Employee Development Resource Guide
People. Potential. Progress.
Three questions, one place to answer them: what development would help me, which Sonoco option fits, and how do I get started?
Start here
Who are you developing?
Your answer changes the situations shown below. You can switch at any time — nothing is saved.
Discover
Start from the situation, not the catalog.
Situations from an employee’s point of view — skills, confidence, and next steps in your own role.
01 / 06
“I may be asked to lead people soon, and I do not want to learn it on the job.”
Where this leads
BRIDGE to Leadership
A foundational step from individual contributor to leader — ethical behaviour, respectful communication, insightful problem solving, decisive action, developing a team, and continuous growth.
- Leadership programs
- Manager / HRBP
- Hybrid eLearning and 3 live virtual sessions — 12 hours total over 3 months.
Preparing carousel controls… If this continues, browse all programs.Next Crucial Conversations
Three ways to find your option
Discover, choose, or see everything.
Discover
Move through real development situations above and see which Sonoco option answers each one.
Help me choose
Pick a goal in the explorer below for the offerings most closely related to it, with a note on why each fits.
Show me everything
The catalog holds every offering with search and filters for goal, access route, and audience.
Help me choose
What would you like to develop?
Pick a goal to see the Sonoco offerings most closely related to it, with a short note on why each one fits. Employees and people leaders will find relevant options under most goals.
Preparing for leadership, or leading a team with more consistency. Most relevant to: Both
- BRIDGE to LeadershipGives a first-time or soon-to-be supervisor a shared language for making decisions, handling problems, and developing the people around them before the pressure of the role arrives.Manager or HR business partner
- Foundations of LeadershipBuilds the day-to-day management habits a new people leader uses immediately with direct reports, practised with a regional cohort rather than learned from theory alone.Talent Review nomination
- Develop to LeadTurns assessment results and candid executive feedback into a focused development plan, useful when someone is being considered for broader responsibility.Talent Review nomination
- Financial AcumenHelps an operations leader read the numbers behind their site and explain how a scheduling, staffing, or material decision moves business performance.Talent Review nomination
Suggestions are a starting point for conversation. Availability, eligibility, and timing are confirmed by your manager, HR business partner, or the Talent Management Team.
Browse all offerings
New to Sonoco?
Start here in your first weeks.
There is no fixed curriculum to complete. These are the resources already available to you, in the order most people find useful — self-directed learning first, then a conversation about where you are heading.
Explore Sonoco University
- Step 1
Search Sonoco University
Sign in and search by topic. The on-demand library is the fastest way to start learning in your first weeks.
- Step 2
Try Packaged Learning
Pre-selected courses chosen by a Sonoco Learning Strategy Specialist, each designed to be completed in under 60 minutes.
- Step 3
Run a Skill Benchmark
Assess your current level in a specific area and receive personalized recommendations and a score to improve on.
- Step 4
Practise in the AI Simulator
Rehearse crucial workplace conversations in a low-stakes simulation with real-time feedback from an AI coach.
- Step 5
Ask about a New Hire Mentor
A New Hire Mentor familiarizes you with company culture and values, helps you make connections, and answers the early questions.
- Step 6
Have a development conversation
Bring one clear goal to your manager or HR business partner. They confirm what is running for your group and when.
Availability can vary by role and location. Your manager, HR business partner, or the Help page can point you to the right route.
Manager toolkit
Developing someone on your team, step by step.
A short working sequence for people leaders. It does not replace local guidance — your HR business partner still confirms availability, eligibility, and timing.
- 1
Name the capability
Be specific about what should be stronger — dialogue under pressure, accountability, influence, focus, appreciation, financial thinking, or facilitation.
- 2
Choose one or two options
Two or three candidates is enough. Use the situations above or the goal explorer, then read each offering’s outcomes and audience.
- 3
Prepare the conversation
Agree with the person on what capability matters, why it matters in their role, and what timing would be realistic.
- 4
Confirm access and timing
Your HR business partner confirms availability, whether it is running for your group, and how nominations are handled.
- 5
Follow up after the learning
Pick one real task where the new capability applies, and revisit it together in your next development conversation.
Step 3 — getting started
Three ways learning begins at Sonoco.
Knowing which route applies saves time. Each offering in the catalog states its route, and the help page explains what to do in each case.
Search Sonoco University
Packaged Learning, Skill Benchmarks, and the AI Simulator can be self-prescribed — start today.
Manager or HR business partner
Most courses and workshops are prescribed. A conversation confirms fit, timing, and availability.
Talent Review nomination
Foundations of Leadership, Develop to Lead, and Financial Acumen run through Talent Review.
Frequent starting points
Where most development conversations begin.
BRIDGE to Leadership
A foundational step in the move from individual contributor to effective leader, built around ethical leadership, respectful communication, insightful problem solving, decisive action, team development, and continuous growth.
- Manager / HRBP
- Hybrid eLearning and 3 live virtual sessions — 12 hours total over 3 months.
Foundations of Leadership
A program for rising new leaders and people managers, focused on core leadership competencies and delivered through virtual instructor-led learning plus live, in-person practice sessions.
- Talent Review
- Nomination or eligibility applies
Develop to Lead
A 3-day immersive Development and Feedback Center at the University of South Carolina (Columbia, SC, USA) for people with the ability and demonstrated leadership skills to succeed in more senior, critical positions.
- Talent Review
- 3 days, in person at the University of South Carolina — Columbia, SC, USA.
- Nomination or eligibility applies
Financial Acumen
A program with a curriculum developed by Sonoco’s own financial leaders, connecting plant leadership to plant financial performance through hands-on work with University of South Carolina faculty and Sonoco Finance leaders.
- Talent Review
- In person at the University of South Carolina — Columbia, SC, USA.
- Nomination or eligibility applies
Crucial Conversations
A two-day, in-person, instructor-led course teaching nine powerful skills for working through disagreements to achieve better results, backed by 30 years of social science.
- Manager / HRBP
- Two days, in person, instructor-led.
Getting Things Done
A course in the Getting Things Done (GTD) methodology — productivity with presence and purpose. It builds focus and personal productivity, and helps teams create a shared, trusted way of working.
- Manager / HRBP
- 7.5 hours, taught virtually over three days by Sonoco’s internal training team.
Also in this guide
Pathways, mentorship, and Sonoco University.
If you would rather start from your role than from a goal, the pathways page groups reasonable options by audience. Mentorship and Sonoco University cover learning that happens outside a formal program.