In today’s flush economy, people have realized that there is money to bemade in corporate training and are pursuing HR budgets like hungry lions in aNational Geographic video. To avoid wasting money on gimmicky training efforts,HR people must thoroughly evaluate vendors.
Betsy Allen, master consultant with the Bob Pike Group, a custom trainingcompany based in Minneapolis, suggests that HR professionals ask themselves thefollowing questions before hiring any new training vendor:
- Will the vendor complete a needs analysis and customize content?
- Will the vendor’s efforts include creating a partnership between HR, theline manager, and the trainee to ensure results?
- Does the vendor use an instructor-led/participant-centered approach thatresults in knowledge retention and, ultimately, application?
- Does the vendor have a track record and the testimonials to prove it?
- Is the vendor’s experience in your industry or a similar one?
- Does the vendor have a process for helping you determine whether trainingis the answer?
- Has the vendor explored your needs thoroughly with your best interests inmind so as not to simply sell you something off the shelf?
- Will the vendor promise performance solutions or agree to recommendanother provider if your needs do not match their expertise?
- Is the vendor relationship-focused? In other words, interested less inshort-term transaction dollars and more in long-term results and earnedloyalty?
- Is the vendor willing to train your trainers so that the performancesolution can be cost-effectively rolled out to the entire organization?
Workforce, December 2000,Volume 79, Number 12, p. 36 SubscribeNow!