We use an online system for training. Everytime I assign a course, I get pushback from dept heads saying that I assign too many and they don't have time to complete them. In my opinion, I don't feel like I assign too many. Most of the are required training topics, information security, and compliance. Luckily, upper management is in agreement with me and let me assign what I feel is needed.

Just curious, if you use an online system, how many courses do you assign on annual basis?

I get the same push back every year. THe employee with the least number of courses is HR. I assign 8 courses to them. There rest of the employees have a range up to 24. I'm tire of the push back and I simply say that there is nothing we can do about it. Some of our policies require training and all fo the regulations require some sort of training. To be fair I review them every year to see if we can cut back. The branches do a good job of finishing all of their courses because they have a calendar they follow of the courses they need to take every month. Usually one or two. We send out email reminders to the employees. I do have the support of Senior Management and that helps.

The lending and leadership areas have the most courses (bascially one each month, so 12 total). Lower support staff has 3-4 courses. We try to alternate some courses every other year if possible to avoid doubling up. But, as Flordida Babe said, more and more are becoming annual.

We send out reminder emails each month as well as posting the schedule in employee newsletters.

I usually assign anywhere between 4 and 6 per year, depending on when they last had training (I'm not a believer in annual training in everything every year). One or two will have to do with BSA/AML (which I do assign each year) and the rest in other compliance areas related to their job responsibilities.

Our department was assigned 18 courses for 2013 by Compliance (everything from customer service skills to Reg E). IT also assigns 3 or 4 additional classes each year.

I assign courses by quarter. I'd say it works out to 3 courses per quarter. Some may have more, some less, depending on job duties.

Thanks all for the feedback! My training is right in line with everyone else. It is usually the loan dept that I get the pushback from and they normally have the most courses assigned. What I tell them is when I stop seeing errors from your dept I will lightened up the load but until then you better get a move on!

Are the complaints that you receive based on 1) they don't have time or 2) they already know this material? (Just curious.)

At my last bank the complaints were originally about the time, but when I talked to the mgr, it was TRULY that they were tired of the same training. We implemented a little contest where their employees could "test out" of the module and compete against those of us in risk management who also tried to test out. Fun was had by all!

Don't know if that would help anyone else.....but it sure was fun competing against those commercial lenders that were positive they needed no more Reg B training. And I enjoyed watching them read about Flood regs somewhere other than in the training program so that they could test out w/o opening those screens! Ha...got 'em trained.

We assigned 20-24 to new frontline personnel, and about 10 to administration/Board. Existing personnel is on 24-month cycle for most of the training (other than BSA and Reg CC).
Department managers understand that training to employees covers the bank's and its management's backs if something is done wrong. Also, I have seen instances when regulators cited a bank for no Fair Lending training to backoffice human resource clerks, so you never know what is the next hot button. It's better to be safe than sorry.

Yes the complaints I get are usually they don't have time and they already know the stuff.

My response: Well if you already know the stuff why do I keep finding errors. As far as time, the ones that complain are usually the ones who leave early.