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As a human resources manager, you may already be feeling the weight of new duties that are waiting for you in the New Year. For instance, since the COVID-19 has massively disrupted business operations, you may be confused about whether to settle for internal or external training programs to ensure employees have the necessary skills and attitude to meet the company’s goals. This is a tough decision that can either make or break the company.

On one hand, you may want to cushion the company from further financial costs by settling for the cheapest option. On the other, you may want to get as much knowledge as possible from experts to recover and make the company recession-proof. In many cases, low cost and maximum knowledge do not go together, which is why you should critically analyze the situation.

This article will provide tips that can help you make informed decisions.

Internal training programs

They are offered by experts in the company. The top benefits are that planning is easy and it is economical.

On the flip side, the trainers may not be taken seriously by the employees, which can affect concentration and participation. Also, since the trainers know the operations of the company and what could be ailing it, they may offer a narrowed perspective on what can and should be done to achieve the goals.

The mentors may also be cautious when airing some views for fear of how others will perceive them or to save their jobs. This may make them withhold information that would otherwise be beneficial to the company.

External training programs

The main benefit of choosing external training programs is the fresh perspectives that they bring into the company. After working in a company for a while, it is common for the employees to adopt a similar way of thinking and approaching challenges. Although helpful in some scenarios, groupthink may also be the cause of failure in the company. This is why a fresh pair of eyes can go a long way into helping your team achieve the goals. After all, external trainers have worked with different people offering different training programs and are likely to bring the ideas to your team.

External trainers are objective. Whether they are invited to help solve a looming problem or challenge the team, their minimal attachment to the company helps them to offer unbiased improvement suggestions.

Another benefit of external training programs is the all-rounded knowledge offered for different issues. Unlike the company’s experts who are likely to train employees by focusing on the current problems, external mentors offer multiple solutions for a specific problem. This offers options and can help the staff members solve the problem quickly.

The common disadvantages of choosing external mentors is the time spent planning or the financial investment.

If you choose to settle for external training programs, which you should, there are several factors that you must consider.

1.People-approach

As a HR professional, you know the importance of the right investment in employees. To meet the organizational goals, you should work with an agency that also values human capital like Recours Four Kenya. We are committed to enabling success through people with our high-impact programs. To ensure you reap the most from our programs, we recommend events that have at most 40 people. This enables our trainers to attend to the different knowledge needs that your team may have.

2. Certification

Are the trainers certified?

As a HR, you should be careful not to expose the company to more financial losses or the wrong information. But with many corporate trainers claiming to have the best offers in the market, how can you identify the right one?

Certification. This is proof of quality information and delivery systems and competent trainers.

This is why you should consider certification as a differentiating factor. We are certified by the Institute of Human Resource Management and NITA.

3. Scope of work

Depending on the company’s goals, there is no doubt that you will have to consider training programs that address different needs. Choosing trainers who have diverse training programs paves the way for fresh perspectives acquired from different engagements.

4. Experience and testimonials

Having many training programs is not a guarantee of quality work. This is why you should consider an agency that has been in the industry for long and received commendation for its work.

5. Training approach

Every organization is unique. To maintain and increase market share, you ought to choose trainers who will be keen to understand your uniqueness and align their training programs accordingly. In addition, the training program should be able to accommodate different learning options such as inhouse or online.

 

In conclusion,

As a human resources manager, you are as responsible for ensuring organizational excellence as the senior executives. Choosing the right training programs is an ideal way of ensuring your team starts off the year with the right approach and resources that will enable them to meet and surpass the goals.