Every HRIS software or HRMS software application I have reviewed provides the capability of tracking when employees have taken classes and when those classes need to be retaken. With this article, I will discuss the far more advanced options of an actual HRIS or HRMS training management Module.

From a random sample of those who completed our HRIS and HRMS Software Selection Tool, we found that 58% had an interest in a training management HRIS option and, of those, 78% said training management was a required option. For those that scored the importance of the option from one, being the lowest, to ten, being the highest, the average score was 6.5. Compare these stats to our ESS Defined Article and you will see that a larger percentage of companies view ESS as being a more important feature than training management. This should be no surprise since every type of organization will benefit from an ESS option but only certain industries have training needs great enough to warrant obtaining training software.

What type of organizations benefit the most from an HRIS or HRMS software Training Management system?

When I was selling HRIS and HRMS software applications and had a prospect ask about training management, I always asked the following question to determine what they are looking for:

Are you looking to simply track dates when employees took classes and when they are next due or are you looking to actually track class data, required classes per job code, or job group and track CEU's and credits?

If the answer is the earlier, the prospect did not require an HRIS or HRMS software training management option. The core system would meet their needs. If the answer was the latter, then I made sure to research their needs further and show them an option meeting their more advanced training management needs.

The following organizations will typically benefit most from an HRIS software and HRMS software training management option:

• Health Care

• Manufacturing; especially if they must maintain ISA9000 Qualifications

• Professional organizations that must track license programs and CEU's and credits to maintain those licenses.

• Union organizations

• Government

The bottom line is that if you answered yes to the second part of my question above, your organization likely needs a full training management system.

Typical HRIS Software and HRMS Software Training Management Options and Features

• Track Class Data - With a training management system, you should be able to not only track information by employee by also information by classes offered and a history of those classes. The data may include location, instructor, an enrolled list, costs, grades, CEU's, and/or credits received from the class.

• Employee Training Data - A training management system will offer far more detail than simply when an employee took a class and when they are next due. These systems will also include in the employee data all of the information covered in the class data.

• Job Requirements - A common ability of training management systems is the ability to track training requirements by job title. For example, within health care, nurses are required to maintain licenses and take certain training, such as CPR, on a predetermined time table. When a nurse is hired and added to the system, the training management system would display exactly what the training requirements are for their job and the status of each requirement.

• Training programs (CEU's and Credits for license or certification) - Each training class can have a value for CEU's or credits attached to it. If someone with an HR certification is required to maintain so many CEU's or credits in order to maintain the certification, the system will show totals related to these requirements.

• ESS integration - If your HRIS system also offers an employee self service module, there may be certain items of your training management system that integrate with your ESS product. Employees or managers may have the ability to view required classes, training history, certifications, register for classes online or, in one case I have seen, where online tests can be administered.

• Training Management Reporting - As with all HRIS options and features, you will have the ability to also report on the data contained within your training database that may include the ability to run reports on the following:

• Employee Training History

• Employee Required Training and Status

• Certifications due

• Training cost per department, job title, or class

• Employee Enrollment

• Employee Training Program (CEU and Credit totals)

• Employee class enrollment and class completion letters

The features I have laid out in this article are typical capabilities I have seen with HR systems. This is not to say that you won't find systems with capabilities that I have not outlined in this article. This article was simply intended to give you an idea of what an HRIS training management system may include.