It is often considered a smart move for many companies to outsource non-core functions to other parties, and employee training seems to be one of them. By outsourcing training, you’ll be able to focus on your core operations, benefit from considerable topic expertise, access quality instructional materials and get the most from skills offered by external training service providers. All in all, it’s definitely worth it to outsource training in today’s market and many companies are deciding to do it. Here are six things you should take into account if you’re considering outsourcing your organization’s training.

1. Do your homework

Before choosing your outsourcing training partner, you need to conduct research to ensure that you are making the most from this partnership. You can read customer reviews and use comparison sites to find providers who know their way around your niche. Other key performance indicators you should pay attention to are pass rates, satisfaction rates and trainer experience. That’s how you’ll be able to find the best fit for your company and learn more about the training market, effectively helping you to make a better-informed decision and negotiate pricing with the provider.

2. Think about scale

Before setting out to choose the provider, think about the scale to which you’d like to outsource your training. Would you like to outsource only the searching or administration process of training booking? Or maybe you’d like the provider to carry out a large-scale operation which requires full integration between them and your organization? Depending on what you decide at this point, you’ll be looking at different outsourcing options. Pick the scale which works best for your company and choose how much information you’re ready to share with the supplier.

3. Targeting

It is of prime importance to realize why your company considers outsourcing training and what your goal for it is. You need a set of tangible objectives to start with. If you’d like to save up on training expenses, set up a specific amount and work towards it. Are you trying to increase training quality? Come up with a satisfaction rating system or develop other metrics to measure what you’re after. Once you’ve got your targets, make sure to communicate them to the provider and then measure relevant figures. Everyone in the arrangement should know what is expected as the outcome of training outsourcing.

4. Use small projects to pilot outsourcing opportunities

Before jumping in, it’s good to have a trial period to check whether the provider is a right fit. Ask them to work on a small project. This will help you retain control over this tentative period and properly evaluate whether the provider’s offer suits your needs. It’s also much easier to monitor the outcome of a small project and compare it to your projected results from outsourcing training.

5. Consider control

While some companies are happy to outsource considerable parts of their business and focus on key capabilities to gain a competitive advantage, others prefer to retain control of their critical processes to guarantee highest quality. Before settling on an outsourcing solution, ask yourself whether your organization is ready for this type of relation. How much control would you like to retain? How much information are you willing to let go of? If you fail to make a decision right now, you might face control-related problems later on.

6. Don’t forget about productivity

Expect your organization to take a hit in terms of customer service or schedule during training. After all, productivity is bound to decrease the moment employees leave work to attend training sessions. Even if your core objective is to improve long-term performance, you still need to choose the right timing for training. This is a key factor that you need to take into account when choosing to outsource training in a way that doesn’t disrupt your company’s schedule.

Consider these six things when creating a strategy for outsourcing training at your organization and you can be sure to pick a solution that is cost-effective, perfectly matches your needs and brings you considerable return on investment.