When an organization’s budget is unpredictable, it’s natural to reconsider spending in areas considered “discretionary”, such as training and development. While it can seem less fundamental than, say, paying the electric bill, this is precisely the time when it’s critical to invest in your team. Why? Because leadership development, worker upskilling, reskilling, employee engagement, compliance, and culture are foundational to long-term organizational resilience and success.

Consider this: Companies that invest in comprehensive training programs see significant financial benefits—according to ATD, they earn 218% more income per employee compared to those without structured training. And the impact doesn’t end there: these organizations also achieve a 24% higher profit margin, highlighting the powerful link between training investment and bottom-line performance.

There are many decisions to be made when it comes to employee training. Do you hold it off-site or in the office, and what if the team is primarily virtual? Will this training be a one-off, or is it ongoing? And, most importantly, who will facilitate the training? Is it better to use someone from the organization, or is it preferable to bring in an external trainer?

What Makes an External Trainer Different?

So, how do you choose comprehensive training programs? Some of our favorite books in the professional workplace training genre are The Professional Trainer by Robert Vaughn, and The Skilled Facilitator by Roger Schwarz. We agree with Vaughn and Schwarz that while internal training teams often do excellent work and are, in some cases, the right choice, there are several compelling reasons and circumstances in which hiring an external professional trainer or facilitator can significantly enhance your organization’s training outcomes. Those include the following:

• Specialized Expertise and Professionalism Internal trainers typically have other primary roles within the organization—such as technical specialists, mid-level managers, or customer service representatives—which means training is secondary to their core responsibilities. Consequently, they may lack the specialized, advanced skills required for modern training methods. Effective trainers need to be adept at coaching, curriculum design, and impact assessment. Professional trainers dedicate their entire focus and expertise to training, ensuring they possess sophisticated adult learning techniques and dynamic instructional methods necessary for productive employee development.

• Objective Needs Analysis and Preparation Effective training programs are rooted in a comprehensive analysis of training needs, including the right choice of content, exercises, scenarios and games, as well as the ideal modalities and facilitator(s). Internal trainers often face challenges, such as lack of training experience or insufficient preparation time, resulting in ad-hoc or inadequately structured sessions. In contrast, external professional trainers are able to thoroughly prepare without competing responsibilities and possess the skills to gather the necessary data from a multitude of organizational sources—including employees, managers, and workplace dynamics. External experts normally have the objectivity and leverage to ensure the development and delivery of targeted, impactful training programs aligned closely with an organization’s specific needs.

• Focus on Measurable Results and Evaluation Leaders rightfully expect training investments to yield measurable improvements. Training that doesn’t result in clear, demonstrable behavioral change or productivity gains is of little value. Professional trainers utilize robust evaluation processes and apply sophisticated techniques to verify learning outcomes, ensuring behavioral changes translate into tangible business results. Incorporating systematic training evaluation methods demonstrate the return on investment (ROI) of training programs, providing credible, actionable insights that will continue to drive improvement well after the training is complete.

• Experience with Varied Audiences and Situations External trainers often bring extensive experience gained across multiple industries, organizations, and scenarios. Experienced facilitators have engaged with hundreds of teams, equipping them with invaluable insights into effectively handling a variety of audiences. This enables external trainers to employ versatile teaching methods that internal trainers, with narrower exposure, may find challenging.

• Neutrality Training responsibilities placed on internal employees can introduce biases and preferences that reduce learning effectiveness. Moreover, participants may feel less inclined to open up in front of a peer or a colleague from another part of the organization. Conversely, external trainers––though they care deeply about achieving excellent outcomes––are not vested in the agendas of a clients’ leaders and workers outside of those specific to the training. This objectivity allows them to function as “Facilitative Consultants”, guiding clients through organizational improvement efforts without internal biases or political pressures. Their neutrality ensures that training content and delivery remain impartial, credible, and highly effective while working as a partner, not just a service provider, to help an organization achieve their goals.

When Internal Training Might Be the Right Choice

Despite the many benefits of hiring an external trainer, there are situations where internal training is more appropriate—or even essential. Organizations that deal with proprietary or confidential content may have too many barriers for an external trainer to access processes and workflows necessary to develop effective training. Additionally, some training may require deep subject matter expertise specific to the organization, in which case an internal subject matter expert (SME) would be more effective in that role.

