Are training manuals still a thing?
Yes, but 100-page documents that no one reads are not! It’s vital to use software if you’re going to create highly engaging learning experiences for your team members.
Creating effective training manuals is essential for any organization aiming to onboard and develop its employees efficiently. We’ve set out how to create an employee handbook for your new starters.
And here explore the best software for creating training manuals in 2024 that closely mirrors the best SOP software tools to use in 2024:
Benefits of Creating a Training Manual
So why would you want to create training manuals? It sounds like a lot of work no?
If you want to connect your employees to their roles and responsibilities and keep them engaged, you’re going to need training and training manuals. (Actually a training manual can come in many forms so don’t get too stuck on imagining long documents.)
Creating a training manual offers several benefits:
- Consistency: Ensure all employees receive the same information and training, maintaining uniformity across the organization.
- Efficiency: Streamline the onboarding process, reducing the time and resources needed to train new hires.
- Reference Material: Provide a valuable resource for employees to refer back to, enhancing retention and performance.
- Compliance: Ensure that all employees are aware of and adhere to industry regulations and standards.
Not to mention employee engagement.
Our List of the Best Software to Create a Training Manual
We’ve scoured the best employee software being widely used in 2024, and these are our top picks for creating a training manual:
1. Whale
Whale is the easiest documentation and training tool out there. It centralizes all your training manuals, processes, SOPs, and playbooks, enabling quick onboarding and training. Whale uses AI and templates for easy training manual creation and automated workflows to share them with your team, ensuring rapid team alignment.
Pros
- Award-winning customer support for fast onboarding.
- High ROI with quick onboarding times.
- User-friendly interface with AI Assist for quick training manual creation.
Cons
- Quizzes could be more detailed.
- Manual installation of suggestions can be time-consuming.
Price
- Free trial available.
- $5/user/month for small teams.
- $10/user/month for growing teams.
- Enterprise pricing for larger teams.
G2 Rating
4.7 / 5
2. Process Street
Process Street is a versatile workflow and process management platform that helps organizations create, optimize, and automate their training manuals and operational procedures. It allows businesses to document workflows as checklist-based templates, making it easy to follow, track progress, and collaborate on tasks.
With features like Whale’s step recorder, you can run through a process like you do every day, and at the end, you’ll have a documented process with screenshots ready to use.
Pros
- Pre-made templates for various training manual processes.
- Clean UI.
- Schedulable processes and form fields within job descriptions.
Cons
- Limited free version.
- Paid plans can be expensive.
Price
- Startup: $100/month.
- Pro: $1500/month.
- Enterprise: On query
G2 Rating
4.6 / 5
3. Document360
Document360 is a knowledge base and documentation management platform tailored for businesses and software developers. It provides tools to create, organize, and publish comprehensive training manuals, documentation, FAQs, and help guides, with customizable templates and robust search capabilities.
Pros
- Advanced editorial portal for training manual creation and review.
- Document difference viewer for tracking changes.
Cons
- Lack of a template library for new content adds time to training manual creation.
Price
- Standard: $149/project/month (billed annually).
- Professional: $299/project/month (billed annually).
- Business: $399/project/month (billed annually).
- Enterprise: $599/project/month (billed annually).
G2 Rating
4.7 / 5
4. Scribe
Scribe is designed to streamline data integration and migration processes. It enables businesses to connect various applications and data sources, allowing for efficient data transfer. Scribe makes the most of your screen capture with auto-generated, step-by-step training manuals.
Pros
- Automates training manual creation.
- Customizable text, steps, and images.
- Single-click sharing.
- Easy integration with any knowledge base.
Cons
- Can be expensive for smaller businesses.
- Limited pricing options for smaller teams.
Price
- Pro: $12/seat/month for individuals.
- Pro personal: $12/seat/month for individuals.
G2 Rating
4.8 / 5
5. Trainual
Trainual is a knowledge transfer and training platform for growing teams to build the playbook for their operations. It streamlines the process of creating and managing training manuals and documentation.
Pros
- Free trial available.
- Role assignments manage SOP ownership and training responsibilities.
- Easy embedding of external content like PDFs, GIFs, and videos.
Cons
- Limited knowledge test options compared to other training manual software.
- UI is complex.
Price
- Small $299/month billed monthly.
- Medium $349/month billed monthly.
- Growth $499/month billed monthly.
G2 Rating
4.7 / 5
6. Software development outsourcing companies
For businesses looking for a more tailored approach, software development outsourcing companies offer custom solutions for manual training creation software.
These companies provide expertise in designing platforms that meet specific organizational needs, integrating unique features like interactive modules, analytics, and compliance tracking.
This alternative to existing tools allows you to create a fully customized training system that aligns perfectly with your workflows, ensuring a more seamless and effective learning experience for your team.
What is the Best Free Training Manual Software?
When it comes to the best free training manual software, Whale stands out as an exceptional choice for small teams getting started with documentation.
Whale’s free tier plan, called "Forever Free," offers a robust set of features designed to help you create effective training manuals without any cost.
Whale’s Forever Free Plan
Features Included:
– Content Creation Tools: Easily create comprehensive training manuals with intuitive content creation tools.
– AI Assist: Generate procedures quickly and efficiently with AI assistance, streamlining the documentation process.
– Google Drive & OneDrive Integrations: Seamlessly integrate with Google Drive and OneDrive to store and manage your training manuals.
– Browser Extension: Utilize the browser extension for quick and easy access to your documentation tools directly from your web browser.
With up to 5 seats available in the free plan, Whale provides small teams with the tools they need to create, manage, and distribute high-quality training manuals. There’s no credit card required to get started, making it an accessible and hassle-free solution for those looking to improve their documentation and training processes.
Start for Free on Whale
Implementing HR automation comes with its challenges and considerations.
- Resistance to implementation
- Integration issues
- Lack of resources
- Expensive and complex IT support
Many HR professionals are concerned that AI and automation will make them redundant. This could not be further from the truth. Automation is designed to help create consistency in routine tasks and to increase efficiency to allow HR employees to focus on employee engagement and to provide strategic people insight to the business.
The above challenges can be adressed with change management, involving relevant stakeholders and in ensuring service providers can provide the necessary support.
Bottom line?
A survey conducted by PwC showed that 52% of those looking for jobs said that ‘opportunities for career progression’ made an organisation compelling to work for.
The bottom line is that training isn’t just good for business, it helps retain top talent too.
You can’t afford NOT to train your team members.
Got questions on your mind?
Book a demo with our team today!
FAQs on Best Software for Creating Training Manuals
Can I create a training manual template in Word?
Yes, you can create a training manual template in Microsoft Word. This software is an excellent tool for organizations, businesses, and individuals who need to document important information and guidelines. Whether you are creating an employee handbook, a training manual, or a reference guide, Word offers user-friendly editing, formatting, and distribution options. Its versatility and accessibility make it a great choice for producing professional and comprehensive training manuals.
What is the difference between a training manual and an employee handbook?
A training manual ensures that employees receive all crucial instructions, helping them achieve their goals more quickly through step-by-step guidance. In contrast, an employee handbook outlines company policies and procedures, protecting both the organization and employees from potential liabilities. While a training manual focuses on job-specific tasks and performance, an employee handbook provides a broader overview of workplace expectations and regulations. they run the risk of losing touch with teams.
How is a training manual structured?
A training manual is structured with a pre-designed format that includes a home page, topic-specific headers, title pages, and a table of contents. This organized layout provides a consistent and high-quality framework, making it easier to create comprehensive and effective training materials.
