External or Internal Trainers?
When looking at different training initiatives for your organization, it can be very tempting to go with an exclusively internal solution … especially if the focus is on the bottom line cost and not the learning-return-on-investment (LROI). While cost should play a role in ultimately determining which way you will go, too frequently it disproportionately outweighs all others.
When looking at different training initiatives for your organization, it can be very tempting to go with an exclusively external solution … especially if the focus is on the bottom line cost and not the LROI. While cost should play a role in ultimately determining which way you will go, too frequently it disproportionately outweighs all others.
Do I hear an echo in here?
Clearly the same argument can be made for either internal or external resources, especially if the focus is exclusively on the bottom line (and in your experience, you may well have heard it used both ways). So what other factors should be considered in the LROI equation? There are two that I think should sit at or near the top of the list
1. Cultural connection
It is important that the organization’s culture be understood and respected. Depending on the purpose of the training, the cultural connection could possibly be best addressed using internal resources … or it may best be left to external resources (e.g. implementing a program that will result in a cultural shift). There’s no short answer here, just a need to be aware of this key consideration.
2. Expertise
Here is where taking advantage of subject matter experts (SMEs) comes into play. If you are in an environment that is unique, with little external subject matter expertise available, then clearly your internal SMEs will be playing a significant role. Or perhaps there is a requirement to engage with external sources because your needs/gap analysis has revealed that the required knowledge or skill sets don’t exist internally.
So what is the bottom line here? Focusing exclusively on your bottom line cost when designing and/or delivering training programs could end up costing you more in the long run. At the very least, the three key factors mentioned above, (bottom line, cultural connection, expertise), should be considered when attempting to maximize your LROI.
What other factors do you feel should be considered in creating a positive LROI equation?
About the author
‘Outsiders’ are valuable. They bring in news of the outside world (something sorely lacking in some organisations). Another way of saying this, now I think about it, is that they bring a healthy disrespect for your culture.
And they are useful whipping boys and girls too (I’m not saying this is a good thing, just that sometimes there’s a hidden agenda).
But if you want to build a learning culture, every time you bring in somebody external you’re missing a trick. The fourth factor is ‘learning and development capacity’.
Neat post. Thanks.