How to Train New Employees Faster With Better Documentation

I remember the first time I hired someone at my previous startup, Simpo.

I blocked off three full days to train them. Three days of sitting next to them, walking through every single process, answering questions, showing them how everything worked. By day three, I was exhausted and I'd fallen behind on everything else.

Two weeks later? They came back asking how to do half the stuff I'd already shown them.

That's when I realized the problem wasn't them. It was my approach. I was treating training like something that happens once, in person, through verbal explanation. But that's the slowest, least scalable way to train anyone.

I'm Yuval, founder and CEO of Glitter AI. I've trained dozens of employees across two startups, and I've learned that the speed of training is directly tied to the quality of your documentation. The better your docs, the faster people get up to speed. Here's exactly how to make that happen.

Why Traditional Training Takes So Long

Most companies train new employees the same way I did initially. Someone sits with them for days or weeks, verbally explaining everything. It feels thorough, but it's actually incredibly inefficient.

Here's why this approach is so slow.

It's All Synchronous

You have to block off time. The new hire has to block off time. If either of you gets pulled into something urgent, training stops. Everything moves at the pace of two people's schedules aligning.

I've seen week-long training programs stretch into three weeks because someone kept getting called into meetings.

Information Gets Lost

You explain something once. Maybe the new hire takes notes. Maybe they don't. Either way, when they need that information two weeks later, they can't remember the exact details. So they interrupt you to ask again.

This creates a cycle where you're constantly re-explaining the same things.

It Doesn't Scale

Every new hire needs the same amount of your time. Hire five people? That's five times the training hours. The only way to speed it up is to have multiple people do training, which means multiple people are now spending their time on something that could be self-serve.

People Learn at Different Speeds

Some people get it immediately. Others need to see it three times. But when you're doing live training, you have to pick one pace. Either you go too fast for some or too slow for others.

Nobody's getting the optimal experience.

The Documentation-First Training Method

Here's what I do now, and it's cut training time by more than half.

Before I hire anyone, I document the core processes they'll need to know. Not in some massive manual—just clear, visual, step-by-step guides. Then when they start, instead of sitting with them for three days, I send them the relevant docs and tell them to work through them.

I'm available for questions. But 80% of what they need to learn, they can learn on their own time, at their own pace.

Why This Works

People can learn when they're ready. Some people prefer to read everything upfront. Others like to dive in and reference docs as needed. Documentation lets them choose.

They can review as many times as needed. Forgot how to do something? The doc doesn't get annoyed when you check it for the fifth time.

It scales infinitely. Whether you're training one person or ten, the same docs work. I've used the same process guides to onboard 15+ people across different roles.

You stay focused on high-value work. Instead of spending days on repetitive training, you spend maybe an hour answering specific questions. The rest of the time, you're doing your actual job.

The shift from synchronous training to asynchronous training documentation is honestly one of the best productivity moves I've made.

Creating Self-Serve Training Resources

The key word here is "self-serve." Your training docs need to be good enough that someone can actually learn from them without you being there.

Most training documentation fails at this. It's either too vague ("Log into the system and process the orders") or too text-heavy (12 paragraphs explaining what one screenshot could show).

Here's what actually works.

Start With Screenshots and Screen Recordings

Every step that involves a screen should have a visual. Not just some steps—every single one.

When I create training materials now, I do a screen recording as I perform the process. Then I extract the key frames as screenshots. This takes maybe 10 extra minutes, but it makes the documentation 10x more useful.

People can see exactly where to click, what buttons look like, what they should see on their screen. There's no ambiguity.

I've written more about this in my post on training documentation best practices, but the core principle is simple: show, don't just tell.

Write Like You're Talking to Someone

Training docs don't need to sound formal. They're instructions, not legal contracts.

I write mine like I'm sitting next to the person: "Click the blue 'Create New' button in the top right. You'll see a form pop up. Fill in the customer name here..."

Short sentences. Clear directions. No corporate jargon.

Break Processes Into Modules

Don't create one 50-page training manual. Create 10 separate 5-page guides, each focused on one specific process.

