Global Training on a Limited Budget
Vice President, Client Services
Expertus
Our recent survey on global training revealed two interesting facts:
- Almost half of responding companies spent less than 10% of their annual training budgets on training delivered outside of home countries.
- A limited budget was the top challenge identified for global training.
- Focus on Job-Relevant Training.
The first thing we advise clients to do is to identify training that's actually essential for global audiences, and establish priorities. Too many companies assume that all training delivered within the home country should be available to all audiences throughout the world. The truth is that it’s better to offer limited, but highly job-relevant training than it is to offer vast, but mostly irrelevant courses. - Scrutinize Your Budget
It’s also important to analyze carefully how budget dollars are being spent. When we help clients conduct a budget analysis, we often discover that dollars are wasted on redundant contracts, duplicate work in content development, high T&E expenses, and unnecessary technology investments. Sometimes the dollars saved in these and other areas can offset new investments - such as implementing virtual classrooms - that will help expand and improve global training programs. - Get Help.
Our survey showed that 83% of responding companies now offer training globally. As companies expand their training initiatives, new challenges arise that require new processes and different approaches. An experienced, outside perspective can help identify opportunities for increased efficiencies. For instance, Expertus recently helped a major technology company save approximately 25% on its EMEA employee training by centralizing key services, reducing the number of vendors, standardizing contracts, and eliminating redundant technologies. - Consider Technology Alternatives.
Effective use of technology can also help companies get more for their global training budgets. For instance, our recent survey showed that e-learning is still not being used as widely globally as it is in home countries. E-learning, blended learning, and virtual classrooms are often less expensive alternatives to ILT. Additionally, the effective use of LMSs (in terms of learning delivery, management, and reporting) can help organizations greatly increase overall training efficiencies.