In-house Management Training Versus Offsite Management Courses
When determining the appropriate educational courses for the managers of an organization, there are a lot of key factors to consider. These include how much training is necessary, when should the training occur, who should attend, and where should the training occur. The question of in-house versus offsite training is often the first item to consider when developing a course. This is because the type of training available and the cost of said training can vary greatly based on if it is kept in-house or outsourced. There are many pros and cons of in-house and external training and there is no one-size-fits-all training solution.
One of the biggest factors in deciding between in-house and external training is the availability and skills that are available internally. In some situations, an internal trainer will be ideal because they can leverage their specific skills to develop their peers and staff. Additionally, many employees may respond better to learning from someone they are already familiar with. The downside to utilizing an internal trainer is that this person may only spend a small portion of their year teaching. This means that even an expert in their field may not be very skilled at educating others. Providers of offsite management courses spend the majority of their time educating and are very talented at conveying information to others.
Employee participation and engagement can also be dramatically impacted by holding training classes onsite or offsite. It has been shown that when employees participate in training in their normal place of business, they are more likely to leave the training to participate in meetings, take more work-related phone calls, and often continue working on a laptop or other mobile device. Holding training in an offsite location allows the employee to make a more complete break with their typical work routine and fully engage in the education experience. This change in routine can also encourage participants to expand their horizons and interact with co-workers that they normally do not.
As previously mentioned, cost can be a large factor in deciding between in-house and offsite training. There can be major cost-savings recognized when holding training onsite utilizing current employees. It is important to also remember that the cost of the offsite training will not just be the costs of the company providing the training. Other costs can include the venue space, parking costs and catering for lunch. If the location is further than the employees' typical commute, the employer should expect to pay mileage and/or tolls to account for the extra travel costs. If the location is outside of a reasonable commuting distance, then the employer will also need to provide lodging and other meals.
Finally, organizations should consider the benefits of having their employees participate in an offsite training with other companies. There can be incredible opportunities for companies and employees alike when they are able to train and interact with other organizations on a regional or even national scale. Participants can not only learn from the expert instructors, but conversations and knowledge sharing with other people can provide great educational experiences. Additionally, people are able to learn about best practices in their industry. The participants will also find a great deal of value in being able to interact and grow their professional network with their peers in their industry or other local organizations.
It is evident that both in-house training programs and offsite management courses have different positive and negative aspects. For any individual company or organization, it will come down to balancing costs, expertise and experiences to create the best learning environment for their employees. These decisions may change each year based on available resources and even the intended participants.
