This is a question that at some point, nearly every company has to grapple with.  Before I give you my take, let’s take a look at what the research says.  On average, manufacturing-based companies spend around 3-7% of their budget on training, service-based companies spend 2-6%, and admin-based companies typically range between 1% and 4%.

That being said, how much your company should spend on training really depends on what you’re trying to achieve and what tools you’ll be employing to get you there.  A small, family-run business, for instance, could get by with a modest, informal training program based mainly on job shadowing.  Conversely, medium-sized companies may opt for boardroom lunch and learns, a new-hire handbook, or the occasional skills seminars.  National retailers, on the other hand, are faced with a sheer scale that takes much more careful planning and consideration.

Not only are they dealing with employees in the hundreds or thousands, but they’re often also dealing with high turnover rates and ramp-up costs.  That’s where computer-based training can help level the playing field.  Although online courses cost a little more to develop up front, they pay for themselves in spades over the long run.  That’s because of e-Learning’s inherent advantages.  Anytime, anywhere access to key information and procedures; succinct, scripted information that’s fast, effective, and consistent; and presentation that encompasses the wide range of learning styles that people respond to.

So the question really isn’t how much you should spend on training.  It’s what do you need to spend to get the results you’re looking for.  Using a blend of leader-led and online courses, you can continue to generate those results while finding new economies in all things learning.

Elvis Presley once said, “After a hard day of basic training, you could eat a rattlesnake.” Although certainly less physically-demanding, training in the corporate world can feel just as exhausting.  And it’s not just the employees who experience that crushing feeling of being overwhelmed.

If you’ve ever been on the trainee side of things, you’ll know there’s never a shortage of battles to be fought.  Whether it’s securing management buy-in and allocating resources, or creating the courses and measuring their success, it seems there’s always an obstacle to overcome when it comes to training.

Although the world is filled with great examples of companies that have thrived on a culture of training, for the rest of us, the road has been a little bit rockier.  To do training right really takes a deep and targeted focus, and a constant eye on the bigger picture.

Getting help from outside vendors can sometimes be that magic ingredient that takes you from good idea to great results.  Just like an ad agency provides outside wisdom, guidance and creative that reaches far beyond your internal resources, support from an outside training partner can yield just as dramatic results.

At Telesto, we’ve built our business on the idea of making training easy, both for the learner and the ones delivering it.  Like most vendors in our industry, our strength comes from our ability to have a dedicated team of specialists who can use their resources and expertise to get the job done right, even under the most demanding timelines.

So the next time you’re struggling with a training course or related issue, consider contacting a vendor.  They may be able to provide you with an affordable alternative to the proverbial rattlesnake.