With that said, there can still be a role for an external trainer, particularly with the concept of “training the trainer” where a training specialist can help design a framework for the internal trainer or even co-develop a blended program that can enhance the quality of the internal delivery. Another area of collaboration for internal and external trainers is in the area of ongoing support and reinforcement. While it would be ideal to have the expertise of an external trainer in-house every day, internal trainers can learn the skills to provide ongoing, timely coaching and immediate post-training reinforcement.

Hiring an external trainer is an investment of resources, yet the real question is what’s the cost of ineffective or inconsistent internal training? Below, we address a few of the most common objections to external trainers and the reason why they might not be correct:

• “External trainers don’t know our culture.” → A good trainer will learn it—and bring objective insights that challenge blind spots.
• “It’s too expensive.” → Ineffective training costs more in lost productivity, turnover, and missed opportunities.
• “We can do it in-house.” → Possibly—however, are you delivering consistent, measurable, lasting results?

External trainers often pay for themselves through improved performance, employee retention, and faster behavior change. The best engagements lead to sustainable, long-term improvement, not just a temporary bump.

What to Look For in a Trainer

In addition to the above, a good training partner should offer one more vital and unique value proposition: a commitment to tailor-made training solutions that leverage client-specific scenarios, case studies, and exercises to provide realistic, hands-on experiential learning. Expert trainers should blend cutting-edge research, specialized expertise, and deep industry/client-specific knowledge to create engaging, effective training experiences precisely aligned with your strategic goals.

Questions to Ask Potential Trainers:

• What are some successful case studies from similar organizations or industries?
• How do you tailor your content to meet our unique business goals?
• What does your training needs analysis process involve?
• How do you measure training success and ROI?
• Will you work with our internal team to reinforce or extend the learning?

Red Flags to Watch Out For:

• One-size-fits-all content or refusal to customize.
• Vague or generic answers about outcomes or results.
• Lack of clear evaluation methodology.
• Reluctance to engage with internal stakeholders or teams.

Working with a Trainer: Key To-Dos

To maximize the value of an external trainer, treat them as a strategic partner. It’s important to make a plan before the training, encourage engagement during, and review the results after to track outcomes and goals. The first step after contracting with an external trainer is to have a comprehensive briefing so that everyone is on the same page. During this briefing review organizational goals, discuss the training audience, and assess any known pain points. Prior to the training, the trainer will want to learn more about the organization and the team that will be participating. For the greatest impact, be sure to share as much internal knowledge possible. This can look like standard or specific language, acronyms, or cultural norms in the workplace. An external trainer may also benefit from access to internal stakeholders so that they can evaluate where everyone is and perform a needs assessment.

Training can only go so far without those participating truly engaging in the process. Consider positioning cheerleaders, or internal champions, that will set the example for participation and buy-in. These are also the people you can rely on to help support the logistics during the training, such as helping with setup or serving as a point of contact for the trainer. Leadership visibility is also crucial here. Knowing that the executive team or a supervisor is invested in the training sets the standard for the staff participating. It reinforces the concept that everyone is on the same team and working together.

After the training is when much of the work starts. The first component should be a debrief in which the trainer provides feedback on the staff and documents outcomes from the training. This can look like a documented report or a debrief meeting, as long as both parties agree to the format ahead of time. Next, the trainer will create a follow-up plan to make suggestions for items the organization can implement to reinforce learning. Finally, it’s time to measure the efficacy of the training. That will involve tracking specifically defined metrics, such as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), that are tied to training goals. Documenting these is important to show the return on investment of the training and for accountability that participants are making progress after the training.

In Summary

Even though hiring an external trainer may seem like a luxury instead of a necessity, the results speak for themselves. Companies with strong learning cultures see retention rates increase by 30-50%. However, an investment only makes sense with a strong return, which is why it’s important to focus on the ROI from an external trainer compared to an internal trainer or neglecting training altogether. As we’ve discussed, the specialized training and skills that an experienced trainer can bring makes a significant difference when measuring outcomes and KPIs. Even if some training must be kept in-house, there are still numerous benefits to engaging an external training to ensure the training is as impactful as possible.

What has your experience been with external trainers? Have you seen a difference between internal and external trainers for your organization? 

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