Onsite vs offsite trainings
This question is a bit like asking which of these two is more effective: Working from home or working from office. It is difficult to answer this question, right? It depends on how one looks at it. Similarly, both onsite and offsite trainings have their own unique advantages. It all depends on which the particular organization finds more convenient or comfortable for a particular training.
2. This question is a bit like asking
which of these two is more
effective: Working from home or
working from office. It is difficult to
answer this question, right? It
depends on how one looks at it.
Similarly, both onsite and offsite
trainings have their own unique
advantages. It all depends on
which the particular organization
finds more convenient or
comfortable for a particular
training.
3. Each is good, in its own way
Many organizations opt for onsite trainings
for the reason that they bring with them
many advantages. These are some of
them:
Onsite trainings are highly
economical
This is quite natural, considering that the
organization needs to bear the traveling
and other expenses of only the trainer and
not the entire group of employees that are
getting trained.
4. The client decides what
needs to be imparted
This is a highly commendable feature of onsite trainings and
is available with no other mode of training. If the participant
decides the curriculum, what could be more focused, relevant
and effective?
Varied choices
Onsite trainings offer many choices to the participants who
undertake the trainings. Wide choices are given in terms of
not only the curriculum, as mentioned above, but also in
relation to the choice of experts, the choice of the venue,
and the choice of schedule.
5. Advantages of offsite trainings
Now, does this mean that offsite,
or what may be called in person
trainings, are useless?
Absolutely not, because if there
were to be no utility in this mode
of trainings, this would have
ceased to exist long ago! Onsite
trainings do offer many benefits
compared to offsite trainings, but
let us examine some of the
advantages of offsite trainings:
6. Break away from the routine of office
Much is said about the familiar environment in which
onsite trainings are held. Of course, many
organizations see this as an advantage, but this
feature also works the other way. Many organizations
find that participants don’t take trainings in the same
premises seriously enough and think of these
sessions more as a pleasant digression from the daily
grind of work. They tend to take it too lightly, more as
a day out rather than as a training session that will
make a difference to their careers.
7. Lack of focus
Additionally, there is always the possibility that employees
could be tempted to make a phone call and dash off for a
quick coffee, since they are more likely to see the training
session as a kind of change from their routine. Not everyone
may do it, but what if a senior employee excuses himself to
hand down a quick instruction to his subordinate who is after
all, with arm’s length? Neither the expert nor the
organization’s HR can object to this. This is something like a
home worker who would want to take a quick break at a
crucial time because he has to switch the cooker off or has to
remember to pay a bill. This will almost certainly not happen
at offsite trainings.
8. Familiarity with the working conditions
This is one of the defining features of onsite trainings, but again,
this could be a double edged sword. In many instances, people
feel fresh and creative only when they attend a training session
that offers them a new and lively environment. Many a time, a
few organizations could also feel that it is more productive to get
the employees to a new environment and let them come out
with new ideas rather than dump them all at one place.
To summarize, both onsite and offsite trainings come with their
own set of advantages and benefits. Depending on the need
and the liking of the organization, it could choose the one that
suits it better.