The Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal Training

Internal training privileges professionals to receive training courses that tailors their expertise according to the unique necessities of their respective companies. Professionals do not have to leave their workplaces to receive this training, saving both time and energy. Training that incorporates on-the-job skills can also be more efficient for certain tasks, as individuals receive hands-on experience relevant to the tasks they are performing on a daily basis. In the 2022 L&D report, 28% of respondents cited in-house training from internal team members and external providers as the most common training method used to train employees. 

However, internal training offers both advantages and disadvantages. Before arranging internal or in-house training, companies should consider both aspects in order to measure the extent of benefits one can receive through this type of training. In a post-Brexit climate, companies cannot include activities that may lead them to exceed their budgetary limitations or waste time and financial resources.

Advantages of Internal Training

Internal or onsite training is proven to be cost-effective for companies. The cost per employee reduces when they are trained in a large group rather than sending each of them for training outside the company. Furthermore, in-house training is usually charged on a daily basis not on hourly basis.

This can also be beneficial for the employees since they can improve their professional qualifications without having to leave their workplace which saves valuable time.

The training course contents can be customised according to the company needs. This allows professionals to receive more specific training which is relevant to the business issues their company may be facing.  So this training can be designed to meet company-specific goals.

Companies are in control of time and duration of the training. They can be scheduled in a manner so that the timing doesn’t overlap with the working hours. Hence, employees don’t have to fall behind their schedules.

This training also encourages team building. Delegates from different departments can take the training and understand each other’s role. They learn to work with each other and resolve conflicts.

Disadvantages of Internal Training

Internal training adds extra burden to company administration. The company must accommodate suitable training facilities and training materials as well as select suitable candidates for the training. This may be difficult to execute in addition to being inefficient in comparison to outsourcing.

Some of the employees may feel that balancing their work and training is an added pressure or distraction. This may lead to a temporary degrade of performance at work. Although, some find this a perfect excuse for their improper work.

Internal trainings can go stagnant if they are not recalibrated from time to time. Again, many employees may not take the training seriously and if that happens, such training will fail to benefit the company.

The companies need to motivate their employees that take the training otherwise the employees may not efficiently utilise the knowledge they receive during the training to improve their workplace performance.  

In conclusion we can say that internal training can be beneficial to companies only if they can yield benefits from the training and derive solutions to get over the drawbacks. If they can efficiently train their existing employees, it can lead them to achieve increased productivity without having to increase the number of skilled employees and turn out to be economically beneficial.