You probably don’t need to be convinced of the value of training in general. You likely already believe that a modern enterprise cannot succeed — or even survive — unless it has a formalized way of keeping its people’s skills up to date. At the same time, there’s no escaping difficulties when it comes to cost. Many learning leaders would love to give their teams the benefits of private group training but are unsure how to make the business case to justify the higher price.
If that situation sounds familiar to you, this article can help.
Every credible training provider offers several ways to upskill your employees. In most organizations, the default choice is to send employees to classes listed on the trainer’s public schedule. It’s simple: just a few clicks, and you’re all set to go. And it certainly appears to be your cheapest option.
But many organizations understand the need for a more nuanced conversation about training’s return on investment. If your organization is looking for training that is both effective and cost-efficient, it’s a good idea to consider the merits of private group training.
Private group training is about more than customized content. It also saves your organization from the hidden costs of generic, off-the-shelf training. Let’s look at how:
Private Training Is Cost-efficient Training
Public courses serve their intended purpose: They structure their content to satisfy the needs of the broadest possible audience. But if your group needs to drill down into one specific portion of a course, it will spend a lot of time waiting for that content, and the trainer probably won’t cover it in the depth your learners need.
With private group training, course material is designed specifically to address the needs of your organization. Since unnecessary content can be eliminated, it’s often possible to collapse two generic courses into one customized course. The result? Savings in both time and money.
Private Training Takes Expensive Logistics out of Play
We’re all familiar with the organizational barriers to regular training. Gathering a far-flung workforce is difficult and expensive, and bad weather can delay or cancel your plans altogether. Beyond the hard costs associated with travel, you also face the internal costs of lost productivity. In the private model, the training can come to you, allowing your people to tackle real-world challenges in their familiar workplace setting.
Private Training Happens How and When You Want It
With a good training provider, group instruction can still happen seamlessly, even when you can’t gather everyone together. State-of-the-art interactivity allows everyone in your group to receive their training simultaneously, whether they’re at the office, in the field or working from home.
If you know believe that private group training is worth the premium, the next step is choosing your provider. Here are some questions to help you develop your shortlist:
Can the Provider Offer You a Range of Training Sites?
Ask whether the training provider has the flexibility to run courses from your premises. If you prefer to take your group to an offsite classroom, ask whether those facilities are equipped with up-to-date training technology.
Are the Courses Approved by the Technology Vendor?
Technical courses that aren’t certified might be taught with the best of intentions, but they present a risk. With the speed at which technology is evolving, you want to make sure your group is learning the most current information. The easiest way to do so is by selecting a provider whose training is vendor-certified.
Can the Trainer Customize Instruction?
If you can’t tailor the content to the needs of your enterprise, you’re not gaining the full benefit of private group training. Be certain that the provider has the staff and experience to customize instruction and make the training program a success.
Is There a Hybrid Option, and Will It Be Interactive?
If your group is divided between in-person and remote participants, you might be looking for a hybrid approach. In 2019, every credible provider offers a way to log into a live classroom, but that option has limited value if it doesn’t allow for full audio and video interaction. Don’t be afraid to ask tough questions about the provider’s investment in technology.
Does the Training Event Have a Dedicated Producer?
Training is an event, and technical mishaps can ruin the experience for everyone. Most training providers make the instructor personally responsible for the smooth running of the class, meaning he or she actually has two jobs on the day of training: teaching and managing the event. Ask whether the training supplier is prepared to assign a dedicated producer to your program.
On paper, private group training looks expensive. But in the modern enterprise, where both time and skills are in short supply, the case for the private model is a slam dunk and the best choice for flexibility, cost-effectiveness and the intelligent use of your organization’s time.
