The Cost of Training: In-Person vs. Webcast

This article was sponsored by RollCall Business Conferencing Solutions, a proud supporter of OfficeArrow. You can also visit RollCall's community here on OfficeArrow.

Let's be real: training is an expensive part of running a business. But it's also an absolutely essential part. You simply must provide your employees with a certain level of education in order to do their jobs effectively. Whether you provide training in house, using an on-staff team of educators, or if you bring in experts from professional training companies, it's still a costly endeavor. Luckily, today's technology can help lower your costs significantly.

Webcasts are pre-recorded sessions that utilize web and phone technology. The presenter uploads a PowerPoint presentation to the webcast computer system, and this is the visual information the participant sees. The audio portion is recorded via phone. Once the session is recorded, it can be uploaded to a company's intranet for viewing.

Webcasts are one of the most cost effective ways of distributing information and providing training to employees. Of course, there are still some ways in which in-person training is superior (and we'll discuss this later on).

Let's evaluate the differences between in-person training and webcasts:

Time

In-Person: Employees are required to take scheduled time off to attend a one-time training session.

Webcast: Employees can watch (and re-watch) the webcast whenever it's convenient for them. There is no need to rearrange their schedules to fit it in.

Focus

In-Person: Many employees have trouble paying attention, as they are aware of the many tasks piling up in their absence. However, in a classroom they are a captive audience.

Webcast: Because the employee can choose the time in which they participate, they are typically more likely to remain focused. On the other hand, sitting at the computer can be a temptation to multi-task.

Teamwork

In-Person: Employees are able to work together to learn new things.

Webcast: Employees do the training on their own so there is no element of teamwork.

Questions

In-Person: Employees have the ability to ask questions as needed, which is helpful for complicated lessons. However, this can sometimes be a distraction and can lead to off-topic discussions if the presenter is not effective in keeping the meeting on track.

Webcasts: Because a webcast is pre-recorded, employees do not have the ability to ask questions during the lesson. For this reason, the webcast presenter must be clear about where an employee can go for assistance.

Cost

In-Person: The costs for in-person training can pile up quickly and they include:

• physical classroom space
• instructor time
• lost work time for employees attending
• physical materials (such as overhead projector, whiteboards, workbooks, etc.)
• travel for attendees (transportation, food and lodging)

In-person costs typically go up with the number of attendees. The costs are incurred every time this training session takes place.

Webcasts: One price regardless of the number of attendees. A webcast can remain available on the company intranet forever so the costs for this particular training session will never have to be incurred again. Attendees only need an internet connection to access training - no travel required.

While webcasts are certainly a cost effective way of providing training, they aren't always going to work for every company. If you are discussing complicated material, an in-person training session may be more effective as it will allow for live questions and a more hands-on training approach. Similarly, if you're looking to build your team through training, an in-person session will facilitate much more group interaction.

Webcast are ideal for providing training on updated procedures or expanding existing skills. They are perfect for companies that have employees spread out across the map and they are extremely convenient for busy employees who simply can't afford to be out of the office for a training session.

Consider your needs and see which one works best for you and your company. For more information on webcasting, contact the friendly, knowledgeable professionals at RollCall Business Conferencing Solutions.