I recently went on a 2 day intensive training course in Henley-on-Thames which covered pretty much everything anyone in the world of recruitment could need. It was an eye opener seeing the diversity of the 2 different groups I was part of, with some people not even being in recruitment yet, others, 3 days experience all the way up to 5+ years in the industry. I feel that now I am confident enough to give my verdict as to which approach is my preference but it obviously varies from person to person.
In-House
I’ve been with Xact for just over 18 months and the main thing that sticks out is the training, whether this is on writing searches, Job Boards, sales training, you get it all!
I’ve noticed that although you get completely relevant training to the company you work for, it can be a lot tougher especially when you hit busier periods to continue with all the personal development that is usually on offer – as a small business we don’t have the luxury of a dedicated trainer.
Pros
- Any training that you have will be completely relevant to your company.
- Training can be rearranged if needed and will generally be short bursts so it won’t disrupt the workplace so much.
- Constantly learning on the job
Cons
- Having to put the time aside from your working day to train/be trained when you have a job to do.
- Opinions may be biased and won’t let you see the big picture
- Depending on the subject of training, it may take you longer to complete it in-house
External
This was the first external course that I have attended and it was definitely an experience, especially since all the information was given to you in such a short space of time. I definitely feel I have gained a lot of ideas that I might not have if I hadn’t attended the sessions, and also refreshed on things that I already knew.
Pros
- You have the opportunity to grill trainers with potentially more experience than you.
- You get to hear other people’s experiences on how to deal with certain situations and how they dealt with them
- It is generally quite intensive and you get lots of info in a short space of time.
Cons
- It can be risky to send new staff onto paid training courses as you don’t know how long they will stay at your company.
- It often involves taking longer chunks out of the working day to attend these courses
Overview
My personal opinion on training is that it is EXTREMELY important for personal development and progression within your company. Both definitely have different bonuses but for me personally, and luckily enough, I have both options available to me here at Xact and I’m looking forward to my next investment!
