Outsourcing your training is a big decision, so it?s important to know that it?s the right decision for you and your business before you form a partnership with an outside company. So to help you make a decision, here?s a guide to the things you should consider before outsourcing training.
Set Realistic Targets
Before making the decision to outsource, you should first ask yourself why you?re considering outsourcing training and what you want it to achieve for your staff, and your business generally. In order to help you answer this it?s a good idea to set some targets, so you can measure improvement numerically and understand if the decision to outsource is really the best decision for your business. Plus if you do decide to go ahead it?ll give you and the training company or individual you?re going into partnership some tangible goals to keep you both on the right track. A word of warning though, make sure the targets you set are realistic ? if you set unattainable targets you run the risk of obscuring the success you do achieve. Once you?ve set your targets, you have to make sure your measurement and communication is effective – or else how will you know if the strategy has worked? Regular reviews are also a good idea so that changes can be made if figures aren?t matching up to expectations, or even exceeding them! Finally, all parties should know what?s expected of the outsourcing arrangement before it begins so that you?re all on the same page and working together to achieve the best for your business.
Consider the Scale
The scale of outsourcing is one of the most important things you?ll need to decide when setting up a partnership with the training provider; luckily these days many companies and individuals provide training at all levels on the spectrum ? from one to one training with you or a particular senior staff member or manager, to large-scale training across the company. You may well just want to outsource at a very small scale to start with, allowing the training company to take control of the searching or administration process of training booking. Or you may be looking for a large-scale operation where there?s heavy integration between your business and theirs. The choice is yours. Some training providers will even tailor a training programme just for you, helping you to identify and analyse your training needs and make sure they?re met. The important thing to remember here is it?s easier to upscale your training provisions than downscale, so start small and see where the partnership takes you.
