It’s 2024, and your workforce is more spread out than ever. Some employees work hybrid schedules, while others are fully remote. Pre-2020, your training sessions were all in-person. But when COVID hit, you pressed pause, thinking the lockdowns wouldn’t last long. You planned to resume in-person sessions once everything calmed down.
However, reality set in, and you realized that your team is scattered across various locations. So, what did you do? You sent out your old PowerPoint presentation as training material, thinking it would work just fine. Easy, right? Well, not quite.
Your employees hated it. They found it boring, said it was a waste of time, and, worse still, felt they hadn’t learned anything. To top it off, they had to work extra hours to catch up on the work they missed during the training. After that disaster, you scrapped training altogether until you could figure out something better. And you thought to yourself, “There has to be a better way.”
You were right—there is.
Welcome to Modern Training
Corporate training is no longer about PowerPoints and long lectures. It’s about eLearning and virtual instructor-led sessions that are efficient, engaging, and designed to help employees retain information. But if you don’t have experience creating these kinds of trainings, instructional designers (IDs) do. They specialize in building modern, effective training programs that save time and help your team excel.
So, should you join the 59 percent of companies that outsource instructional design? Absolutely! Here’s why.
Benefits of Outsourcing Instructional Design
Outsourcing instructional design for corporate training can be a game-changer. Not only does it save your company time and money, but it also gives you access to experts who specialize in creating engaging, modern training. You don’t have to worry about the cost of expensive tools or keeping up with the latest trends – the pros have it covered. Plus, they can tailor the training to your company’s unique needs, helping your employees learn faster and apply new skills right away. It’s like getting a whole team of specialists without the overhead.
Save Money
Hiring an outside instructional designer can actually save you money. Why? Because these professionals already have the resources—both tools and expertise—that you’d have to invest in. Rather than buying new software or hiring extra staff, you can contract an experienced ID who already knows how to create the training you need. Plus, if your in-house team isn’t equipped for this kind of work, it’s not fair to ask them to handle it. Leave it to the pros.
Focus on What You Do Best
By outsourcing training, you can focus on your core business activities. Let the external experts handle the creation, management, and updating of your training programs. This frees up your internal team to work on what they do best without being pulled into the weeds of learning and development.
Access Specialized Knowledge
Your in-house designers and subject matter experts (SMEs) are talented, no doubt. But they may not have the eLearning development skills that a trained instructional designer does. An ID knows how to create training that’s not just informative but interactive and effective, ensuring your employees can apply what they learn in their jobs. By outsourcing, you’re getting access to the latest trends, best practices, and a broader knowledge base that internal teams might not have.
You Get a Whole Team
Creating an eLearning course isn’t a one-person job. It usually requires a team, including project managers, visual designers, and technical writers, all working together. When you outsource, you get the benefit of an entire team of experts working to build the best possible training for your company.
The Right Tools for the Job
Let’s face it: creating effective training isn’t about throwing together a PowerPoint presentation. It’s about using a variety of tools to build engaging, interactive learning experiences. By hiring an experienced ID, you don’t have to worry about learning new software or buying expensive products. They’ve already got it covered.
Flexibility and Speed
Because experienced instructional designers have worked across different industries, they can build training quickly and with the flexibility to meet your specific needs. They’ve likely created similar programs for other companies in your sector, and that experience means faster, higher-quality training than you could produce internally.
Stay on Top of Trends
Keeping up with the latest trends in your own industry is tough enough without also having to stay on top of training innovations. IDs do this for a living. They know the latest trends and tools in training and can use that knowledge to create up-to-date learning materials for your employees. Whether it’s AI-driven personalized learning or VR simulations, outsourcing helps you stay ahead of the curve without the upfront costs.
Scaling Your Business
Are you thinking about expanding internationally? Is your training program ready for that? Professional instructional designers know how to scale learning programs to match your business growth. Outsourcing makes it easier to create training for a larger, more diverse team without the hassle and cost of doing it in-house.
Project Management Made Easy
When you outsource instructional design, you don’t have to worry about managing the process. Most instructional design vendors provide their own project managers, so your leadership team can focus on running the business rather than micromanaging the development of training programs.
