16 Top Employee Training Software Tools for Businesses

We’re at a tricky point for HR and L&D teams. Employee retention has been a challenge for several years, particularly as flexible, hybrid work environments have emerged, and the job market has gone international. 

Talent acquisition costs keep rising, and workers are ready to move to the next exciting opportunity at short notice. And only 30% of companies fill vacancies through internal mobility. 

Meanwhile three-quarters of CEOs say that skills shortages are a major concern. High levels of institutional know-how and technical ability are a strategic imperative. 

Plus staff themselves are crying out for more and better training. A significant majority of employees say that online training provided by their workplace is the best way of learning new skills. 

All of this builds towards a clear conclusion: companies need help to craft and deliver top-notch employee training. So in this article, we present the best tools and software to make this a reality. 

First, we’ll look at the top learning management systems (LMS), which offer virtually everything you need to deliver winning training programs. Then we’ll see some useful corporate tools you may or may not already be using, and how they can contribute to an excellent training strategy.

What is employee training software?

Employee training software is an online platform that empowers you and your team to create successful employee training programmes. New hires need to learn the ropes, new managers have evolving responsibilities, and new product knowledge must be shared. Plenty of companies do this on an intuitive, ad hoc basis. 

But the right software makes the process more efficient and effective. You can now automate the creation, distribution and analysis of corporate learning and training programs. This removes the guesswork, and puts L&D professionals in a more strategic position.

Your training management solution will enable you to implement your learning strategy company-wide by enhancing your employee onboarding processes, boosting your upskilling efforts, and retaining your best employees. 

The types of employee training programmes your online solution will help you design, implement, or ramp up can  include:

1. Leadership training: Focuses on leadership skill sets that directly impact leading others.
2. Compliance training: Those training sessions all employees must undergo, such as safety, security, or legal training courses. 
3. Onboarding training: Covers essential training needs to streamline a new employee's start at your organisation. 
4. Technical training: This training content aims to improve employee performance by utilising technology or tools in their workflow to achieve maximum impact.
5. Sales training: Assist employees in advocating for the product, handling challenging customer inquiries, and highlighting its unique features effectively.
6. Anti-bias and diversity training: Teaches employees how to work with and around people from various backgrounds respectfully.

For you and your team to successfully create effective iterations of the learning experiences mentioned above, it is essential to consider certain key features when selecting employee training software.

Key features of employee training software

When choosing employee training software, it's important to consider the key features the market is offering to ensure you create effective learning experiences. 

Here are a few crucial features that you should cast your eye to before taking the leap and investing in your new employee training solution: 

• Course creation, management, and assignment: A good training platform should enable you to create and manage online courses, reuse training tools, and make them accessible for employees on demand.
• Content authoring tool: A quick and user-friendly course builder to create learning solutions at pace no matter the user's technical expertise. Specific functionality should include interactive elements and personalised learning paths. 
• Collaborative learning: In a shift from top-down training, collaborative learning enables experts and learners to shape the training agenda and course content by declaring their own learning needs and sharing internal knowledge.
• Workflow automation: Your solution should take the hassle out of the mundane but necessary day-to-day tasks that the L&D function cannot live without, including sending emails, notifications, and alerts. 
• Reporting and measuring impact: Your training platform should help you report and analyse your training solutions' impact with metrics like employee engagement, progress, or retention. 
• Customisation: Empower you to customise the learning experience. For example, to help enhance your blended learning strategy, it should let you integrate eLearning formats such as video conferencing. 
• High integration: With learning and development continually expanding, your employee training software should have great third-party integration. This includes integrating with your existing systems, including SCORM, as well as other systems like your HCM or sales systems like Salesforce. 

Now that we understand the basics let's explore the top ten software providers for employee training.

8 of the best employee training LMS software

Let’s start with the tools dedicated to organizational learning. As the name suggests, learning management systems give L&D teams the purpose-built software and resources they’ve needed for decades.  

Some of these LMS platforms are better suited to certain company sizes or industries, but all are robust and comprehensive enough to provide full employee training programs. 

1. 360Learning

360Learning is a collaborative learning platform built to help organizations develop talent and bridge skill gaps at scale. With AI-driven, skills-based learning, it creates impactful, tailored learning experiences by leveraging your internal subject-matter experts.

The platform combines LMS, LXP, and collaborative learning Academies, to create custom-branded learning environments aligned with your business needs. Internal experts can quickly provide highly relevant training content, helping employees rapidly gain the critical knowledge and skills they require.

360Learning’s AI-assisted authoring tools let organizations quickly generate custom quizzes and entire courses from existing documents or just a course title, supporting multiple languages. This saves time and makes it easy to collaborate with experts to deliver in-depth content that lets employees upskill within their daily work.

