Outsource your training management and relieve the strain on your HR department
How to increase the quality of your training with managed training services
Training management is an essential part of personnel development. The larger a company is, the more important it is for training to be properly coordinated. Both in the area of compliance and in the general reskilling and upskilling of your employees. Technology management and training administration quickly becomes a mammoth task for companies with several thousand employees. Time pressure, the need for specific specialist knowledge, and the coordination of digital learning opportunities pose enormous challenges for your training department.
But is it worth creating a separate position for this? Maybe part-time? Probably not—the new position not only has to be funded, but its holder has to be trained accordingly. Decentralization makes training management even more complex and cost-intensive. If staff turnover is also high, employees rarely achieve the necessary depth of knowledge to work efficiently. One possible solution: Outsourcing. External training management providers support you with the administration and management of your training courses as much as you need them to. They not only save you time, but above all provide valuable expertise when it comes to working with your LMS. They know the pitfalls of large rollouts and help you to achieve your departmental and company goals.
Read this article to find out why you should outsource your training management. And find out how you can relieve the strain on your HR department and increase the quality of training at the same time.
The challenges of training management
The larger the company, the more complex its training management requirements. With thousands of employees, simply maintaining learner data is a logistical challenge. You have to ensure every employee receives the right training. In the right language, at the right time. The more training courses and the more learners, the more complex the tasks. There are also other challenges that make successful training management even more difficult:
- Lack of time
Personnel development is a demanding field with many sub-areas and responsibilities. The demands are getting higher and higher, and the to-do lists longer. However, the day is only 24 hours long—and the working day just eight. Some departments can no longer manage the workload despite working overtime. This in turn leads to hasty solutions being implemented that do not achieve the desired learning outcomes.
- Lack of specialist knowledge
Managing effective training programs requires a deep understanding of learning technology and the specific needs of learners. A lot of experience is needed to recognize the stumbling blocks and avoid them. In many cases, internal teams lack this specialist knowledge. This costs time and patience, and has a negative impact on the quality of training.
- Scarcity of resources
Although large companies have extensive training needs, there are often insufficient financial and human resources available to meet them effectively. This leads to an overload on the existing teams and an impairment of the training quality.
- Fear of making mistakes
Concern about making mistakes when using complex learning management systems (LMSs) can lead to hesitant and inefficient use. Functions that are used rarely are particularly difficult to get into a routine with, which increases the fear of errors.
- Lack of practice
If training management tasks only occur sporadically, users lack the necessary practice to handle the LMS efficiently and confidently. The full potential of the learning solution is therefore not exploited, and the effectiveness and efficiency of the training courses suffer.
- High investment costs for the LMS
The high initial investment costs for an LMS must be justified by the results it achieves. If the training programs do not bring the expected benefits, the entire investment is called into question.
- No LMS support
Support from the LMS manufacturer is often inadequate or entails high costs. This leaves companies fending for themselves when problems or questions arise, and makes it difficult for them to use the system effectively.
- Technical problems
Content that does not work as expected disrupts the learning process considerably. Your learners lose motivation and, at worst, cannot complete your courses at all.
- Pressure from stakeholders
Executives and management often demand fast and measurable results from training programs without providing the necessary resources for their implementation. This pressure leads to stress within the team, while having no positive impact on the result.
Why outsource your training management?
So how can you solve these challenges? One option is to outsource your training management—or parts of it—to experienced external service providers. This relieves the strain on your HR department, while also bringing valuable expertise into the company. Concentrate on your core competencies and leave the following tasks to external service providers like chemmedia AG:
Input and maintenance of participant data
From registration and rescheduling to cancelations: careful data entry and maintenance is essential for efficient training management.
Accounting and statistics
You receive detailed accounting information and statistical evaluations for your training courses. This data supports you in your budget planning, and shows you where your investments are having the greatest impact.
Analysis of training courses and feedback
By analyzing training results and participant feedback, you can identify the strengths of your training courses and where there is room for improvement.
Maintenance of digital training catalogs
Up-to-date and well-structured training catalogs are crucial to the user-friendliness of your learning platforms. External providers keep these catalogs up-to-date and ensure you maintain an intuitive user experience.
