The Case for Outsourcing L&D
In today’s business world, efficiency is key to your success. Many of our clients boost their operational effectiveness by outsourcing learning and development (L&D) tasks to specialized training vendors, like us! This strategy ensures you can handle large volumes of training requests effectively by leveraging external expertise in instructional design, eLearning development, and learning analysis, along with the latest learning technologies that you may not have available in-house.
By partnering with experts in these areas, you gain valuable insights and best practices to improve your training programs while bridging skills gaps, reported as “the number one bottleneck to growth” in 2024 (360Learning).
Additionally, outsourcing content design and development reduces your workload on internal L&D teams, allowing you to focus on core competencies and strategic initiatives. This approach ensures timely and efficient delivery of employee training, aligning with your broader organizational objectives.
Wondering when it’s the ideal time to consider outsourcing L&D? Let’s chat about the key benefits of working with a corporate training company.
#1: When You Lack In-House Instructional Design and Learning Technologies Expertise
Building a comprehensive in-house L&D team can be a daunting task. Hiring and retaining top talent in these niche areas can be challenging, especially in competitive job markets. And continuously upskilling existing employees to keep pace with the latest trends and technologies can be time-consuming and resource-intensive.
By partnering with an experienced L&D training and talent provider, you can tap into a pre-vetted team of qualified instructional designers, eLearning developers, and learning strategists skilled in the latest technologies and methodologies. Outsourcing L&D tasks to these specialized experts allows organizations to gain immediate access to a wealth of expertise without the overhead of hiring and training in-house staff.
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These partners usually have teams of experts who specialize in areas such as:
- Instructional design methodologies (ADDIE, SAM, Agile)
- eLearning authoring tools (Articulate, Captivate, Storyline)
- Learning Management Systems (LMS) integration and administration
Gamificaiton, microlearning and serious games - Project management and Learning Management Systems (LMS) administration
- Performance support tools, assessments and simulations
Just to name a few!
Outsourcing allows organizations to leverage specialized skills as needed, ensuring each training initiative benefits from the most relevant and up-to-date expertise. Additionally, you can scale these skills up or down to meet changing demands, providing flexibility and adaptability.
For the ultimate flexibility, consider our Subscription Learning Services, which allow you to evolve with your changing needs without the hassles of per-project contracting. Bye-bye red tape and hello innovation on-demand!
Ready to give it a try? Get a free week of learning experts for your next project!
#2 When Off-the-Shelf Employee Training Isn’t Cutting It
When it comes to training, one size does NOT fit all.
That’s what one of our financial services clients found after spending nearly $1M annually on generic off-the-shelf sales training content that failed to move the needle.
Unlike off-the-shelf options, custom learning solutions allow training to align with your unique company culture, fostering stronger connections. Outcomes are tailored to employees’ specific needs for targeted relevance. And the flexibility of custom content development allows for scalability over time as your business evolves. The end result? Measurably improved alignment, engagement, and on-the-job performance such as:
- 80% of organizations using custom learning solutions report improved employee job performance (Association for Talent Development).
- Companies utilizing custom learning solutions have a 50% higher revenue per employee (Docebo).
- $1 invested in online training can generate a $30 return on investment (IBM).
- 42% of companies using custom learning solutions report reduced training costs (eLearning Industry).
Explore more surprising statistics that prove why opting for customized learning solutions over pre-packaged employee training is worth it.
#3: When Facing Time Constraints or Workload Fluctuations
In a pinch? Outsourcing professional training can relieve time constraints and workload fluctuation challenges, especially when rapid rollout is needed for new initiatives, product launches, or compliance requirements. It helps overcome staffing limitations, allowing organizations to scale resources up or down as needed.
During high-demand periods, such as onboarding or busy seasons, an outsourced L&D team can quickly ramp up efforts to develop and deliver necessary training programs. This ensures your workforce receives timely training without overloading internal staff. When demand is lower, you can scale back outsourced resources, avoiding the costs of maintaining a permanent, oversized L&D team.
#4 When Your Current Employee Training Vendor Isn’t Meeting Your Needs
When your current employee performance provider doesn’t deliver quality work, lacks cultural fit, innovation, or fails to develop essential soft skills like communication and leadership, it can seriously hold back your organization’s growth and employee development back.
Issues such as not incorporating feedback well, lacking scalability or flexibility, or requiring too much handholding can also indicate a need for change. By the way… if you want to be hands-off with your training vendor, check out this checklist for peace of mind partnerships.
Evaluating these factors against your organization’s goals and values is crucial to decide if switching to a new employee training partner is necessary. A strong employee training provider should not just meet but exceed your expectations, enhancing learning efforts, boosting employee engagement and performance, and closely aligning with your organizational strategy for sustainable success. If your current employee training vendor falls short on these fronts, it might be time to find a new training partner who can better support your organization’s growth and employee development goals.
Finding the Right Outsourcing Training and Talent Partner
Choosing the right outsourcing partner for your L&D initiatives takes careful consideration, but you don’t have to do it alone (save time with our resources below!). Focus on training vendors with relevant industry experience, strong portfolios, and positive client feedback. Make sure they excel in instructional design, learning analysis, and eLearning development, utilizing advanced technologies and understanding adult learning principles. Verify their talent vetting processes and quality assurance approach for thorough content development and testing.
Need help evaluating learning and development companies? Download The Ultimate L&D Guide to Interviewing Vendors for essential questions and tips on choosing the perfect training partner.
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Find your perfect L&D partner! Download the guide for key questions to ask and guidance to ensure character, culture, competency, and commitment match for your learning organization.
Lastly, and most significantly assess their communication, project management skills, and alignment with your organizational culture to ensure effective collaboration and timely results.
Here are a few extra resources for you:
- How to Evaluate and Influence Training & Staffing Vendor Selection (Plus, a Helpful Email Script to Stakeholders)
- The Ultimate L&D Guide to Interviewing Training and Talent Vendors
- On-Demand Webinar: The Art and Science of Working with Staffing Providers
Ready to find the perfect partner? Schedule a free consultation with our team today to discuss your needs and see how we can help elevate your training initiatives.
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