How To Find The Best HR Training Courses Without Going Over Budget
Are you ready to outsource and maximize training ROI? Most organizations outsource because it’s more cost-effective or reduces development time. Otherwise, they’d simply handle the project in-house to stretch resources. However, you need to find an eLearning content provider that understands your niche and training objectives. On top of that, the COVID-19 crisis has put a wrench in the works for many businesses. Maybe you were in the middle of hiring when the pandemic hit, or you need to fill newly created gaps. Whatever the case, you must identify gaps and reevaluate goals to get your program back on track. This ultimate guide has all the information you need to launch successful HR training courses for recruitment, complete with budgeting tips, RFP pointers, and free vendor vetting resources.
Here's what you'll find inside this guide...
- HR Training Programs: 7 Questions To Help You Make The Best Buying Decision
- 7 Free Resources To Vet HR Training Courses Providers And Improve ROI
- 8 Tips To Find The Ideal Recruitment HR Training Courses For Managers
- 7 Ways To Use Virtual Training Tools For Creative Recruitment Strategies
- 8 Steps Create An Effective HR Training RFP For eLearning Outsourcing
- 8 Qualities To Look For In Pre-Built HR Training Courses For Employee Recruitment
1. HR Training Programs: 7 Questions To Help You Make The Best Buying Decision
Most organizations focus on onboarding training because they know it’s crucial to bring new hires up to speed. But what about the HR employees who find all that fresh talent? HR recruitment training builds a solid foundation for business expansion. You need a team that knows which qualifications to consider and how to manage in-house talent effectively. So, how do you launch successful HR training programs when time is of the essence? One of the best ways to cut costs and deal with the COVID-19 crisis is to hire an eLearning content provider. An experienced outsourcing partner who can help you develop top-notch resources without going over budget. However, there are a few questions you should answer first just to decide if in-house, outsourcing, or off-the-shelf is best for your bottom line.
What Are Your HR Recruiting Objectives?
It’s always best to start at the destination. What do you hope to achieve? And how can HR training improve your recruiting process? First and foremost, you need to reevaluate HR objectives that pertain to recruitment and hiring. Which qualifications are you looking for? Do you still need 25 new employees to fill the gap? These questions will help you develop HR training courses based on specific outcomes. In short, what do HR employees need to know to secure the right person for the job?
What Is The Outsourcing Versus In-House Percentage?
In most cases, you don’t need to outsource your entire HR recruitment training strategy. But this is where things get tricky. You see, it’s crucial to differentiate outsourced versus in-house tasks. Is it more cost-effective to develop this resource internally? Or should I hand it over to the eLearning content provider? And it’s not just the price tag you need to consider, L&D workload, talents, and tools are all pieces of the puzzle. For instance, your team already has enough on their plate. Thus, they probably don’t have the time to develop fresh HR training content. Even if they do, the stress might lead to burnout. So, how much of the work is going to be handled in-house? And which projects are ideally suited for outsourcing partners?
Which Training Solutions Do You Need?
There are numerous training activities and delivery methods to choose from, but there’s only so much room in your L&D budget. Thus, you must be choosy about your HR recruitment training solutions. For example, are you looking for microlearning simulations to build real-world experience, or custom app development that makes HR training more accessible? Of course, training solutions must support the desired outcomes and employee preferences. You should also factor in existing assets. For instance, the development team can reuse video clips and live event recordings to create fresh HR training content.
Are There HR Training Gaps That Take Top Priority?
There are usually certain HR training gaps that move to the front of the line. It might be that employees need to develop soft skills or brush up on company policy. These sticking points should be your top priority because they have the greatest impact. For example, you have limited resources but need to recruit top talent. Which training topics will help HR staffers streamline work practices and assess job applicants more efficiently?
Is Off-The-Shelf Or Bespoke Your Best Bet?
The outsourcing route breaks off into 2 distinct branches. The first is bespoke. In this case, the content provider creates content from scratch. The second is off-the-shelf solutions, which are pre-built HR training courses that are ready to launch. Both have benefits and drawbacks. Bespoke takes more time and can be more costly, but it’s all custom-tailored to suit your needs. On the other hand, pre-built solutions are quick to deploy and easier on the budget. However, you may not be able to incorporate branding, and it doesn’t target your specific training objectives and outcomes.
