Day in the life
A Day in the Life of a Training and Development Manager
What training and development managers actually do from the start of a shift to the end: the tasks, tools, schedule and realities of the job.
What is a typical day like for a training and development manager?
Review training completion data. From there, the day usually includes assess training needs, design training programs, and lead trainers. Full time, with some travel.
Hour by hour: a typical shift
No two days are identical, but this timeline reflects a realistic day for a training and development manager working full time.
- Review training completion data.
- Meet sales leaders about skills gaps.
- Review a new e-learning module.
- Coach a trainer.
- Plan a leadership program.
- Negotiate with a vendor.
- Report results to HR.
Where training and development managers work
Managers work in offices and training rooms, and sometimes travel to sites.
Hours and schedule
Full time, with some travel.
Tasks you’ll do most often
- Assess training needs
- Design training programs
- Lead trainers
- Manage training budgets
- Run leadership development
- Choose learning platforms
- Measure training results
Tools you’ll use every day
- Learning management systems
- E-learning authoring tools
- Video tools
- Survey tools
- Virtual classroom platforms
- HRIS
The best and hardest parts of the job
What people like
- Help people grow
- Faster-than-average growth
- Creative program design
- Good pay
What’s hard
- Proving value
- Budget cuts in downturns
- Busy managers skip training
- Travel
You’ll likely thrive if…
- I like teaching adults
- I enjoy designing programs
- I want to help people grow
- I like measuring results
- I can lead trainers
- I’m creative
Not sure? Take the free Training and Development Manager fit quiz or the Career Match Quiz.
Staying safe on the job
- Include required safety training
- Track compliance training
- Protect learner data
- Make training accessible