This makes it easier for people to find what they need. It also makes it easier for you to keep things updated—you can revise one module without having to touch everything else.

Think of it like microlearning. Each guide should teach one thing well.

Include the "Why" Not Just the "How"

Here's something I learned the hard way: when people understand why they're doing something, they remember it better and make fewer mistakes.

So in my training docs, I don't just say "Enter the order number here." I say "Enter the order number here—this is what we use to track the order through our system and match it to the customer's invoice later."

One extra sentence that provides context. It makes a huge difference.

Using Video for Faster Comprehension

Some processes are just easier to show than to write out.

I used to resist making training videos because I thought they'd be a pain to create and update. But modern screen recording tools have changed that. You can record a 5-minute walkthrough in... 5 minutes.

When Video Works Best

I use video training for:

Complex multi-step processes. Something that would take 3 pages to write out clearly might take 90 seconds to demonstrate.

Processes with a lot of navigation. When someone needs to jump between multiple screens or tabs, video shows the flow much more naturally than screenshots.

Processes where timing matters. If there's waiting involved ("After you click this, wait for the confirmation message before proceeding"), video makes that obvious.

The Video + Text Combo

Here's my favorite approach: record a quick video, then create a simplified text version with screenshots as a reference.

Some people prefer watching. Some prefer reading. Some want to skim the text first, then watch the video if they're confused. Giving both options covers everyone.

And honestly, with tools like Glitter AI (yes, shameless plug), you can generate the text guide from the video automatically. It's not much extra work.

Measuring Training Effectiveness

You need to know if your documentation is actually working. Otherwise you're just guessing.

I track three things.

Time to Productivity

How long does it take before a new hire can complete their core tasks independently?

Before I improved our documentation, this was 2-3 weeks. After? 5-7 days.

That's the clearest signal that your training approach is working—people get productive faster.

Question Volume

In the first week, how many questions is each new hire asking? And what are they asking about?

If you're getting the same questions from multiple people, those are gaps in your documentation. Add a section that answers that question, and the next person won't need to ask.

Task Completion Accuracy

Are people completing tasks correctly on their first try, or are there lots of mistakes and revisions?

High error rates usually mean the instructions aren't clear enough. When I see this, I go back and add more screenshots, more detail, more context about why each step matters.

A Simple Quality Check

Every time someone asks you a question during training, ask yourself: "Should this have been in the documentation?"

If yes, add it. Over time, your docs get better and questions decrease. It's a virtuous cycle.

Building Your Training Documentation Library

This doesn't happen overnight. You're not going to document every process in a week.

Here's how I approached it.

Start With the Most Common Processes

What do new hires need to know in their first two weeks? Document those processes first.

For most roles, there are probably 5-10 core processes that cover 80% of what they do daily. Start there.

Document as You Train

Even if you're doing live training initially, record it or take notes. Then immediately after, turn those notes into a doc.

This way, the next person you train can use the doc instead of taking up your time. You're building the library as you go.

Let New Hires Help

New employees have fresh eyes. They notice things that aren't clear because they're experiencing the confusion firsthand.

After someone's been through training, ask them: "What was confusing? What could have been clearer?" Use that feedback to improve the docs.

I've found that new hires often write the best improvements to training documentation because they remember exactly what they struggled with.

Version Control Your Docs

Processes change. Software updates. Systems evolve.

Keep your documentation in a place where you can easily update it. And when you update a process, update the doc immediately—not "later when I have time."

At Glitter AI, we use our own product for this (of course). But whatever tool you use, make sure updating docs is easy. If it's a pain, you won't do it, and your docs will become outdated and useless.

Check out my guide on how to keep process documentation updated for more on this.

Creating Training Paths, Not Just Documents

Once you have a library of documentation, you can create structured learning paths for different roles.

Instead of dumping 20 different guides on someone and saying "read these," you give them a clear sequence:

Day 1: Read these 3 guides Day 2: Complete this process using guide #4, then review guide #5 Day 3: Practice guides #6 and #7, then do a real task with supervision

This structure helps people build knowledge progressively instead of feeling overwhelmed.