Which Support Services Do You Need?
Many outsourcing partners provide some level of support. Whether it’s post-launch revisions or basic online FAQs, but you must decide how much support you require. For example, your team is less experienced, so you may need one-on-one help from the vendor. They show you how to update content or resolve common software issues. Alternatively, developing content in-house doesn’t provide any safety net whatsoever, with the exception of software vendors who can help you troubleshooting tech glitches. Thus, you’d have to hire an IT expert to tackle implementation challenges.
What Is Your HR Training Budget?
I saved the best for last. How much can you realistically spend on HR training programs for the recruiting process? More importantly, how should you allocate those resources to get the best value for money? One of the common misconceptions about outsourcing is that it’s too expensive. However, think of all the money you save by not having to invest in design software or hiring a full-time design team. In fact, create an itemized expense sheet for all three options, then ask if off-the-shelf, bespoke, or in-house is the right choice from a financial standpoint.
2. 7 Free Resources To Vet HR Training Courses Providers And Improve ROI
Developing HR training courses requires a significant investment, whether you decide to handle the project in-house or outsource. But choosing the best training solutions shouldn’t put a big dent in your budget. In fact, there are plenty of free ways to vet HR training course providers. Better still, they’re easy to use and have all the essential buying info in one spot, which means that you don’t have to search the web for hours on end—after you find the right combination of keywords, of course. These free resources can help you evaluate pricing options as well as review past work and see how the vendor communicates with clients. So, let’s dive into the first time-saving vendor vetting tool.
Directory Listings
Exclusive online directories should be your vendor vetting springboard because they have everything from company bios to training solutions. These sites let you evaluate every HR training company based on your use case. For example, this vendor is in your price range but doesn’t specialize in HR leadership training and you’re looking for a top-notch content provider for manager recruitment courses. The caveat is that you need to find a reliable directory that simplifies your search. For instance, there are built-in filters to help you narrow the criteria or even comparison tools so that you can assess vendor selling points side by side.
Ratings Sites
It’s always good to verify the vendor’s track record. Do they value customer service? What about ongoing communication? Ratings sites give you the chance to evaluate companies from an insider’s perspective. Namely, clients who’ve already worked with the content provider and know what it’s like. However, you must be choosy about which rating sites you use. They should be sponsor-free, first and foremost. In addition, the site needs solid evaluation criteria. For instance, the overall satisfaction score is based on six crucial categories ranging from responsiveness to CX.
Review Platforms
Review sites are another great resource to vet HR training course providers as they often elaborate on rating scores. In most cases, reviews highlight the benefits and drawbacks of working with the vendor. However, the user should have to provide some basic info, like their industry, staff size, and use case so that you can evaluate the vendor through that lens. For example, they hired the vendor for sales or customer service training as opposed to recruitment strategy plan courses and the content provider may not specialize in that niche.
Social Media
Social media is a bit like the Wild West when it comes to vendor qualification. Reviews aren’t verified and everyone can openly share their opinion. However, they are still a valuable source of info, especially if you know where to look; for example, closed groups that focus on training outsourcing or vendor community pages. These corners of social media often feature tips and resource links so that you can rapidly vet HR training course providers. They also give you the opportunity to see how companies interact with the public, such as how they respond to negative feedback or how quickly they answer questions about their services.
Vendor Website
Frankly, vendor websites are the most biased resource on this list. After all, vendors want to put their best foot forward, so they probably won’t highlight negative reviews. That said, you can learn a lot about their work practices and design skills, as well their pricing options or payment terms. Some even feature client success stories and industry achievements, such as awards and news articles. All of these elements showcase the vendor's experience and expertise. Plus, you can use those third-party reviews to verify credentials and customer care standards.
Online Portfolios
Every outsourcing company should have an online portfolio. NDAs often prevent them from posting actual work samples, but they can still provide samples, like HR training demos or simulations that show the breadth of their talents. Furthermore, the examples should have context. For instance, the objectives, challenges, and training outcomes for each deliverable. Finally, pay close attention to the overall layout. Does the portfolio flow? Or does it seem fragmented and jumbled? This is supposed to be their best first impression. Therefore, it should accurately reflect their brand image, work practices, and design talents.
