3 reasons leaders should not outsource their new hire training

To back up all the stats about how well the economy is doing, the great news is that recruitment companies are hiring again. Given how marginal (in terms of profitability) many recruitment companies have been in the last few years, they must be confident that there is a volume of business to be won.

What is surprising is how many mid and large agencies are outsourcing the training of their new consultants to external training providers.

I can understand why you may outsource leadership development or training for your experienced staff but not new hire training. The programs offered by APSCO, REC and Elite are great programs but the organisation loses many of the benefits of internal manager-led training, that an external provider can never match.

Why do companies do it?………one main reason…….training new hires can be boring, tedious and repetitive. You cannot escape the fact that going through the fundamentals of the job in minute detail, watching someone struggle to grasp something you can do in your sleep, is hard work. It is no wonder that in fast-paced recruitment or sales environments managers feel their time would be better spent elsewhere.

However, I offer three reasons why you should not outsource your new hire training

1: Assessment: It gives you first hand insight into whether you have made the right hiring decision. If you are hiring an experienced consultant you will quickly separate the interview bluff from real knowledge. For new consultants, you will see how quickly they learn and are able to apply learning; which is the earliest indicator of future success you will see.

2: The Company Way: Working thorough the basics with a new hire is your one and only chance to ensure they understand “The way WE do things round here”. Whilst managers are not always the best trainers, they can provide unparalleled operational context to what they are trying to teach. New hires may learn how to screen a candidate on a course, but only with you will they learn what questions to ask specific to your specialism and what the characteristics of a good candidate are.

3: Deliver on your Commitment: In your interview process you will not have said “we ship you off to a third party to learn the basics that will have very little operational relevance or context”. You will have said "we give you great training and development to help make you successful”; trust me your new consultant, no matter how inexperienced, will know the difference. It does not bode well to have a promise broken so early in a relationship.

Yes it can be dull, repetitive and even painful at times, but you will get a return from the time you invest.

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