How To Choose An In-house Legal Training Provider

In-house legal training is an efficient and cost effective method of delivering best practice training to your team. But to ensure that you are getting the most from your training (and making the best use of your resources), there are a few things to consider when choosing your training partner.

What's their background?

Before choosing your in-house legal training organisation, do a little bit of background research. You need to know that the training being delivered is relevant to your business model and will enhance your organisation. Training that has no relevance is a waste of both time and money. You will also need to know that the trainer understands your business and delivers training that fits within the context of your daily work. If you are planning to move into personal injury claims for example, and your business is currently based around health and safety issues, then training that focuses purely on claims for road traffic accidents rather than accidents at work may not have the relevance you need.

Find out about your trainer. What are their qualifications and experience? How are they planning to deliver the training and will it work for your employees? If possible, speak to others who have received training from your prospective training organisation and find out what their experiences were. Any good training organisation will be happy to supply you with referrals from previous clients.

Small or large?

The temptation may be to go with a big training organisation in the belief that 'bigger is better'. However, don't discount smaller operations. They can often have a better idea of the challenges faced by smaller businesses and provide a less 'corporate' approach to training. It's also easier to talk directly to the person who will be delivering the training in person, and therefore easier to establish a good relationship with them more quickly.

Larger training organisations do have the benefit of a wider field of expertise and may provide specific training that a smaller organisation cannot deliver. But don't discount the smaller organisations that may be able to offer a more bespoke service that's tailored to your company's specific needs.

What post-course support do they provide?

Some in-house legal training organisations offer post-course support for up to a month after the course has taken place. This can be invaluable for trainees, particularly if there is one concept that hasn't been fully grasped on the day. Knowing that they can contact the training organisation and 'just check on something' can be a huge advantage and can establish a closer relationship with your training partner.

Can they show you samples?

You need to know the type of material that the training organisation will be using, so asking to see a sample can often give you a clear indication as to whether they are the right organisation for you. A good in-house legal trainer will see this as an advantage too, as your feedback on the sample material will enable them to tailor their material to suit your needs far more accurately.

Meet and greet.

It's always a good idea to meet your trainer before deciding to proceed with in-house legal training courses. This initial meeting will give you a chance to learn more about them and their methodology, and it will also give your potential trainer a chance to get a better understanding of your business and the challenges you face.


Copyright (c) 2011 Sue Richardson