Requests For Proposals
The most direct way to vet HR training course providers is by submitting RFPs. It’s also the most time-consuming though. You must draft requests for your top choices, then wait for their responses, at which point, proposal reviews begin. But all that hard work and patience pays off in the form of personalized estimates as long as you include all the essential info, such as project scope, budget, and deliverables. You can also schedule a meeting with vendors to discuss your HR training recruitment strategy plan or clarify the cost breakdown and contract terms.
Bottom Line
To sum up, time should be your only investment at this point— and not a big slice of your schedule, at that. Ideally, vendors will make it easy to find them, instead of making you jump through tech hoops. For example, they’ll list on reliable directories and reach out on social media. Not to mention, frequently update their portfolio so that you can evaluate their best work. That said, you can always contact them directly for more info or even to set up a meeting to discuss your concerns or questions, which is yet another free resource at your disposal.
3. 8 Tips To Find The Ideal Recruitment HR Training Courses For Managers
Team leaders’ professional know-how and enthusiasm trickle down. Granted, every member of the team should receive ongoing support, but managers are involved in every aspect of recruitment, from crafting job marketing materials to choosing the best applicants, which means they require niche skills and experience to streamline the process. Bear in mind that they also set an example for the rest of their department. In some cases, for the organization, as a whole, given that HR is often associated with policy expertise and advocacy. So, how do you find the ideal recruitment HR training courses for managers? The following 8 tips cover every step of the selection process.
Gather Input From Team Leaders
Team leaders have to participate in HR training courses to build their knowledge base. It can either be a chore or an exciting opportunity, it all depends on your L&D approach. So, gather their feedback before you choose HR training solutions. What does your current program lack? Are there specific skills they still need to work on? And how can training courses help them streamline your recruiting process?
Look For Off-The-Shelf Solutions First
Many third-party content providers offer off-the-shelf solutions. These are pre-built courses you can add to your existing human resources recruitment strategies. Instead of hiring an outsourcing partner to develop content from the ground up, these packaged courses can enrich your program, as well as rapidly address gaps within the HR leadership team. For example, bring them up to speed regarding new compliance rules or regulations. Why not peruse course catalogs first, then determine which training development approach is best for your bottom line?
Create An Accurate Budget And Implementation Schedule
Regardless of the training topic or target audience, a clear budget is crucial. You must have a maximum spending cap and implementation timeline in place. That said, value for money trumps everything else. Even if HR training courses are more expensive than others, consider the payoff. Will it help you address performance gaps quickly? Can you incorporate your own branding? Finally, always factor in hidden fees, from maintenance to software upgrades.
Draft An HR Training Solutions List
Create a list of must-have solutions for HR training for managers. These are all the activities, modules, and JIT resources you need to warrant the investment. Of course, you must also account for existing assets. For example, you’re able to re-purpose multimedia from your library to cut costs. But there’s another reason to inventory your assets, as it helps prevent redundancies, such as tutorials or demos that cover the same topics from the same perspective.
Focus On Core Competencies
Concentrating on goals, objectives, and outcomes gets overwhelming, especially when there’s a lot of HR training ground to cover. For this reason, you should focus on core competencies—the key skills and talents your HR managers need to fulfill their job duties. As an example, look for training courses that develop communication or social networking skills, even if they’re pre-built solutions that you need to supplement with JIT resources.
Test The HR Training Waters
Purchase courses or sample projects and test them out on HR team leaders. In the case of pre-packaged courses, you can evaluate the demo or even buy individual activities. For bespoke content, hire the content provider for a small-scale project, such as creating a tutorial or presentation. The goal is to evaluate the deliverable as a whole, not just the subject matter but the entire design, navigability, etc. Is the service provider able to sum up the key points? Do all their aesthetics serve a purpose? Last, but not least, do they personalize the training experience?
