How To Prepare Your Company For A Training Session

The small details are often overlooked when you book a training course for your company, because the presumption isn't always that training is a two-way street. You have to prepare your premises, staff and time effectively to get the best out of training - it's not all up to the provider! Here are the steps you should take to prime yourself for receiving a training course at your own office or place of work:

Check the timings

It sounds obvious, but make sure that both the training provider and staff know the start, end and lunch times scheduled for the training. That way, if an employee needs to go out for lunch for an errand, they know that it's particularly important they get back on time that day.

Where being five minutes late may be all right on an average working day, it can hold a whole training team up if there's a course going on. At the same time, make sure you know when refreshments and so on are due to be served, so the catering staff can prepare things for you in advance.

Solve any security issues

If the training company is coming to you, make sure they are expected at your reception and by your security personnel - imagine how embarrassing it would be for them to be turned away! If you have a staff car park, allocate a space. If you have security checks or need a set of visitor passes, get these arranged in advance. Time spent waiting in a security office or at reception is time you're not being trained, and you'll still be paying for it!

Be early, not just on time

If you're due to meet and greet your training team, be there early in case they are - once again, you're paying for the time spent, so use it effectively. If the training runs to schedule then there will be more time for your staff to ask questions and clarify issues at the end, rather than everyone rushing to get out of the door.

Set up the room in advance

Always check the room you're going to be training in. Very often, companies share meeting rooms so you can't always know if the previous group moved the furniture around to suit their style of presentation and haven't moved it back! Make sure the lighting, heating and all other little niggles are covered - if the thermostat is broken and you don't realise until you're all sitting in the room, you're going to have some very sweaty, sleepy delegates...

Check which equipment is provided

The trainers may well bring equipment with them if it's needed for specialist training, but check with them what they will need beforehand, since you might be asked to supply things such as whiteboards, flip charts, and so on. There's nothing worse than waiting for the training to begin while someone runs to get the projector from the facilities manager, especially if this could have been booked via the provider in the first place. Ensure that IT and phones are working, rather than keep a room of trainees waiting to start.

Don't forget the obvious

Finally, don't forget the obvious. Pens and paper, water for everyone, enough desk space and so on. Trying to track these things down at short notice can be sometimes difficult in a busy office, and it only holds you up when you could be spending the time on the training session. If you follow these tips above, you'll be well prepared to have the best training experience possible at your workplace.