Did you know that 70% of training fails to produce a positive ROI(return on investment) when people return to their jobs?
Clearly there’s a problem with ensuring that learning is actually put into practice. One of the key factors for ensuring that learning is effectively transferred from the classroom to the workplace is the role of the leader. Line managers play a crucial role in developing and supporting their teams to apply new and refreshed skills and knowledge.
Another consideration is the partnership with your training provider – whether they are internal or external; this relationship is key to ensuring that training not only delivers on objectives but is effective in the workplace.
Here are our top tips to consider when looking for an external training provider:
- Take time to research and connect with the right training provider for you – meet with them and identify:
- Their training philosophy – is it aligned with yours?
- Their experience – do they have credibility?
- Their working practices – are they complementary to yours?
- How they will partner with you?
- What’s included in their proposal to you? What are the ‘extras’?
- What pre and post -training support will they provide to you and to the delegates?
- What logistical support do they offer? How can they save you time/costs?
- AND do you like them? Is the chemistry there?
- Ensure that you have taken the time to identify the actual training need (not the perceived need) – how does this align with your organisational vision and values?
- Check where the training IP sits – will you own your material post-training? How will you roll this out again if you need to?
- Clearly identify how the training will be supported and implemented – who will be responsible and how will this be measured?
- How will you put post-training support in place for delegates and managers (debriefing guides, performance reviews, objective setting etc)?
- Ensure you review the training content and its effectiveness after 3 months, and again after 6 months for a real view on its effect
Selecting the right training provider for you is the first step in making training work for you – they should support you in all of the above and conduct a thorough Training Needs Analysis to ensure that they design and deliver content that meets your specific requirements. Your training provider should be your business partner…you must work together to ensure that your training succeeds.
And remember that cost is not always the best reflection of value for money.