Use Online Directories To Simplify Your Search
Exclusive online directories give you the chance to explore vendor expertise and specialization areas. You can even see which solutions they offer or read user reviews. Simply put, directories take the stress out of the search process because you can quickly compile a shortlist based on your HR training criteria. Top-notch directories even include ratings so that you can find the best human resources recruitment strategies partner for your project.
4. 7 Ways To Use Virtual Training Tools For Creative Recruitment Strategies
The plan is to revamp your HR training program to recruit top talent. However, you can also use virtual training tools to screen job candidates and launch creative recruitment strategies. Think of it as a two-pronged approach. Your HR staff carries on with their job marketing and one-on-one interviews while learning tech lets candidates come to you—or, at least, alleviates some of the burden on your human resources recruitment team. The icing on the cake is that your multi-functional systems deliver even more value for money. Here are 8 amazing ways to use your LMS and video conferencing platform for the recruitment process.
Pre-Assess Job Applicants
You already assess your employees using simulations, serious games, and straight board exams. Why not do the same for job hopefuls? Create pop quizzes to test their know-how in different areas. For example, see how well they understand sales basics or if they’re aware of compliance issues that pertain to your industry. Keep in mind that these should be brief and targeted since the goal is to help them find the right job for their skillsets, as well as pre-qualify them for certain positions.
Launch Certification Courses To Qualify Candidates
Online certifications have become even more popular in recent years. In part, because of the COVID-19 crisis and social distancing. Offer free or low-cost certifications to attract job applicants. They’re already interested in the topic or else they wouldn’t enroll in the course to begin with. So, that’s one obstacle out of the way. And participants who make it to the end and pass the final exam are ideal candidates. You already have performance metrics on-hand when it’s time to interview because they’ve been an online student of yours for weeks.
Host Live Hiring Events
Live meet-and-greets give applicants a chance to get to know the team. Another approach is to host job-specific events. For example, highlight all the responsibilities and tasks associated with the role. That way, there’s no surprise later on. When they have made it to the final hiring round and suddenly realize the position isn’t what they expected, you should also mention the benefits package briefly. Of course, they should be more interested in growth opportunities, but, let’s face it, the salary and vacation time are on their minds.
Use Serious Games To Attract Top Talent
This is a sneakier way to kick-off the recruitment process. Think of it as candidate qualification in disguise. Then again, the serious game incorporates your branding, so that should tip them off. The main goal is to draw in top talent. They come for the gaming experience but stay for the career opportunity. Best of all, you can focus on specific skills or areas of expertise. For instance, the serious game features a challenging customer. The player must identify their needs and find the best solution to reach the next level. You can even incorporate points or shareable badges to boost motivation.
Summarize Job Duties With Interactive Simulations
I mentioned live event job recaps, but applicants may need more information or even firsthand experience to show them exactly what the job entails. What better way than to immerse them in a simulation? A task simulation, to be precise. They need to handle every step of the process and show their skills. In addition, you can produce video demos that allow them to shadow employees. Candidates follow the staffer around as they go about their workday. Try throwing in a mistake or two to see if applicants catch the errors. Just make sure to highlight them at the end so that they don’t repeat them on the job.
Unlock Part Of Your JIT Training Library
Some creative recruitment strategies don’t require any added investment. Take the example of your training library, it’s already there to provide JIT support for staffers. However, you can unlock a small section for job applicants to give them a brief glimpse of your training offerings and prep them for the upcoming interview. The caveat is that it should be a limited-time offer, a temporary library pass so that they don’t overcrowd the servers. In addition, follow up with a live event to address their questions and concerns, as well as gather feedback. For instance, was the information helpful? Did it offer new insights? And is there something for every training style or preference?
Upload Training Snippets To Social Media
Maybe job candidates don’t have the time to enjoy your training library pass, or they don’t know about it yet. For this reason, you should upload training snippets to your social media page or even closed job posting groups. It could be a 2-minute serious game or branching scenario. The key is to give candidates a preview of what’s to come.
5. 8 Steps Create An Effective HR Training RFP For eLearning Outsourcing
Hiring an HR training solutions provider can help you reduce costs and development time. But how do you know which outsourcing partner will deliver a maximum ROI? Reviews, ratings, and directory listings are a good start. However, you need personalized estimates to get your budget in order. RFPs cover everything from project scope to spending caps. This allows vendors to customize proposals based on your recruitment strategy plan and current gaps. They can also provide a list of basic HR training topics they’ll address with results-driven deliverables. Here are 8 essential steps to create an effective HR training RFP for eLearning outsourcing.
