessments and if there are any certifications that are up for periodic renewal.

There is no set way on how this information can be collated or reflected, so you should do what works for you.

All of this information can be reflected in a variety of ways depending on what works for your organization.

How to create a training matrix

Typically, a training matrix is created on a spreadsheet, which you can create yourself or use a template offered by some companies.

While it might appear daunting to set up initially, if you devise your own spreadsheet, you can actually break it down into a series of manageable steps that should make it easier to complete.

1. Define targets and training goals

The first stage is to assess the training needs of your organisation.

The best way to do this is to take the time to fully understand the knowledge, skills and capabilities your business needs across the board to meet its core objectives. It’s best to liaise with individual departments to produce as comprehensive an overview as possible.

Whilst doing this, you will need to make a judgement as to whether your training programmes are still relevant to your strategic goals or if you need to find better options.

2. Input all of your employees into the matrix

Before you go ahead and type in all your employee’s names, it is worth taking the time to establish if your matrix will be company wide or just focus on a specific department or group.

If you decide to go the latter route, you should make sure that the training programmes you include are relevant for the specific roles they have. You should also determine in what form it will be delivered, for instance, through a microlearning app.

3. Determine what training is mandatory

There are some specific roles in which training will be mandatory, while for others it might not be applicable.

For this reason, you should take the time to assign whether a particular training programme is ‘mandatory’, ‘optional’ or ‘not required’ for each individual in the matrix.

This will go a long way towards ensuring you are not wasting resources on training an employee on something they don’t really need to know in order to perform their role.

4. Identify training resources

The next stage of creating your employee training matrix is to determine who the instructors will be and what online training materials and resources are required to ensure the training is completed as effectively as possible.

You should also determine how best to use those resources and when they will be available (if they are not already).

5. Develop a timeline for training

Lastly, you should schedule a timeline for the delivery of training to your employees. You will need to make sure it is realistic and can facilitate modifications as necessary.

However, it is important to create a clear and concise timeline for training each of your employees that have specific milestones and deadlines attached to them.

FAQs 

Here are some answers to questions that are frequently asked by business management and owners who are interested in adopting an employee training matrix.

What is an Employee Training Matrix? 

Used as a visual and strategic tool within the workforce management function, an employee training matrix enables you to plan, manage and track professional skill development and employment training.

It does this in line with the best practices for human capital management, with its primary goal being to identify training needs, determine the progress of employee skill acquisition and ensuring organisational objectives are being met in relation to workforce competence.

What are the main benefits of an Employee Training Matrix? 

There are several benefits associated with an employee training matrix. They include making it easier to identify gaps in an employee’s skill set, optimising training schedules to ensure all employees are up-to-date with their skills and knowledge and increasing employee retention rates.