The 30-60-90 Day Framework

I organize training documentation into three phases:

First 30 days - Core Competency. The essential processes they need to do their job at a basic level. This is your onboarding documentation.

Days 31-60 - Expanding Capability. More advanced features, edge cases, troubleshooting guides. They're functional now, but getting better.

Days 61-90 - Mastery. Best practices, efficiency tips, advanced techniques. This is where good employees become great ones.

Most companies only focus on that first 30 days. But continuing to provide structured learning resources through the first 90 days helps people ramp up much faster.

The ROI of Better Training Documentation

Let me put some numbers to this.

If training someone traditionally takes 40 hours of your time (5 days at 8 hours each), and your hourly value is $100, that's $4,000 in opportunity cost per new hire.

With good documentation, you might spend 10 hours creating the docs initially, then 5 hours per new hire answering questions and providing support. After your second hire, you're saving money. After your fifth hire, you've saved massive amounts of time.

And that doesn't even count the new hire's time. When they can learn at their own pace using clear documentation, they're not sitting in boring training sessions. They're actually doing productive work sooner.

The Compounding Effect

The real win is what happens over time.

You create good training docs once. They get used over and over. Each time you hire someone, they get up to speed faster. Each time someone asks a question, you improve the docs so the next person doesn't have that question.

Your training system gets better automatically, and you spend less and less time on it.

Compare that to the traditional approach, where every new hire requires the same time investment forever. That doesn't scale. Documentation does.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

I've made every training documentation mistake possible. Here are the ones that wasted the most time.

Making Docs Too Comprehensive

I once created a 60-page training manual covering every possible scenario. Nobody read the whole thing. It was overwhelming.

Better to have 10 short, focused guides than one massive document. People can find and use what they need without drowning in information.

Updating Too Infrequently

I've also had the opposite problem—letting docs get out of date because updating felt like a huge project.

The solution? Small, frequent updates. Changed one step in a process? Update the doc right away. It takes 2 minutes. Waiting until you have 10 outdated docs to fix takes 2 hours and often never happens.

Writing for Yourself, Not for Beginners

When you know a process inside and out, it's easy to skip steps that seem obvious. But they're not obvious to someone doing it for the first time.

Have someone unfamiliar with the process try to follow your documentation. Watch them do it. Every time they get confused, that's a place to add more detail.

Skipping the Visuals

Text-only documentation takes twice as long to create (all that explaining!) and three times as long for people to learn from. Just add the screenshots. Every time.

Tools and Technology

You don't need fancy tools to create good training documentation. But the right tools make it faster and easier.

What I Use

For screen recording: Loom or native OS tools work fine. You just need something that captures your screen clearly.

For screenshots and annotation: Most modern screenshot tools let you add arrows and highlight boxes. That's all you really need.

For creating the actual guides: I built Glitter AI specifically for this. You record what you're doing, and it automatically generates step-by-step documentation with screenshots. Saves me probably 70% of the time I used to spend on this.

But you could also use Google Docs, Notion, Confluence—whatever your team already uses. The tool matters less than the commitment to actually creating and maintaining the docs.

Keep It Simple

The best documentation system is the one you'll actually use. If a tool is too complicated or requires too many steps, you won't keep it updated.

Start simple. Create a few basic guides using whatever tool feels easiest. Once you've built the habit, you can optimize the tools if needed.

Getting Your Team On Board

If you're not the only one doing training, you need other people to buy into this documentation-first approach.

Make It Easy to Contribute

The biggest barrier is usually time. People think creating documentation is a huge project.

Show them it's not. Record a quick process, extract screenshots, write simple instructions. It takes 15-20 minutes for most processes.

When people see it's not a massive time sink, they're more willing to do it.

Lead by Example

Start documenting your own processes. Share them. Show how much time it saves.

When people see you training new hires in 5 hours instead of 40, they'll want to know how you did it. That's your opening to get them creating their own documentation.