Key features:

• Modern, intuitive user interface suitable for non-technical staff
• Focus on collaborative learning, helping team members learn from one another
• AI-powered course authoring and prompt management
• Private academies for both internal employee and external training, that can be personalized to your brand
• Interactive gamification features appeal to younger employees

See 360Learning pricing

2. OttoLearn

OttoLearn is a gamified microlearning platform which delivers bite-sized, engaging, and relevant training content aimed at improving employee performance.

The platform includes features to automatically track, analyze, and adjust training content to target individual learners’ needs. Its content studio lets L&D teams design new learning experiences and revise existing training materials. Its ‘scaffolded training experiences’ guide employees through their learning journey until they have fully mastered the required knowledge or skills.

Microlearning isn’t a fit for every learning and development strategy. But if it’s a key part of yours, OttoLearn can be a very helpful tool.

Key features:

• Leaderboards, contests, points, rewards and other built-in gamification 
• Single sign-on integration with Open ID systems, including ADFS and Okta
• Supports users in 20 languages, and training content in over 100 languages

See OttoLearn pricing

3. SC Training

Formerly known as EdApp, SC Training is a mobile-first learning platform that delivers employee training modules anywhere, on any device. 

The tool comes with great templates, and users love the AI-powered course builder that lets you generate entire training courses with just a click. This entirely automates course creation, so you can focus on the more engaging aspects of design. There are also fun, interactive elements to make your courses more engaging.

With AI Create, you can easily develop microlearning content tailored for mobile access, ensuring that employees can learn effectively no matter where they are.

Key features: 

• AI-powered course builder to automate course creation
• Interactive quizzes and gamification
• Responsive, collaborative support team
• Strong learning library to use as a starting point

See SC Learning pricing

4. Rippling LMS

Rippling is an all-in-one platform that combines HR, IT, and payroll management tools to streamline various administrative functions within a company. As part of this wider platform, Rippling LMS provides useful employee development and training tools to help teams work productively and efficiently. 

Featuring an intuitive interface and mobile learning capabilities, Rippling offers tools for course management, automating compliance training, and access to hundreds of ready-made templates.

It’s an excellent tool to communicate and teach new policies and internal workflows. And of course, the LMS is an ideal aid for teams already using the Rippling suite. 

Key features:

• Learning management alongside performance, payroll, and onboarding processes
• Straightforward and easy to use for employees
• Strong integrations, with learning built into systems your team already knows
• Very helpful support team

See Rippling pricing

5. SkyPrep

Self-described as “the LMS without the mess,” SkyPrep is built to facilitate and improve the delivery, tracking, and optimization of employee training content. Built for non-technical users, the platform features an intuitive interface, customizable layouts, and easy access to training programs.

With its Virtual Classroom feature, SkyPrep enhances course management and lets users create, manage, and schedule online training sessions. It is also SCORM compliant and offers tools to automate routine tasks.

SkyPrep is best suited to large organizations, particularly in North America. Clients include YMCA, the Buffalo Bills, the Toronto International Film Festival, and Peoples Trust.

Key features: 

• Strong course authoring tools
• Good API to incorporate the platform into your tools or website
• Fast and simple to set up and implement
• Workflows to assign courses to employees and track their progress

See SkyPrep pricing

6. WorkRamp

WorkRamp LMS is a cloud-based system designed to help businesses manage employee, customer, and partner training. Particularly suited for SMEs wanting to improve employee onboarding, compliance training, and build new skills, it emphasizes engagement, performance, and skill development.

WorkRamp is known for its ease of use, offering a customizable platform that integrates well with other tools like Salesforce and Slack. Users find the platform to be highly scalable, making it a great fit for fast-growing businesses. 

Key features: 

• Custom learning paths for personalized learning experiences in different roles or departments
• Interactive content, including quizzes, presentations, and videos
• Gamification elements and real-time feedback
• Track learner progress, performance, and course completion rates
• Connect with popular tools and platforms, such as CRM and communication tools

See WorkRamp pricing

7. Thrive

Thrive is a learning and skills platform that combines LMS compliance standards, social learning, and personalized experiences. It improves training by managing reporting, tracking compliance, and monitoring completion rates. 

As a comprehensive learning solution, Thrive includes tools for skills management, learning management, API integration, social learning, and content organization. It also helps streamline onboarding and supports rapid upskilling for learners.

Thrive is designed for companies of all sizes and sectors. It’s best for organizations looking to foster a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and employee engagement. The platform integrates with other HR and performance management tools, and is a versatile solution for the modern workforce.

Key features: 

• Dashboard automation to monitor progress and build reports
• Content curation, including external resources like videos, articles, and podcasts
• Personalized learning paths based on individual learner needs and job roles
• Social learning to encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing 
• Detailed analytics and reporting 

See Thrive pricing

8. Absorb

Absorb LMS is a cloud-based eLearning platform that helps organizations deliver, manage, and track employee training and development. Built to scale with you, Absorb offers robust reporting and analytics features to demonstrate the ROI of learning content, along with easy-to-share reports and customizable templates.

