Whether it’s a large enterprise organization or a small business, every company in existence has learning needs. If your people aren’t developing and growing, your business won’t be either. Previously, training was often overlooked and seen as unnecessary – a costly expense that provided little in terms of ROI (return of investment). But in such a competitive market, it’s now essential to utilise this valuable resource and offer ongoing training to support the continued success of your business.

Many companies are, therefore, now turning to outsourced training due to its flexibility and ability to provide expertise cost-effectively. In today’s article, we’ll be discussing what exactly this external tool is, and why you may consider it for your business.

What is outsourced training?

Outsourced learning and development is when a company utilises an external supplier to manage and train in a specific process or area. It is commonly used should in-house training be unattainable due to a lack of people-power or expertise – sourcing this externally then becomes the quickest and most effective method.

Simply put, external coaching will change the behaviour of your employees and ultimately allow your business to thrive. An effective coach will work with you to identify your business goals and tailor their approach accordingly, targeting areas in need of improvement that specifically align with your top priorities.

Why would your business need outsourced training?

There are several reasons a company may consider outsourcing their developmental activities; we’ve created an extensive list that may reveal whether or not it could be right for your business to do so too:

#1 You have varied training requirements

The majority of companies are made up of multiple different units or departments, from HR to sales. Each will have unique developmental needs, and you’ll need to cater to these to allow them to thrive.

For example, your IT staff may need training in the latest security advancements, or perhaps there is a new SEO analytics tool for your marketing team to get a hold of, your sales team might need to improve their follow-up practice on new leads. We should always be advancing, else we risk falling behind the competition.

As the business owner, it is your responsibility to consider the complexity of these topics and the specific expertise required to successfully train your team. It’s likely you won’t have the in-house resources available to do so effectively, in terms of both bandwidth and expertise.

#2 You have technical experts, but not trainers

Businesses will often call upon internal technology experts to conduct training. However, these people are not trainers and may struggle to therefore share their knowledge effectively – ultimately leading to wasted time and confusion for all involved. Sourcing an external supplier will bring the talent directly to your team – one who not only has a firm grasp and understanding of the technology but who is also an expert at teaching too. This will make a huge difference in both learning outcomes and engagement.

#3 You have a tight budget

You may be thinking: how can outsourcing training be less expensive than in-house? But, if you don’t have a staff member with the exact expertise you require, it can be. It’s likely your staff are already working at maximum capacity, and if an unnecessarily large amount of time is taken away from them, you will see little return on your investment. If you go to an external supplier, only when you need them, you’ll make a huge difference and the cost will actually be less. In fact, it has actually be found to be 25-30% cheaper, as once the training programme is completed, the talent is no longer an expense. And, your team will have efficiently learnt a new skill that should boost their productivity – allowing your business to thrive.

#4 You have specific time constraints or deadline to meet

If a project has a tight deadline, training may need to be deployed urgently to allow those involved to meet time constraints and still complete the project correctly. In this case, outsourced training may be the answer; most providers are able to produce training content efficiently and can roll this out to suit your tight schedule.

#5 You need large-scale roll-out training

Upgrading or switching to a new platform is usually met with some challenges; typically, employees will use a platform for different purposes – from day-to-day functions to those that only use it for analytics and reporting. So, training will need to be tailored to suit each of these different requirements. Furthermore, if you are a large corporation, you may have hundreds, if not thousands of employees to train – and, they may be dotted around the globe. If you can outsource the training, you will smooth the implementation of this new process. Without, you may face a number of obstacles that cause major delay to the operations of your business.

#6 You have a short-term training requirement

One-off type training or development initiatives tend to be less disruptive when conducted by an outsourced trainer as it allows your team to continue working on their ongoing projects, without falling behind. Training can be carried out alongside core duties, as no one in-house will be required to dedicate their valuable time to create a specific programme.

What are the outsourced training methods?

When we think of training, we often think of someone in a suit presenting in front of a whiteboard, but this is not the cause. There are a number of new methods that have opened up, delivering external coaching has never been simpler! The right approach can be selected to suit the company:

Online e-learning

Virtual web-based learning allows an employee to access the material and resources anywhere – as long as there is a stable internet connection! You can save on both travel and venue costs; furthermore, this method enables the employee to take control of their learning – enhancing their ability to self-motivate and take initiative.

Instructor-led in-person

Though the course material may still be online, having an external trainer has several advantages. Perhaps most importantly, learners have the ability to ask a question and receive a direct answer immediately. The focus will be fully on the learning, as the session will be completely separate from the employee’s day-to-day tasks. Furthermore, there is the opportunity for learners to collaborate and network during the course, and into the future too. But, they can still revert back to the online resources outside of the session.

Blended approach

The most effective of the methods is blended learning; this approach recognises that each and every company (not to mention, every employee!) is different and, therefore, requires a personalised training model for it to be successful. As the name suggests, both online and instructor-led in-person training will be offered – for example, for more advanced, specific topics it will be more beneficial for learners to have access to the trainer’s expertise in-person than online. This will reduce any stress and anxiety of the contents of the learning, and will ensure learners walk away feeling confident in their new knowledge/ability.

Outsourced training: is it right for you? The bottom-line

Utilising an external supplier for your employee’s training can be the difference between successfully implemented a new process and failing to do so. You’ll see:

• Fewer challenges faced: in-house programmes can be difficult to get right, and often culminate in delays and inefficient use of time and effort. Whereas, by outsourcing, you are leveraging the supplier’s expertise and experience to deliver the desired outcome quickly and effectively.
• Reduce unnecessary expenditure: money is everything when it comes to business! The time and money spent developing an expensive in-house programme can be reinvested elsewhere, and as a business owner, you’ll see high ROI by sourcing external providers for your training.
• Flexibility, whether you need short or long-term coaching: Outsourcing is very flexible; should the service no longer be required, it can easily be cancelled – or amended to provide a solution to another area of weakness. It’s essential you work with a provider that allows for flexibility in both their contract and delivery to ensure you get the right results for your business.

It’s clear to see that using an external supplier has a variety of benefits, and can suit a range of companies. Whether they are in need of training to meet a tight deadline or need to implement a new process to hundreds of employees, outsourcing alleviates the stress and pressure usually accompanied by in-house programmes.

Are you looking to outsource training? Work with the experts. Azimuth has over 20 years of experience and expertise to ensure you walk away having met your business goals. We provide you with results that deliver time and again. Contact us today at enquiries@azimuth.eu.com or call +44 (0)1483 24 33 81 and we’ll be more than happy to discuss how we can help you.