Finding the Right Trainer

Let’s say you have been asked to find a trainer to conduct customer service training or safety training for your company’s employees.  Where do you go to find a trainer?  Do you know what it will cost?  Do you know what questions to ask?  If you don’t know the answers to these questions, you could be throwing away good money on someone that will take your money without providing a valuable service to your organization.

When looking for a trainer, the important thing is to start with knowing what services you need and why.  You need to identify what metrics or other data you have that specifically identifies a need for training.  Do you have customers complaining about poor response time when calling customer service representatives?  This may be the result of inadequate bandwidth or an insufficient number of phone lines that is unrelated to the behavior of customer service representatives.  Or perhaps your representatives need to be better trained in order to perform multiple tasks at a time, thus increasing productivity.

Once you have verified the problem through a needs assessment, the next step is to have an idea of the target audience and format of the training.  For example, will all employees in the organization be trained or only a select few?  This can make a big difference in how the course is designed and the cost of the training.  In other words, you have to have some idea on what you are looking for before you consult with a trainer.

When looking for a trainer, the easiest approach is to conduct an Internet search for a trainer in your area.  However, you will likely have to sort through a number of individuals and companies that don’t train on the subject matter you need.  A professional organization that certifies or provides continuing education to trainers is another approach, as the organization may group trainers by subject matter and/or geography.  Referrals are another great source.

When speaking with a trainer, it is important to get to know their training approach and how many and what types of courses they have designed and facilitated.  The trainer may want some idea of the scope of the project before quoting you a rate, but a reputable trainer will be able to quote a minimum and maximum fee.  Of course, it is also important for you to know what your budget is for the project.

Selecting a trainer is never easy but by asking the right questions and taking your time to carefully design each course, you will reap the benefits of a better educated workforce.

This article should not be construed as legal advice.