Absorb LMS is most often used for employee onboarding, compliance training, customer and partner training, and professional development. It’s known for its user-friendly interface, and features that cater to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations.

Customers include Sony, GAP, Toyota, Samsung, and Johnson & Johnson.

Key features:

• Content management in a wide range of formats, including SCORM, xAPI, and videos 
• In-depth insights and analytics into learner progress, performance, and completion rates
• Mobile learning lets learners access training on any device, including smartphones and tablets
• Gamified elements such as badges, leaderboards, and rewards.
• Easily integrations with other business systems, including HR and CRM tools

See Absorb pricing

8 more useful employee training tools

If you want to build comprehensive training programs, the LMS platforms should be your starting point. But for ongoing, smaller training sessions and refreshers, you can turn to less robust tools. 

Here are some tools more often used for team communication and productivity, but can in fact be very helpful in employee training. 

9. Slack

You likely already know Slack as an instant, asynchronous messaging tool. But smart companies use it to deliver microlearning in a platform employees live in every day. 

For example, easy-to-build Slackbots can deliver Q&A-style training modules. Once every few weeks, a bot can pop into employees’ channels and walk them through a new training course. It could also help with onboarding, or simply remind them of an outstanding training task. 

Popular ready-to-use bots include Donut (for onboarding and mentorship) and Riot for compliance training. 

Slack integrates with a huge range of other software, including LMS platforms like 360Learning to help users learn in the flow of their work. 

Browse the Slack app marketplace 

10. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the most common alternative to Slack, used by companies already embedded in the Office Suite. Teams lets you create dedicated training groups, assign tasks, video chat with teammates, and share calendars, photos, GIFs, documents, and more.

The beauty of both Teams and Slack for training is that your employees use them every day. The more you can integrate and incorporate training programs into these tools, the easier it is to create engagement and ensure courses are completed. 

Browse the Microsoft Business Apps marketplace

11. Loom

Loom is a video messaging tool that lets you quickly record and share video content. It’s commonly used for training, customer support, onboarding, and project updates, making it a versatile tool for businesses and individuals seeking efficient communication. 

It’s particularly useful for asynchronous communication. You can record training sessions and lessons and let recipients watch videos at their convenience. Loom includes engagement tracking to show you who has watched each video. It also works with a variety of platforms like Slack, Google Workspace, and Microsoft Teams.

See Loom pricing

12. Quip

Quip is a digital storage space that lets you share and work collaboratively within documents, spreadsheets, and checklists. Team members can tag each other in comments, leave notes for review, and build courses or knowledge hubs collaboratively. 

Owned by Salesforce, it’s built specifically for users of the CRM. This makes it a great additional tool for sales training and enablement, as it’s integrated with the tool your client-facing teams use every day. 

See Quip pricing

13. Notion

Best known as a productivity and project management tool, Notion is also a great platform to build dedicated knowledge bases and house training tools. Its AI-enhanced word processing lets you create courses and help center articles very quickly, and custom user permissions lets you set Edit or Read-only restrictions as needed. 

Embed everything from presentations to videos, structured however makes sense for your organization. Functions like checklists, polls, and Kanban keep users engaged and on the right track, and calendars and reminders ensure nobody forgets what’s required of them. 

See Notion pricing

14. Prezi

For those familiar with (and frustrated by) PowerPoint, Prezi offers a whole new world of possibilities. This modern presentation tool lets you pan, zoom, and explore different paths as you deliver information. 

Users find it easy and fun to create presentations, and even non-design natives can build visually impressive and engaging slides. Compared with long, single-speed presentations, Prezi makes even relatively dull sessions—health and safety or compliance training, for example—more impactful. 

See Prezi pricing

15. Nearpond

Nearpond is another presentation tool, used lovingly by teachers. But it’s a great addition to corporate training environments, too. You can easily add polls, quizzes, and open questions to your presentations to get your audience more involved. 

This also lets you adjust content in real time based on responses, so training adjusts dynamically to the specific group you’re working with. 

See Nearpond pricing

16. Miro

Miro is another platform that takes a familiar tool and modernizes the experience—this time the whiteboard. This digital whiteboard is a canvas where users can work together in real-time or asynchronously to create, organize, and share ideas visually. 

Miro is commonly used for project planning, brainstorming sessions, design thinking, agile workflows, and more. All of which can be incorporated into training to make it more interactive, collaborative, and memorable. 

See Miro pricing

Match your employee training solution to your learning needs

Great employee training is about more than just good tools. You need a clear learning strategy, company-wide buy-in, and strong subject-matter experts to help lead the way. 

But shrewd training software makes a world of difference. Not only can you speed up and even automate much of the process, you deliver learning in an environment that engages and feels natural to learners. 

Sadly, not every employee is excited about compliance or management training as you’d hope. So why make it harder for them with tedious training sessions? And likewise, why bog down your L&D leaders with manual effort?

Do everyone a favor and invest in good training tools today. Your employees—and the business as a whole—will thank you for it.