Outsourcing training is a vital component in your success as a business that hires remote workers. You might decide to train every hire yourself, and that can work, too. However, you’ll be sacrificing in this process. You’ll give up things that you could have made use of elsewhere. You’ll also miss out on things that you could gain by outsourcing this work.
When you take advantage of an external training team, you get the best of everything. In this post, we’ll talk about the benefits and challenges of this process.
Understanding Outsourcing Training
The practice outsourcing various training activities is nothing new. Many companies over the decades have brough in outside resources with broad knowledge to help train teams. These third parties have a lot of experience, so they know multiple ways and strategies to help teams grow. With their help, your teams can become more effective.
No matter what industry you are in, you can outsource training. Not all training can be done online, of course, but most can. Whatever the case, you can usually find someone out there who can teach your new hires the ropes. Even if you’re in an extremely innovative field, this is true. Your teams will always need to use some types of skills that have have been around for a while. Instead of spending your time and effort on this old stuff, hire someone else. Then you can focus on teaching them the new stuff.
Benefits of Outsourcing Training
As I already hinted at above, you save a lot of time by outsourcing training activities. In fact, we believe in this so much that we highly recommend outsourcing as many as you can! Training is a deep commitment that involves a lot of time. Sure, you can streamline the process. But you can’t just say oops, time’s up, and leave new hires hanging. You need to be available to answer questions quickly and guide people. If you don’t, they are likely to feel unappreciated right from the start. (P.S. Here are more tips to save time at work from our blog!)
The second biggest benefit to outsourcing is the cost savings. No matter what you outsource, in fact, you save a lot! In this day and age, what you’re really looking at is the cost of not outsourcing. This is because the savings is not simply in terms of upfront spending. First off, training doesn’t happen all the time. This means you can expand your capacity as needed by outsourcing this work. You have two alternatives. One would be to pay an opportunity cost by taking it on. The other would be hiring for a position that only works a few months out of the year.
The second hidden savings is in the quality you get for a lower cost. Outsourced trainers are professional trainers. They do it best and have the most experience. You can’t beat the level of expertise that these guys bring to the table. And if you’re hiring from another country, you’ll pay them less than you would lose by shouldering the taks in-house. This expertise is actually invaluable because it can level-up your teams in ways that you never even thought of.
Third, don’t forget that you have multiple sources to tap for training when you outsource. In-house, it’s limited to you and whoever already works with you. Outsourcing opens you to a global pool of talent and experience. You can even hire different trainers for different areas. Because these guys are professionals, they can coordinate effortlessly. They can also get things done much more quickly and adapt to any special needs you might have. Outsourcing wins because it’s super flexible and allows you to scale at the drop of a hat.
Challenges and Solutions in Outsourcing Training
We love outsourcing, but we will never tell you that it’s all rainbows and roses. I’m noting here the top challenges when outsourcing so you can prepare. We want to make sure that you know what you’re facing so you can avoid the pitfalls.
Quality Control
The biggest challenge to outsourcing your training needs is the potential for a loss of control. You are no longer giving your teams instructions. This means that at any time during the process, the trainer might not be giving them the correct information. As the leader, you are responsible for making sure that all training aligns with the company’s goals. If you put in the time to establish checks and balances, you’ll prevent trainers from going off the rails. This is a good use of your time and resources anyway. You will need these checks and balances moving forward to evaluate and manage your teams.
Another challenge that can hinder the effectivity of training is poor communication. This can happen because of cultural barriers. Usually, however, it stems from trying to cut corners. Any barrier can also make training take longer than it should. This is because you spend time putting out fires created by miscommunication. Then you need to retrain to correct false notions. That costs you more money, too. Not only will your teams be away from work longer, but you may need to pay trainers more. To avoid this, make sure that you are investing properly in training. Choose to wither give people what they actually need or don’t bother training them at all.
Cost
The cost to outsource is always something to consider carefully. However, we are confident that you can reap all the benefits and not suffer any harm if you do it right. Outsourcing can give you significant savings if you plan well and execute diligently. If your heart isn’t in it, then outsourcing can cost you your business.
Outsource School exists for the exact purpose of helping you outsource properly. If you think you need more guidance after reading through this whole post, there’ll be a link below where you can schedule a call to earn more!
Best Practices for Successful Outsourcing Training
The first thing you want to secure when deciding to outsource training is to choose the right partner. Not just any old trainer will fit the bill. Consider the audience, and consider their needs. Who comprises your teams? What makes them tick? What do they need to be more successful at work? Do they have specific goals you don’t know about? If you don’t have a good relationship with the people on your teams, you’re in the dark. You won’t be able to pick a training program that will work for them. Once you know the type of trainer you need, then you can choose the most reputable one from the bunch.
As your teams train, make sure they know that you are still available to them. This will put them at ease and create a check and balance for the trainer. By opening and maintaining effective communication channels, they know that you are watching. Your team members can report anything unusual and the trainer also knows that the team is held accountable.
Don’t forget quality control! I mentioned it above, but I must stress it again here. You need to set clear performance metrics and strict quality standards. Communicate these to everyone on both sides of the training program. They must all know that they need to adhere to the standards you set. Setting performance metrics also helps keep everyone motivated because there’s something to aim for. As you then monitor and evaluate their progress, you can offer incentives if you like. These unexpected bonuses can do wonders.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can outsourcing training be integrated with in-house training strategies?
Most outsourced training is actually not much different than in-house training models. The only thing that changes, really, is who is doing the training. This is where the differences lie. Pulling in resources from outside gives your teams access to more flexible options to upskill and even advance their careers. By cooperating with the trainers, you can inject your knowledge of the company and the team’s needs. This way, you get the most relevant and strategic training possible.
Of course, if you are relying on a training program that isn’t customizable, you will run into some limitations. You can combat these limitations by supplementing the information in-house. It will take some time and effort at first, but it will be worth it in the long run.
How does outsourcing training impact workforce productivity and development?
Bringing in experts to train your teams helps you avoid dips over the course of the training program. When you train in-house, it puts a strain on management as they juggle work and training duties. Outsourcing team training also boosts productivity in the long run since they can get a collection of specialized knowledge. They develop more and better because the training comes from many sources distilled into one product that packs a punch.
What Is Outsource School?
Outsource School helps you to unlock the potential of virtual assistants and accelerate your business growth.
This is the exact system Outsource School’s founders, Nathan Hirsch and Connor Gillivan, used to go from zero to 8 figures and 40+ virtual assistants with an exit in 2019.
Since being founded in 2020, Outsource School has helped 1,000+ business owners hire 2,000+ virtual assistants for their companies.
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Free resources you might like:
- Outsource School Case Study: How We Scaled to 45+ VAs and 8 Figures in Revenue
- Free VA Calculator | See How Many VAs You Can Afford
- Free Training on 5 Keys to Working With VAs
- Learn Outsourcing 101 | Guides, Downloads, and Checklists
Conclusion
As you allow a third party to manage training activities, you’ll see how much value it brings. You’ll free up your time for the activities that you should be focusing on. But that’s just the beginning!
