Custom In-House Training Methods
Losing an employee is one of the most expensive issues a business can experience. What's one of the major contributors to high rates of employee turnover? A lack of training.
Pretty much everyone can agree that proper employee training is important. There's some debate, though, over whether or not in-house training is the best approach.
If you're on the fence about in-house training, keep reading. Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages, as well as information on how you can create an effective in-house employee training plan.
What Is In-House Training?
Before we get into the merits and demerits of training methods like in-house training, let's get clear on what it is.
In simple terms, in-house training - or internal training - is a type of training that involves using a company's own expertise and resources. It's highly specific and geared toward employees learning the ropes of your business.
Advantages of Internal Training
There are plenty of benefits that come with offering internal training resources to your employees. The following are some of the greatest:
Increased Convenience
First of all, it's much more convenient to train employees at your office than sending them to an off site training session. Employees don't have to take time off from the office, travel, or dedicate a weekend to training. Plus, internal training engages employees during their regular work hours.
Tailoring to Your Business
With in-house training, you and your team can tailor the training resources to meet the specific needs and goals of your business. When you rely on someone else's training materials, you don't have as much control. As a result, employees might return with information that's irrelevant and end up lacking the skills needed to perform their jobs well.
Cost-Effectiveness
In-house training can be cost-effective in the long run, too. Business owners don't have to worry about paying for employees to attend an off site training conference. Employees can get back to work sooner, so less time is wasted and productivity isn't halted.
Team Building Opportunities
Another benefit of in-house training is collaboration. Employees have the opportunity to collaborate with coworkers and develop stronger relationships with other team members. Consider how you can get managers involved, which experts say is one of the best ways to encourage employee retention.
Disadvantages of Internal Training
While there are lots of reasons to look into internal training, there are also some potential disadvantages.
Extra Administrative Tasks
One of the most well-known drawbacks of in-house training is the increased burden it creates for administrators. Someone has to create the plan, after all, and that takes a lot of time and resources.
In the end, in-house training can save the company money and time, which is why we mentioned the cost-effectiveness above. At the same time, though, it does require an upfront investment that not all businesses are prepared or able to make.
Less Employee Engagement
When it comes to continuing education programs in the workplace, employees can have a harder time maintaining interest. For instance, they might be more focused on the work sitting at their desk than the training going on in front of them.
This can lower engagement, and beneficial training takeaways, which can cause employees to feel as though they're not growing or improving in their job. If this is the case, they might be more inclined to start searching for another position.
No Networking Opportunities
With in-house training, there aren't any networking opportunities since everyone already knows each other. When employees travel to offsite training programs, they have an opportunity to network with people from other companies. This can provide a great advantage to the business, especially in terms of sales or leads. Employees who make qualified connections can then bring back information that may help the company to improve.
Potential for Outdated Content
If your business doesn't keep up with the latest changes and fails to update the in-house training plan, then workers won't be getting the most relevant, accurate information. This can hold them back in their careers and keep them from performing to the best of their abilities. When this happens, the company also suffers.
That’s why, whether you invest in internal or external training, you need a partner in training.
Unbox Your Own In-House Training Plan
With these advantages and disadvantages in mind, how are you making sure your workforce is getting the best, up to date corporate employee training?
You might also be wondering how you're going to find the time to create an effective program...
This is where working with a professional comes in handy. At Unboxed Training & Technology, we offer custom employee training solutions. As your partner in training, we provide customized training programs based on the specific knowledge, skills, and behaviors your team needs to succeed.
Training doesn’t have to be overwhelming when you’ve got a team behind you.
Our team will help ensure you're getting the best training delivered in the right modality for your content and employees. You get all the benefits of in-house training without the load of putting together a training plan yourself.
Invest in Custom Employee Training Today
As you can see, there are lots of reasons to look into the in-house training approach. Have you decided that the benefits of inhouse training for employees outweigh the disadvantages? Do you also want to save time and money while still getting an effective, customized program?
We can help. Contact our team to learn more about our custom employee training programs. Get ready to take your training program to the next level and start reaping all the benefits of in-house training today.
Take this opportunity to ask for advice from an industry expert about the best practices and potential pitfalls about transitioning to virtual training.