How do you build a records management training program for staff, and what should new-employee and annual refresher training cover?

A records management training program turns policy into daily practice. Without it, even a well-designed records schedule stays on the shelf. Effective programs are built deliberately, tied to roles, and reinforced over time.

Building the program

Start by grounding training in your organization’s recordkeeping policy and applicable legal requirements, so staff understand not just what to do but why it matters. A few principles guide good program design:

• Assess needs by role. Front-line staff, supervisors, IT, and records liaisons have different responsibilities. Tailor content accordingly rather than delivering one generic deck.
• Set clear learning objectives. Define what each audience should be able to do after training (e.g., correctly identify a record, apply a retention category, place a legal hold).
• Use multiple channels. Combine onboarding sessions, refreshers, job aids, and just-in-time guidance embedded in systems.
• Track completion and measure results. Record who has been trained and use quizzes, audits, or spot checks to confirm the training is working.
• Keep it current. Update materials when laws, schedules, or systems change.

For more on the broader framework, see the federal records topic hub.

New-employee training

Onboarding should give every employee the fundamentals before they create their first record:

• What a record is, and how it differs from non-record and transitory material
• The organization’s recordkeeping responsibilities and each person’s role
• How and where to capture, file, and store records correctly
• Retention basics and how scheduled disposition works
• Handling sensitive information (privacy, confidentiality, and any controlled categories)
• Legal holds, and the prohibition on unauthorized destruction or removal

Annual refresher training

Refreshers reinforce core duties and address change. They typically revisit recordkeeping responsibilities and proper capture, then highlight what is new or commonly mishandled:

• Updates to policies, retention schedules, or systems
• Recurring problem areas surfaced by audits or incidents
• Reminders on legal holds, sensitive data, and approved disposition
• Emerging topics such as new communication channels and electronic recordkeeping

Consistent, role-based training that is measured and refreshed is what keeps a records program defensible and reliable over time.