Start With Your Needs, Budget, And Timeline
Vendors need to know how much there is to work with. In terms of time and money, you must also clarify your HR training expectations and objectives. That said, you don’t have to divulge every L&D detail. For example, include a general price range but omit the spending cap that way you have a little room for negotiation and unexpected fees. The same goes for your development schedule. It’s best to underestimate the time frame instead of cutting it too close and risking launch delays. For instance, you need the deliverables by mid-March, so you should include a mid-February deadline. The outsourcing partner can always discuss the timeline with you and make necessary adjustments.
Identify HR Training Deliverables
Highlight all the training solutions you require, including JIT support tools and HR training courses. This should be a detailed list. For example, every deliverable has related objectives, outcomes, and target audiences. There’s also a brief explanation of the activity and what it entails. Are there specific performance behaviors you need to reinforce? How about skill gaps or recruitment strategy plan updates?
Include Tech Specs And Delivery Methods
It would be a shame to hire an outsourcing partner to develop engaging content only to discover that it doesn’t mesh with your existing tools or that resources don’t align with your current L&D resources. Thus, you should specify delivery methods, format types, and tech specs in your HR training RFP. For example, it must be accessible on these devices, and you’re looking for a blend of live events, mobile learning, and self-paced activities.
Outline Employee Preferences And Personal Gaps
Company goals and outcomes are essential, but you also need to consider online training participants, namely, HR employees’ preferences, personal gaps, and job duties. Sure, you need to cover the basic HR training topics. However, everything should be within the context of their work roles. For example, simulations that offer real-world interviewing experience or video demos that help them build candidate assessment skills.
Specify Potential Training Challenges
One of the eLearning outsourcing benefits is third-party expertise. That said, content providers should know what they’re getting into. In other words, the challenges or risks involved. Outline any and all training challenges you’re facing, as well as development hurdles they may have to overcome. For instance, your current HR training strategy lacks real-world application and your JIT tools are outdated. The vendor must take these sticking points into consideration, then determine if they’re up to the task.
Mention Support Services And Communication Guidelines
Many organizations make communication an outsourcing afterthought, but it should be one of your top HR training RFP priorities. Include support services and communication guidelines you expect from the vendor. As an example, you expect a weekly recap meeting where you can offer feedback or at least one round of revisions after they deliver the resource. You can even specify your preferred contact methods to avoid confusion later on.
Explain The HR Training RFP Evaluation Process
Do you have a scoring system in place? Is there a checklist of vendor qualifications? No RFP is complete without evaluation criteria. So, explain how you’ll assess proposals and what vendors should expect afterward. For instance, they need to respond by this date and you’ll make your final decision 2 weeks from then. They should also plan on a follow-up meeting. This is the place to list all the deal-breakers, such as qualifications or experience the vendor must possess. You can also outline your primary concerns so that they know which points to touch on in the proposal. Finally, leave room for their questions at the end. Your RFP has the essentials, but vendors might think of something that you’ve overlooked.
Submit RFPs To Top HR Training Providers
The last step is to submit requests to shortlisted HR training providers. These are the top outsourcing partners who’ve made the final cut. In a perfect world, you’d send requests to every eLearning content provider in your niche, but there’s just not enough time or resources. Plus, your team would have to review a massive pile of proposals on top of their usual workload, then follow up with each vendor to find the perfect recruitment strategy plan training solutions.
6. 8 Qualities To Look For In Pre-Built HR Training Courses For Employee Recruitment
Pre-built HR training courses are cost-effective and quick to deploy, especially when you consider the L&D alternatives. For example, there’s usually a long wait time for bespoke content and in-house development requires niche tools and skillsets. But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. There are downsides to off-the-shelf recruitment process training solutions. Fortunately, you can minimize the cons if you know what to look for, as top-notch courses have a few things in common, namely design elements and resources that enrich your existing HR training program. Consider these 8 crucial qualities to boost employee engagement and get the best value for your money.
