How to Create a Specific Learning Track for Roles in Your Organization
Today’s workplaces have a fast-approaching problem: experts are aging out.
According to Gartner, organizations are facing what it calls an “expertise supply crisis.” In 2025, the workforce will see its largest-ever wave of retirements across the world. Which means workplaces are losing their guardians of institutional knowledge.
And yet, most companies aren’t developing expertise fast enough to fill the gap. In Gartner’s latest report, 9 Future of Work Trends for 2025, six in 10 employees say they aren’t receiving the on-the-job coaching they need to strengthen their core job skills. The solution to this fast decline in institutional knowledge? Purposeful, role-based learning tracks in your training program that clearly outline what each employee needs to know, do, and master in their line of work.
Whether you’re onboarding new team members or upskilling high performers, structured learning tracks give your workforce clarity, confidence, and the tools to thrive. To get a clear understanding of what a learning track looks like, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating a custom learning track for one role in your organization, so you can scale knowledge and develop talent where it matters most. Let’s begin!
Step 1: Define the Role Clearly
Before you can create a learning track in your training program, you need a crystal-clear understanding of the role itself:
What exactly does this person need to know and do to succeed?
What tools will they use?
Who do they interact with daily?
What processes do they need to follow?
What soft skills does this person need to master?
The more specific you are in defining the role, the easier it will be to map training to real-world success.
To really grasp how the creation of a learning path works, let’s follow Jessica’s training journey. Jessica has recently been hired as a new front desk associate at the Sunrise View Hotel, a mid-size hospitality brand with multiple locations.
In her role as a front desk associate, Jessica will be required to:
Greet and check-in guests with professionalism and warmth.
Manage room bookings, cancellations, and upgrades in the reservation system.
Answer guest questions about hotel amenities, local attractions, and services.
Handle payments, refunds, and loyalty program sign-ups.
Resolve guest concerns or escalate issues to management when needed.
Communicate clearly with housekeeping and maintenance teams.
While the role may sound simple on the surface, it includes a mix of customer service, tech skills, communication prowess, and creative problem-solving. By clearly defining Jessica’s responsibilities, we can now figure out what skills, tools, and processes she’ll need to master in her learning track.
Next, let’s identify the skills she’ll need to succeed in her role.
Step 2: Identify Required Skills and Knowledge
Once you’ve defined the role, the next step is to break it down into the specific skills and knowledge areas someone in that position needs to be successful.
For Jessica, our new front desk associate at Sunrise View Hotel, this means thinking about both technical knowledge and soft skills. Here’s what Jessica needs to know:
Core Knowledge:
Hotel policies and procedures: check-in/out times, cancellation policy, ID requirements, room types, pet policy, etc.
Reservation system training: how to book, update, cancel, and upgrade guest reservations
Point-of-sale tools: payment processing, refunds, loyalty points, receipts
Safety and security procedures: handling emergencies, lost keycards, and suspicious activity
Brand standards: tone of voice, uniform guidelines, guest interaction expectations
Core Skills:
Customer service excellence: warm greetings, active listening, and clear communication
Problem-solving: addressing guest complaints and finding solutions on the fly
Multitasking: juggling phone calls, check-ins, and requests during busy timesTech fluency: navigating booking software and messaging tools with confidence
Team communication: working effectively with housekeeping, maintenance, and the management team
Now that we know what Jessica needs to learn, we can begin grouping these skills into learning modules that align with her onboarding timeline.
Step 3: Group Topics into Learning Modules
Since we’ve identified Jessica’s required skills and brand knowledge, it’s time to structure her training into digestible learning modules. This approach keeps the learning process clear for her and trackable for her managers.
Each module should focus on one key area of Jessica’s role, building her confidence step-by-step. You can combine self-paced digital content with in-person learning opportunities for a blended learning experience.
Here’s how her modules might look:
Hotel Basics & Guest Services
Digital Module: Welcome video from hotel leadership + brand standards overview
Self-Paced Digital Course: Hotel policies, procedures, and FAQs
Auto-Graded Quiz: Knowledge check on policy understanding
Live Session: Shadow shift with a front desk supervisor
Tools & Technology
Digital Module: Intro to reservation system (step-by-step video tutorials)
Hands-On Practice: Book mock reservations with supervisor guidance
Knowledge Check: Short quiz or simulation
Guest Scenarios & Problem-Solving
Video Module: Video course explaining how to handle complaints, upgrades, and special requests
Roleplay Session: In-person or virtual coaching with common guest situations
Feedback Loop: Supervisor feedback form + Jessica’s self-assessment
By organizing her learning into modules like these, Jessica can see her progress and revisit content as needed. Meanwhile, her managers have a clear roadmap to support and track her development.
The next step in creating a successful learning track for Jessica’s role? Sequencing.
Step 4: Sequence the Learning Path
Once you’ve outlined the modules for the learning path, it’s time to roll them out to the employee in a way that makes sense. Oftentimes learning path sequencing follows the chronological order of the employee’s day-to-day work. The goal is to build foundational knowledge first, then layer on more advanced skills as confidence and context grows.
For Jessica, our front desk associate, we should start with the basics she needs on day one, like how to greet guests and check them in, before moving into more nuanced topics like handling guest complaints or upselling upgrades.
Here’s how the first two weeks of Jessica’s learning path might be sequenced:
Day 1–2: Orientation & Hotel Overview
Welcome and brand values
Workplace policies, timekeeping, and scheduling
Tour of the hotel and team introductions
Days 3–5: Guest Service Essentials
Greeting guests, body language, tone
Dress code
Roleplaying basic interactions
Standard Operating Procedures review for check-in/check-out
Week 2: Technology Training
Reservation system tutorials
Payment processing and receipts
Booking walk-through with supervisor
By rolling out learning in this way, Jessica never feels lost or overwhelmed. Plus, her manager always knows where she is in her training journey because learning should always be delivered in a consistent, digital format. Which brings us to the next step in creating a learning track: using an employee training platform.
Step 5: Deliver Learning Through a Platform
Once you’ve mapped out the content and the roll-out order, the next step is making sure your training is delivered seamlessly. That’s where an employee training platform comes into play.
Instead of handing Jessica a folder of outdated printed materials, scattered PDFs, or one-off links, her entire training journey lives in a single, easy-to-navigate hub. That means she can complete assignments from her desktop or phone without needing to chase down a manager for what’s next.
Plus, an employee trainin platform is a dream come true. It provides:
Real-time visibility into who’s completed what (and what still needs to be done)
Built-in, auto-graded quizzes to assess comprehension
Automated reminders and check-in prompts
One source of truth for training materials across all locations
This is especially powerful for multi-location brands, like the hotel Jessica works for. Whether Jessica is training at the flagship location or a new property across the country, she’ll receive the same high-quality onboarding experience that everyone gets.
Best of all, a centralized platform ensures that nobody falls through the cracks. If an employee isn’t completing their training properly, their manager can see it in the analytics portion of the platform and provide the support needed to keep their employees on track.
Create Learning Tracks That Work
Creating a dedicated learning track for each role isn’t just a training best practice, it’s a business necessity these days. As more and more experienced employees exit the workforce, structured learning paths help new hires like Jessica ramp up faster and deliver consistent results from day one.
By clearly defining the role, identifying core skills, sequencing your courses, and delivering it through a centralized employee training platform, your organization can close knowledge gaps and foster long-term growth.
Are you ready to create role-specific learning tracks at your organization? Explore how ExpandShare makes it simple with built-in training paths, mobile access, real-time analytics, and more. Get a demo today!
