The employee training and development industry has been booming since so many companies moved to 100% remote working. With that, companies and their human resource departments are having to make the difficult decision of whether they want to continue with online employee training, or give them the ability to take training and development classes in person.
There are many factors to consider when faced with this decision, and convenience and budget are only part of that decision.
In our experience as employee development specialists, we have seen there are unique benefits to taking training and development programs in person that are difficult or impossible to match with online learning.
Even though our team at ACTS offers a full-suite in-person, online, and onsite
- Software training classes.
- Professional development classes.
- And business skills classes.
Our instructors have seen that in-person learning tends to be noticeably more effective and lasting than e-learning solutions. Continue reading for 7 Reasons to take Training and Development Classes in Person.
1. In-Person Learning and Development Provides More Opportunities for Growth
We know that with a virtual course you may only have one class, conversation, or Q&A session over the course of the class. With in-person training and development, classes can offer many more opportunities for students and employees to ask questions and receive feedback.
In-person courses will help your team get the most out of their time by offering plenty of chances for interaction with others. This way they’ll be able to learn from instructors, as well as their classmates, while also getting support from each other.
Even though we do provide a world-class virtual training experience, we’ve seen that in-person classes give our students even more opportunities for expanding their learning, professional, and personal growth.
2. Network with Professionals in Your Industry and Others
In-person courses foster a sense of community. Your employees, team, and staff will have the chance to learn from each other and other students in the class.
This does happen in an e-learning course environment as well, but it doesn’t tend to be as natural or fluid for students and their professional development instructors.
You’ll be able to ask questions and receive feedback from other students, in real-time, without having to wait for your classmates’ response over email, chat, or messaging services.
If you’re shy about asking questions when it’s just text on a screen, then these benefits may make attending in-person training and development classes worth considering.
If you’ve been taking our virtual classes but are feeling stuck because there weren’t opportunities for networking and collaboration –– you can take advantage of this by coming to take classes in person at our training and development facility.
3. In-Person Training and Development is a Great Way to Build Relationships in Your Organization
Empowering your employees to take training and development classes in person helps them strengthen relationships while improving their professional growth.
They will have a chance to explore ideas together with colleagues and coworkers in the context of the course or courses they and you are exploring. This relationship-building aspect of the live classroom experience does not tend to translate as well into an online learning environment.
Learning and honing new skills is both an exciting and vulnerable experience for many of us. When you’re forced to get outside of your comfort zone, you tend to forge new relationships, and grow in existing relationships faster, vs. when you are in the daily status quo of the office.
For that reason, in-person training is a great way for you and your employees to build on your relationships while growing to expand your professional development. It’s also a great opportunity for you or your employees to network within your company.
Interested in bringing live training and development classes to your office?
Our instructors also provide onsite training. We will fly our instructors out to you for personalized half-day, whole-day, multi-day, or a full week of personalized training for your employees.
4. In-Person Training and Development Courses Increase Employee Happiness and Retention
If you want your employees to be happy, they need to be confident in their skills. Recent studies have shown there is a direct correlation between employee happiness and the number of hours they receive in training and development from their employer.
Investing in employee training and development is essential for increasing employee happiness, satisfaction, and retention. Organizations that invest in their employees’ skills and future make their staff feel valued and appreciated.
Putting more into your employee training and development program increases employee happiness, efficiency, effectiveness, and self-reliance while reducing employee churn and turnover.
*Be sure to also read 5 Reasons to invest in Employee Training and Development.
5. Instructors are Available During Breaks, for Extra Help
With many online classes, students have to wait until the scheduled Q&A session or even worse, have to wait an entire week to schedule an hour-long chat with their instructor.
When you take classes in person, you will be able to speak with your instructor in-person before class, during breaks, and after class as well.
6. Human Resources Departments and Companies Pay for Employee Training
If your company is paying for some or all of your training and development classes or programs, then you are getting access to an expert’s time without any personal out-of-pocket costs.
This means that every penny spent on in-person courses goes to make you and your employees as effective as possible. This way, you can think of development programs as an investment, instead of an expense.
As a bonus: Training and development classes are also tax-deductible as a business expense, which makes it helpful for companies, HR managers, and employees.
7. Employees Retain Information Better and Faster When they Learn In-Person
There are many reasons why we offer online courses, virtual classes, and e-learning options for students, companies, and organizations we work with and partner with. It helps us to better serve students across the country while providing flexible learning options for those that we work with.
What we have seen though is that employees retain information better when they learn in-person, instead of online. A live training experience environment makes information and acquired skills stick better and for a longer period of time, than when we learn passively through online courses.
Get your employees the learning and development they need by getting them into in-person development classes and training programs.
Conclusion
Online training and development classes are great if you are unable to take classes in person.
To sum up the unique benefits of taking in-person employee training and development classes:
- There is no substitute for the interaction in person.
- You will have better retention and comprehension more than with online courses alone.
- Get personalized, real-time interactions with your course instructor
- Build better relationships with your colleagues and network within your industry.
- Our instructors are experts at what they do, so you’re guaranteed to increase your knowledge on the subject.
If you are ready to get your employees started with employee training and development classes, contact our instructors today at 831-755-8200 or contactus@alliancetrains.com today.
