In today’s competitive world, training employees so they can perform their roles effectively is vital to the success of any organization. This means a strategic effort in enhancing training and development must be a top priority. Finding and retaining good people with the right skills to develop training for your employees can be a real challenge, not to mention costly. Many organizations choose to hire training consultants – such as instructional designers or elearning project managers they need on contract, recruiting them for specific projects over set periods of time. This can be a more viable option for various reasons including: • Lower overall costs • Organization has greater flexibility with consultants • Less seat time – consultant is only being paid for the work they do So what rules should an organization follow to ensure they get a contract training consultant who’s right for the job?
1. Clearly define the role
Before you begin searching for a contract training consultant, prepare a written description of the role you expect the trainer to play and what you expect the trainer to accomplish. Similarly, prepare a written description of how individual members of your staff will interact with the trainer and what their specific roles are in relation to the training initiative.
2. Careful selection
Whenever possible, take your time selecting the right candidate for the position. Review and verify their credentials to ensure their education, experience, and skills are transferable to the specific goals you are trying to achieve. Interview them to gauge whether their values are consistent with your organization’s values. Remember that successful integration into your organization depends in part on the contract trainer’s commitment to making the relationship work.
3. What specific experience do they have?
More accurately put, what is their experience in relation to the type of project they would be working on. Training projects vary depending on their target audience – for example, the approach to a new hire training program will differ greatly to a compliance training program for senior management, both in terms of design, content, and layout. If you are seeking a contract instructional designer, ask yourself, what type of projects and what areas of L&D do they have?
4. Align the role with their career goals
This is quite important and yet it is often overlooked. Even though a training consultant might be working on a contract for a fixed period of time, they should be established as a credible member of the team and their career goals acknowledged. Where possible, you should try to align the role you are recruiting for with the successful candidate’s goals and make them aware that they are regarded as an important member of the team. Remember, a contract role can often develop into something long term if the trainer demonstrates real ability, so it is worth showing them their efforts are appreciated from the beginning.
5. Onboarding makes a difference
In busy times, it is very easy to drop a new project on your new training consultant and leave them to it without giving them sufficient information about the project they are tasked with. Prior to having a training consultant begin in a role, they must fully understand the organizational culture, participants learning styles, and the nuances of their role. This should all be included in the onboarding process. Does your organization require contract IDs, learning managers or other training consultants? Interactive Services develops custom training and provides contract trainers and learning experts to the global fortune 500 market. Contact us today to arrange a consultation or submit an inquiry through our Training Placements page outlining your specific needs to us and we will connect with you.