A recent survey found that only 23% of employees worldwide are engaged at work (Training Industry Magazine Trends 2024). Given this, and the fact that employees want more development opportunities, learning and development (L&D) specialists must ensure that their training programs hit the mark.
Effective training delivery equips employees with the knowledge and skills required to remain competitive and engaged. By researching the diverse array of training delivery options available, your organization can determine the best approach for your learning needs.
What Is Effective Training Delivery?
At its simplest, training delivery describes how an organization presents learning to its employees. It can refer to the entire L&D process—including the methods and technologies used throughout the enterprise—or the execution of a particular learning event.
Another crucial aspect of training delivery is the strategic management of instructor resourcing. This service provides a pool of instructors and oversees the logistics and administration of live classes, whether in-person or virtual. For example, we recently supported a client in launching an enterprise-wide DEI program comprising 600 sessions that needed to be completed within nine months. We helped the client locate additional instructors, matched them to the organization’s needs, and handled all additional training, certification, and onboarding, ensuring the successful implementation of the training.
Types of Training Delivery Methods in the Workplace
When evaluating which training delivery method to use, it is crucial to consider various factors, including the audience, subject matter, and level of complexity. This ensures that the method chosen is the most effective for the chosen learning need.
Some of the most common training delivery methods that organizations use include:
- Instructor-led training (ILT) or classroom training
- Virtual instructor-led training (VILT)
- eLearning
- Gamification
- Videos
- Virtual reality (VR)
- Coaching and mentoring
Digital tools have redefined what is possible in the world of L&D and have helped to support the idea of blending different training delivery methods into a learning program. When used together in a meaningful learning journey, learning programs can excel by introducing, demonstrating, and reinforcing knowledge and skills over time, all while creating a cohesive learner experience.
4 Ways to Integrate Effective Training Delivery into Your Business Strategy
When you are creating or updating a training delivery program, keep the following concepts in mind:
- Make learning a continuous part of your culture. Think of learning as a continuous journey rather than an annual event. Taking a continuous approach to learning helps your enterprise remain competitive by upskilling employees continually and gradually over time.
- Prioritize the learner experience. Remember, everyone learns differently. When building a program, prioritize different learners’ needs by adopting a strategy incorporating various training delivery methods.
- Create learning that is relevant. Learners today face many distractions. If your training delivery efforts do not feel relevant, they will almost certainly fail to engage your audience. Take the time to align with your audience’s needs and focus on how your training will help make their lives easier.
- Design and deliver learning that is flexible. Training delivery must align with how and when employees can learn. Create programs that can be consumed in small doses over time and at the point of need. Doing so allows employees to learn during their downtime instead of interrupting crucial work for lengthy training sessions.
The Advantages of Outsourcing Your Training Delivery
Many organizations simply do not have the capacity to execute a sizable program on their own, so a common reason that organizations outsource training is due to initiatives that require scalability. For example, one of our clients faced a challenging hiring-target goal that had to be completed by the end of the year. The task was beyond what their delivery team could manage. So, they partnered with us to help augment their team for six months to meet their hiring goals.
As companies grow and change, internal L&D resources can become strained or outmoded over time, requiring outside help to bridge the gap. Organizations will also outsource their training delivery when they roll out initiatives that require specific skill sets or expertise that currently do not exist within their group. Organizations find it beneficial to partner with an instructor-resourcing firm to fill this need, especially if it is for a temporary or set period.
Aside from instructor resourcing, other common reasons to outsource training delivery include:
- Gaining a Fresh Perspective: Outsourcing can bring new ideas and innovative approaches that your internal team might not consider.
- Access to a Broad Range of Expertise: External training providers often have a team of specialists with varied backgrounds, ensuring comprehensive coverage of the knowledge and skills you need.
- Customized Training Solutions: Outsourcing allows for bespoke training programs tailored to your organization’s unique needs and goals.
- Cost Efficiency: By outsourcing, companies can avoid the overhead costs of hiring and training full-time staff, focusing resources on other critical areas.
- Scalability and Flexibility: Training needs can fluctuate, and outsourcing provides the flexibility to scale up or down quickly based on current demands without long-term commitments.
- Reduced Time to Implementation: With experienced trainers and ready-made programs, outsourcing can significantly reduce the time it takes to roll out new training initiatives.
- Enhanced Focus on Core Business Activities: Internal teams can concentrate on their primary tasks by delegating training responsibilities, improving overall productivity and effectiveness.
Outsourcing your training delivery can provide the support and resources needed to ensure that your organization remains competitive and capable of achieving its goals, no matter how ambitious.
Transform Your Learning Organization with Effective Training Delivery
Delivering training effectively can challenge any organization with varying teams and regional needs. When the right facilitators deliver a meaningful learning journey for a workforce full of different learning styles, organizations see improvement in productivity and employee morale.
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