Evaluations based on wide-ranging criteria
Regardless of whether they look at participant satisfaction, learning outcomes, or other criteria, comprehensive evaluations give you deep insights into the effectiveness of your training courses.
Administration
From course configurations and user rights to the maintenance of learning content—your LMS remains efficient, up-to-date, and user-friendly. Ensure you always have a smooth-running system that is precisely tailored to the learning needs of your organization.
Learning content and learning path testing
External experts can verify that all of the technical components are working properly and that the learning content is clear and comprehensible. They can identify and resolve technical problems and content-related ambiguities before they start to impair the learning process.
Quality management
Regular reviews and adjustments ensure that your training courses continue to meet the highest quality standards. Feedback forms and learner surveys are important tools for measuring participant satisfaction and continuously improving training methods.
Rollout support
Ensure new training courses are rolled out smoothly in your LMS. Guarantee error-free integration and accessibility of your content, and optimize the learning experience for your target groups.
Case study: How training management support has already proven successful
Just imagine: You’re faced with the challenge of rolling out a new compliance training course to 150,000 employees. But you only have four months to do it and no experience with projects of this size. Plus: There’s a pandemic going on and strict restrictions on people coming together. Sounds impossible? That’s what one of our customers from the automotive industry thought. However, by strategically outsourcing its training management, all of the goals it set itself were achieved with flying colors.
In addition to the successful completion of the project, the collaboration also offered many advantages for the client: Due to the standards set in the project, future eTraining modules can be implemented efficiently and effectively. Defined and securely tested processes and procedures with internal and external teams have made it far easier to roll out further courses—a real win for the company.
This project was awarded the HCM Excellence Gold Award in 2021. All of the details about the
- Strategies and tools
- Project management
- KPIs and results
can be found in the exclusive case study “From 0 to 100 in just four months—How an international automotive group digitized its global compliance training in the shortest possible time.”
Case Study
Choosing the right provider for external training management services
Choosing the right partner for your training management not only influences the quality of your training, but also employee satisfaction and the success of your personnel development strategy overall. Here are the most important criteria you should consider when making your decision:
Many years of experience
Take a look at the provider’s history. Many years of experience in various industries demonstrates a deep understanding of training management and an ability to adapt to different needs.
Broad technical knowledge
A provider who truly understands a variety of LMSs and can quickly familiarize themselves with new systems brings valuable expertise to the table. This knowledge guarantees that your training courses will run smoothly.
High customer satisfaction and strong references
References and ratings provide information as to the quality of the services. Satisfied customers are a strong indication that the provider delivers on its promises.
Technological expertise
Technological expertise is essential. Your provider should not only be familiar with your LMS, but also willing to familiarize themselves with new technologies. A proactive approach to digital trends gives you a head start here.
Flexibility and adaptability
The ideal partner understands that no two companies are the same. It adapts its services to your needs and reacts flexibly to changes.
Good communication and fast support
Open and efficient communication is the foundation of a successful partnership. A provider who responds quickly and competently to your questions shows that they value your time. German-language support is also a real plus for German companies.
Balanced cost-benefit ratio
The cheapest solution is not necessarily the best one. Good and fast results are worth the extra money. Compare offers and choose the provider that can give you the best service at a fair price.
Security and data protection
These aspects are worth their weight in gold in the digital world. Your provider must guarantee that your data is secure and that all of your processes comply with current data protection guidelines.
The bottom line.
The decision to outsource your training management to external service providers is one in favor of greater efficiency, quality, and innovation in your personnel development. With the right partner at your side, you’ll not only overcome typical challenges such as lack of time, lack of specialist knowledge, and scarcity of resources, but also set new standards for staff training.
The advantages speak for themselves: You gain back valuable time and benefit from the expertise of the best minds in the industry. You increase satisfaction among your employees and stakeholders, and ensure high completion rates. Your training programs benefit from state-of-the-art methods and technologies, while you rest assured that your learning management system (LMS) is always managed effectively. Choosing the right provider is the key to success. A partner who offers experience, wide-ranging knowledge, flexibility, and a strong cost-benefit ratio is worth its weight in gold.
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