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Top Tips for choosing the right trainer

All too often professional training of a function as specialised as procurement is left to well meaning experienced former practitioners. And all too often this is NOT translated into exciting and enthusing events that motivate your team and add value to your operation.

Here are our top tips for selecting a trainer . . .

1. Seek evidence for how they design and maintain the quality of their training solutions

Ask for the company’s specification for the design of training events.

• Does it require them to produce a set of learning outcomes?
• Is there a proposed lesson plan that tells the tutor what to deliver by when and why
• Is there a specification for the use of graphics, layouts and so on?

Ask for the company’s procedures for Quality assurance of their training programmes.

• Who checks the content to make sure it is correct?
• Ensure that it complies to the event design specification?
• Doe meets with your original design scope?
• Is it checked reasonably frequently for currency of materials/content?

2. Make sure they get a lot of practice

• How many courses per annum by the company
• What type of customer base?
• How many days on the main subject area?

3. Ask about how the trainers are trained as trainers!

• Their internal training the trainers programmes
• The professional training qualifications of their trainers – PGCE or University trained in delivery of lectures?

4. Select trainers who know your area of business or interest

• Professionally qualified in the disciplines they are delivering too?
• Employed or associates?
• How many days do they deliver for the company?

5. Seek references

• Make sure they are current
• Ask for more than one and you choose!
• Try to talk by phone

6. Get samples of their intended materials and weigh these up to make sure they reflect the style you are seeking.

Practical applied learning events means lots of tutor delegate interaction, plenty of learning by doing case studies and group work, use of video, on-camera recording and feedback, business games and fun! So look for these and then:

• Consistency of the look and feel of the intended materials
• Do they look well laid out with complexity of message illustrated by appropriate use of simple graphics?
• Do they use the same template throughout?
• Are the words in the same font and colour etc?
• Are the graphics properly structured and correctly located on the slides?
• Not too many words per slides (A good rule of thumb is NOT more than 30 words per slide)
• Do they make frequent use of graphics, moving images, hyperlinks and video that they can connect to on the day?
• Try to assess the quality of use of the software applications they have used (typically PowerPoint)
• What about the handouts – are they professionally prepared?
• Is there evidnce of business games, case studies, use of camera work etc?
• Are they willing to brand the handouts to your company’s messages and logos?

7. Ask how they will measure knowledge transfer and satisfaction of delivery

• Using their own forms?
• Will they collate the results?
• What is an acceptable level of satisfaction assessment?
• Can the tutor feedback about the group? The room and circumstances?

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Here are our top tips for specifying training . . .

Know your audience

• What is their academic level?
• Are they roughly of the same academic level or drawn form a mixed background – remember to be fair to the attendees the trainer MUST go at the pace of the slowest learner!
• Do they all want to be there?
• Are they all roughly on the same page or of mixed knowledge of the subject matter?

What is the purpose of the training?

• Team building?
• Practical skills development or a new way of working based on known best practice?
• Awareness training?

Know your time and budget
One day of face to face training has a hidden cost up to three times the day rate of the trainer.

How will you assess the day’s success?

• Use the suppliers ‘happy forms’
• Have the delegates tested?

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To find out how we can help you and your business, or for access to samples of work and references please contact us here.

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