Training Personalization
Many organizations avoid pre-built HR training courses because they’re one-size-fits-all. However, that’s just a common misconception. Effective off-the-shelf training solutions are personalized. They may align with specific online training objectives or outcomes, but they touch on the major key points; for example, the most common task performance mistakes or which skills HR employees need to qualify candidates. For this reason, it’s essential to find HR training courses that specialize in your niche.
JIT Training Tie-Ins
The recruitment process is different in every organization, but there are common pain points that all HR staffers must contend with, whether it’s finding the right job marketing approach or learning how to ask the right questions during an interview. Thus, successful pre-built online training courses must include support tools, even if it’s a quick tutorial or demo to show employees how it’s done. Keep in mind that JIT training also reinforces positive behaviors and beats the forgetting curve.
Real-World Examples
Context is key, and real-world examples help employees assign meaning as well as determine how the recruitment plan and HR training courses pertain to their job roles. For instance, the example centers on candidate assessment. What are their specific responsibilities? Furthermore, how do their tasks tie into other aspects of the recruiting process? This helps them visualize the sequence of events and the part they play. Real-world examples may be in the form of anecdotes, case studies, or video clips. It all depends on your budget and online training requirements.
Built-In Skill Development
Skills are a crucial part of your recruitment plan. As such, HR training courses must give employees the opportunity to identify skill gaps, then bridge them autonomously. To illustrate, the course involves a simulation that’s all about interpersonal skills or a demo that shows them how to apply these skills in a practical setting. In fact, skill development should be embedded into the eLearning course design. Every activity must strengthen core competencies and link them to real-world benefits.
Instructor Aids
Online training participants aren’t the only ones who need support. Your instructors and facilitators must also have aids, such as tutorials, guides, and checklists that help them expand their own knowledge as well as provide one-on-one support to the team. For example, they aren’t sure how to log in to the online training platform or there are some HR training compliance topics that require further explanation. Even managers can step into the role of facilitator with the right tools. If instructor aids aren’t included, consider creating a knowledge base of your own. Just bear in mind that this increases your off-the-shelf solutions bill.
Brand Integration
You may not be able to develop your HR training programs from the ground up, that falls into the bespoke category. However, you can look for pre-built online training solutions that support personalized branding. As an example, you can incorporate your logo or messaging so that the activity seamlessly blends with your existing recruitment plan training content instead of featuring the outsourcing companies branding elements on every page.
Vendor Support
You may not foresee any issues when purchasing pre-built HR training courses, but you never know when problems might pop up and you should have a safety net to avoid unexpected delays, like toll-free phone support, live chats, and online knowledge bases provided by the vendor. For this reason, it’s crucial to evaluate customer care solutions beforehand. Does the vendor have a help desk? Are they active on social media? At the very least, there should be an online FAQ that addresses your most basic concerns.
Marketing Tools
You must be able to market the course internally, albeit that usually falls upon your HR and L&D departments, but vendors can also give you a promotional head start. For instance, the HR training courses come with brief demos, screenshots, or pop quizzes to build the buzz. You can post these marketing materials on your eLearning social media page or send them directly to HR employees. Another place to look for marketing info is the course landing page, which often features summaries and practical benefits. On the other hand, you probably shouldn’t rely on pre-built marketing tools alone. They’re a great add-on, but you still need to personalize your approach. For example, tailor demo videos and activity spotlights based on performance gaps.
Conclusion
There are so many factors to consider, which makes it even more challenging to make the right buying decision for your business. These tips help you zero in on your HR training priorities and outcomes. If off-the-shelf or bespoke content is best for your SMB, an exclusive online directory is a great starting point, as it allows you to quickly compile a shortlist of top eLearning content providers. You can also submit RFPs and evaluate online portfolios to choose an outsourcing partner who specializes in your niche.
Find the perfect outsourcing partner for your HR training programs. Our new eBook covers all the essentials, including topics to address and free vendor vetting resources. Download Creative Recruitment Strategies: Tips To Choose HR Training Courses For Talent Acquisition to expand your workforce and retain top HR talent.
