Skill validation confirms your team can do the job after they finish the training. In Opus, you validate skills with Check-ins: short forms someone completes to confirm a Trainee can perform a task. Opus helps you go beyond "course completed" to real readiness, so training translates into consistent performance on the job.
It helps you:
Catch gaps before they become compliance issues or customer-facing mistakes
Build a documented record of who has been validated and when
✅ Before you start: Admins, and Managers whose Role has the Create Content permission, build Check-ins in the Opus dashboard.
Check-ins are completed in the Opus Training app.
To facilitate a Check-in, a team member's Role needs the Complete all check-ins permission.
Table of Contents:
Choose a Check-in Type
Each Check-in is either facilitated or self-directed. Pick the type based on whether someone needs to see the skill in person.
Facilitated: a Manager or trainer guides the Trainee through the Check-in and submits it on their behalf.
Add a passing requirement so the facilitator marks the Trainee Pass or Try again.
Best for new hire skills, safety and compliance, and anything that needs a sign-off.
Self-directed: the Trainee completes the Check-in on their own, with no facilitator.
It's marked complete as soon as the Trainee submits it, with no pass or fail.
Best for self-assessments, routine confirmations, and reflections after training.
💡 Need a pass or fail result? Use a facilitated Check-in with a passing requirement.
Build Skill Validation
Step 1: Decide What to Validate
List the skills you want to confirm, such as:
Core job tasks: opening procedures, station setup, or customer service steps.
Safety and compliance: handwashing, PPE use, or equipment checks.
Situations: handling a guest complaint or coaching a teammate.
For each skill, ask whether someone needs to see it done. If they do, use a facilitated Check-in. If not, use a self-directed one.
Step 2: Build Your Check-in
Go to Training > Library > Check-ins and click New Check-in. Describe it to build with AI, or click New check-in from scratch.
Add steps that a facilitator or Trainee can answer, like Yes/No, Checkbox, Rating (1-10), Multiple choice, Text entry, and Number input. To build better steps:
Keep each step specific: write it as something a facilitator can see, so results stay consistent across Locations.
Ask for proof: require a photo or video on steps where visual proof matters.
Follow up on answers: add a conditional step, for example to ask why when a step is marked "No".
Make key steps required: so nothing gets skipped.
Link a Course or Resource: give your team reference material while they complete the step.
Then set how the Check-in is completed, using the buttons in the top right corner of the form:
Check-in type: click Facilitated and choose Self-directed to make it self-directed. New Check-ins start as facilitated.
Passing requirement: click No passing requirement, select Pass to complete, and click Save requirements.
Fill in Suggested Next Steps to give the facilitator instructions to share when a Trainee needs to try again.
💡 Publish when you're done: Click Publish so your steps and passing requirement reach your team.
➡️ Learn more:
How to Create & Assign a Check-in: build a Check-in step by step.
Step 3: Add It to a Module and Assign
Check-ins reach your team through a Module.
Open the Module, click Edit in the top right corner, then click Add content and add your Check-in.
Place it after the Courses or Resources that teach the skill.
Publish the Module, then click Assign in the top right corner.
Choose Assign once to assign it now, or Create automation to assign it automatically.
When a Trainee reaches a facilitated Check-in, the Managers at their Location get a notification and see it under Check-ins to facilitate in the Opus Training app. If you set up Direct Reports or delegate the Check-in, it goes to those facilitators instead.
Trainees complete self-directed Check-ins from the Module in the app.
➡️ Learn more:
How to Facilitate & Delegate a Check-in: complete or hand off a Check-in in the app.
How to Set Up Direct Reports: send Check-ins to the right Manager.
Track Who's Validated
Open the Check-in and go to the Reporting tab to see who has completed it. On the People tab, follow up with anyone who hasn't.
To see one team member's results, go to People > Users, open their profile, and click the Check-ins tab.
Best Practices
Teach first, then validate: put each Check-in right after the Course or demonstration that teaches the skill.
Facilitate anything that needs a sign-off: safety procedures, equipment use, and new hire skills.
Keep self-directed Check-ins simple: short, clear steps that Trainees can finish on their own.
Keep forms focused: cover the critical steps, so facilitators complete them consistently.
Re-validate over time: use a Path to assign a follow-up Module with a Check-in a few weeks or months after the first training.
See a real example in How Swingers Tests Real Knowledge and Skills on Seasonal Menu Rollouts.
➡️ Learn more:
Paths Overview: assign Modules in sequence over weeks or months.
How to Build Effective Training in Opus: build a Module around one learning outcome.
FAQ
What happens if a Trainee doesn't pass?
The facilitator submits the Check-in with Try again, and the Trainee can retake it until they pass. If you added Suggested Next Steps, the facilitator sees them when submitting.
Can I switch a Check-in between facilitated and self-directed?
Yes. Open the Check-in, and on the Overview tab, change Sign-off on the Settings card to A manager signs off or Self-directed.
Can one Module have both types?
Yes. Each Check-in has its own type, so a Module can start with a self-directed reflection and end with a facilitated sign-off.
Who gets asked to facilitate?
The Managers at the Trainee's Location whose Role can complete Check-ins. If you set up Direct Reports or delegate the Check-in, it goes to those facilitators instead.
Can I assign a Check-in on its own?
No. Add the Check-in to a Module and assign the Module.