Reward and Recognize It

At Glitter AI, creating good training documentation is part of how we evaluate performance. It's not extra work—it's part of the job.

When someone creates great training docs, I call it out. I thank them publicly. I show how it's helping the team.

What gets recognized gets repeated.

Making Documentation Part of Your Culture

The final piece is making this sustainable. You don't want to create all this documentation and then let it rot.

Document as You Build

Whenever we create a new process at Glitter AI, we document it at the same time. Not later. Right then.

This means new processes come with training materials from day one. Nobody has to go back and "catch up" on documentation.

Quarterly Documentation Review

Every three months, we spend an hour reviewing our most-used training docs. What's outdated? What needs more detail? What can we remove because we don't do it that way anymore?

This keeps things current without being overwhelming. An hour every 90 days is way easier than trying to overhaul everything once a year.

Make It Discoverable

Documentation is useless if people can't find it.

We keep ours in a searchable knowledge base with clear categories. New hires get a link to their role-specific training path on day one.

The easier it is to find what you need, the more people will actually use it instead of just asking questions.

The Bottom Line

Training new employees faster isn't about cramming more information into less time. It's about changing how you deliver that information.

Good documentation lets people learn at their own pace, review as many times as they need, and become productive without requiring constant access to you or other team members.

I've seen this cut onboarding time in half. I've seen new hires who are productive in their first week instead of their third week. I've seen teams scale hiring without drowning in training responsibilities.

It requires an upfront investment—you have to create the documentation. But you create it once and use it forever. Every single new hire benefits. The ROI is massive.

If you're still training people the old way—sitting with them for days, verbally explaining everything, answering the same questions over and over—you're spending 10x more time than you need to.

Create the docs. Build the library. Train people asynchronously.

Your future self (and your future new hires) will thank you.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to create training documentation for a new role?

For most roles, you can document the core processes (80% of what someone does) in 8-12 hours total. Break this into chunks - document one process at a time over a few weeks. You don't need to document everything before the first hire starts; create the essential guides first and build the library over time.

What if our processes change frequently?

Keep documentation modular and update in small increments. When a process changes, update just that guide immediately while it's fresh. This takes 5-10 minutes versus trying to update everything quarterly. Modern documentation tools also make updates much faster - you can often replace a screenshot and edit a few steps in under 5 minutes.

Should training documentation be video or text?

Both work best. Create a quick screen recording video for visual learners, then generate or create a text version with screenshots for people who prefer reading. With modern tools, you can create both from a single recording. The text version also helps when people need to quickly reference one step without watching a full video.

How do you measure if training documentation is working?

Track three metrics: time to productivity (how quickly new hires can work independently), question volume (how many clarifying questions they ask), and task accuracy (error rates on key processes). If documentation is working, you'll see people getting productive faster, asking fewer questions, and making fewer mistakes.

What tools do I need to create effective training documentation?

Start simple with screen recording software (Loom or native OS tools), screenshot capability with basic annotation (arrows and highlights), and any document platform your team uses (Google Docs, Notion, etc.). The tool matters less than having clear visuals and simple instructions. You can always optimize your tooling later once documentation becomes a habit.

How detailed should training documentation be?

Detailed enough that someone unfamiliar with the process can complete it without asking questions. Include a screenshot or visual for every screen-based step, write in conversational language, and add brief context about why each step matters. Avoid walls of text - use short paragraphs and numbered lists. Test by having someone new try to follow the docs and note where they get stuck.

What's the ROI of investing time in training documentation?

After your second hire, you're already saving time. If traditional training takes 40 hours of your time per new hire, but documentation takes 10 hours to create and 5 hours per hire for support, you save 25 hours on the second hire and 35 hours on every hire after that. Plus new employees become productive faster, often in half the time.

How do you keep training documentation from getting outdated?

Update immediately when processes change - make it a 2-minute habit rather than a quarterly project. Use version control and assign documentation ownership for key processes. Schedule brief quarterly reviews of your most-used guides. And create a feedback loop where new hires can flag confusing or outdated sections as they go through training.