Stay Compliant with Industry Standards
Regulations change, especially in areas like compliance and safety training. Outsourcing to a specialized provider means you don’t have to worry about keeping up with every update in the law. The vendor ensures that your training materials are always up to date, so you stay compliant without the extra work.
Reduce Risk
Technology is great—until it isn’t. When things go wrong, like coding errors or system crashes, the outsourced instructional design company is responsible, not you. These experts know how to handle bumps in the road and will have systems in place to fix issues quickly.
Challenges of Outsourcing Corporate Training
Outsourcing ID can come with its own set of challenges, like ensuring that the third-party provider fully understands your organization’s unique culture and learning needs. There’s also the risk of miscommunication, especially if the provider isn’t deeply familiar with your industry or learners. Additionally, managing timelines and quality control can become tricky when you’re relying on an external team, making it harder to ensure that the final product aligns perfectly with your vision.
Loss of Control
When you outsource your training, you’re giving up a bit of control over the design, delivery, and content of the program. This can become an issue if the provider’s approach doesn’t quite align with your company’s culture or values. Customizing training to fit your specific needs may take extra time and come with additional costs, especially if you want the training to reflect your company’s unique style and objectives.
Keeping Up with Technological Evolution
One big challenge in corporate training today is the fast-paced evolution of technology. AI, VR, and AR are always advancing, and it can be tough to stay on top of the latest trends. Outsourcing helps take that pressure off, but it also puts you at the mercy of your provider. If they don’t keep up with the newest tech, you could fall behind in offering cutting-edge training. And when new tools do come along, the costs of retraining your staff or hiring new people familiar with the latest innovations can add up quickly.
Security and Privacy Concerns
Outsourcing training often means sharing sensitive employee data with external vendors. If the vendor isn’t careful with this data, it could lead to privacy breaches or violations of data protection laws. Before choosing a partner, it’s important to ensure they have strong privacy policies in place.
Cultural Misalignment
External vendors may not fully understand your company’s culture or industry-specific needs, which can lead to training that feels disconnected from your values. Make sure your vendor takes the time to learn about your organization to create content that resonates with your employees.
Dependency on External Providers
Relying entirely on external providers can create long-term risks. What happens if your vendor goes out of business or changes their offerings? It’s important to consider how much you want to depend on an outside company for your training needs.
Final Thoughts
At first glance, outsourcing instructional design might seem like an unnecessary expense. But when you think about the cost of ineffective in-house training and the strain it puts on your team, it becomes clear that outsourcing is often the smarter, more cost-effective choice. Not only will you get high-quality, modern training tailored to your company’s specific needs, but you’ll also free up your employees to focus on what they do best. Outsourcing corporate training offers access to expertise, cost savings, and the latest technological innovations. The key is finding the right balance between outsourcing and internal development to meet your training goals.
Related Blogs
Transform Your Training Programs with an AI-Enhanced LMS
Unlocking Potential: The Power of Personalized Training
Engagement Matters: Turning the Tide on Workforce Discontent
Resources
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Freifeld, Lorri. “2023 Training Industry Report.” Training Magazine. 11/14/23. Accessed 9/25/24. https://trainingmag.com/2023-training-industry-report/
“Outsourcing Quotes.” BrainyQuote. Accessed 9/25/24. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/alphonso_jackson_199015?src=t_outsourcing
Prasad, Dr. RK. “Should You Outsource or Develop In-House?” eLearning Industry. 3/16/20. 9/25/24. https://elearningindustry.com/outsource-or-in-house-elearning-development
“Ten Reasons Why You Should Outsource Your Instructional Design Requirements.” Reality Biz News. 12/7/22. Accessed 9/25/24. https://realtybiznews.com/ten-reasons-why-you-should-outsource-your-instructional-design-requirements/98775328/
Vitasek, Kate. “A New Way To Outsource.” Forbes. 6/19/13. Accessed 9/25/24. https://www.forbes.com/2010/06/01/vested-outsourcing-microsoft-intel-leadership-managing-kate-vitasek.html
