Photo: Mvolz (CC0)
Job description
Training and development managers design and run the programs that bring new hires up to speed and build skills across an organization, drawing on methods from classroom instruction to on-the-job coaching and workshops. Much of the work involves surveying managers and staff to figure out where skill gaps exist, then building or updating curricula to address them, and evaluating whether existing training is actually working. The role also includes training the trainers themselves, coaching instructors and supervisors on how to teach and manage employees effectively, one step removed from direct instruction.
Pros
- High pay ceiling (up to $234k) plus strong pay even at entry level
- Faster than average projected job growth (5.8% over the next decade)
- Directly shapes how well new hires and existing staff succeed across an organization
Cons
- Above-average hours, expect more than a standard 40-hour work week
- A relatively small number of positions nationwide (about 3,800) compared to similar management roles
- Success is hard to measure directly, requiring ongoing evaluation of program effectiveness
A typical day
The morning starts with a dashboard the CEO will eventually see: completion rates for the new manager-training program, and the harder question of whether trained managers' teams actually retain people better. Mid-morning is a vendor pitch for a learning platform, interrogated on data as much as features. The afternoon holds a curriculum review with two instructional designers -- cutting a bloated onboarding course in half without losing what works -- and a tense budget conversation defending leadership development against a cost-cutting quarter. The day ends coaching a new facilitator after observing their session, modeling the feedback culture the whole function teaches.
Tasks at the job
- Analyze training needs to develop new training programs or modify and improve existing programs.
- Evaluate instructor performance and the effectiveness of training programs, providing recommendations for improvement.
- Plan, develop, and provide training and staff development programs, using knowledge of the effectiveness of methods such as classroom training, demonstrations, on-the-job training, meetings, conferences, and workshops.
- Confer with management and conduct surveys to identify training needs based on projected production processes, changes, and other factors.
- Conduct orientation sessions and arrange on-the-job training for new hires.
- Train instructors and supervisors in techniques and skills for training and dealing with employees.
Workplace & working conditions
Work happens indoors in a climate-controlled setting, and most of the day is spent sitting at a desk.
There's a regular, moderate amount of time pressure, and you're expected to exercise significant independent judgment day to day. The work is highly structured, following set procedures. Almost all of the work is done as part of a team.
Education necessary or common
Bachelor's degree
Common college majors
Licenses & certifications
- ATD CPTD
- SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP
Career path
Related fields
Courses to take
- AP Psychology -- adult learning and motivation
- Business electives -- training serves business goals or dies
- AP Statistics -- measuring whether training worked
- AP English Language -- curriculum and persuasion both
- Public speaking -- facilitation and executive presentations
Clubs, activities & competitions
- Teach or train anything -- lifeguard trainer, camp counselor trainer, club onboarding
- DECA or FBLA -- management events
- Peer tutoring program leadership -- running a program, not just tutoring
- Student council -- organizational life firsthand
First steps you can take now
- Design and run a training session for a club -- then survey what stuck a week later
- Read one instructional design primer and apply one model to a lesson
- Interview an HR or training manager about how they prove value
- Build a simple onboarding guide for new members of any group you lead
