Selecting a Training Company

Congratulations on having made the decision to provide training for your employees! Studies have shown that organizations that invest in training for their employees experience a significant increase in profitability as a result. So now that you're ready to move forward, how do you choose a training company that's right for your organization?

The first thing to consider is whether to do the training at your facility (onsite) or send your employees to an offsite location. A significant advantage of doing the training onsite is that the training can often be tailored to address the specific needs of your employees. Even if you only have a few employees to teach, there are onsite training companies that will come to your location to provide assistance.

Generally, offsite or public classes have participants from many industries with varying skill levels. This usually requires the instructor to train to the lowest common denominator and often results in a less relevant experience for the employee. However, if it is necessary for your employees to be off of the company premises, there are many reputable public training companies to choose from.

Whether you decide to do the training at your facility or send your employees to an offsite location, here are some things to consider when choosing a training company:

Expertise: Not all training companies are the same. Look for a training company that specializes in the computer software applications your employees are using. Find out how long they have offered the training. Ask them for a list of the clients they have worked with and contact several of them to get their feedback on the company's training services.

Instructors: You may like the sales people at a particular training company, but in most cases they are not the ones who will be training your employees. Ask the training company for information about their instructors. What experience do they have? How long have they been providing training? What are their student evaluation ratings?

Customization: Today’s workforce is more technologically savvy than ever. Don't settle for "off the shelf" training. The more focused and relevant the training is the more your employees will take away from the experience. Ask the training company whether they are able to customize the training to meet the specific needs of your users and, if so, how they go about doing it.

Flexibility: Find out if the training company provides the flexibility your organization's needs. For example, do they offer a variety of training options? Are they able to provide a flexible training schedule which will work for all of your employees? If some of your employees are in remote locations, do they have online training capabilities to reach those users?

Locations: If you are interested in providing training for employees in more than one location get a list of the locations where the training company offers its services. Ask the training company for information regarding their instructors in other locations. How do they ensure consistent service in all of their locations?

Support: Find out how the training company will support you before, during and after the training. For example, do they have a support team that can answer your questions regarding setting up your classroom? Do they offer support if a participant has a follow-up question after the training?

Management Reports: Does the training company provide management reports to help you assess the success of the training? Can they can provide a management summary of the training evaluations for you to present to your manager? Do they have a way to help you measure the return on your training investment?

We realize there are a lot of training companies to choose from… we hope this information will make your search a little bit easier! For information on Setting Up a Computer Training Classroom click here.

Questions? Contact us at (888) 572-1200 or info@versitas.com.