Remote or Face to Face Training?

Remote training is proving more popular in the “pandemic era” (for obvious reasons) but it’s still a fairly new offering versus traditional face to face training.

I’m often asked what’s the best training method, either face to face or remote? Both methods are effective, but each offers something slightly different, and each has its pros and cons. It all depends on your needs.

I’ve summarised the pros and cons of remote training, below. I’d love to chat with you to discuss your individual requirements and establish what’s the best solution for your business, so please do get in touch.

Pros and Cons of Remote Training

Pros

  • Bite-size - Easier to fit short training sessions into a busy schedule

  • Fewer distractions - Shorter sessions can facilitate greater delegate focus

  • Day-job continues - Delegates aren't away from their day-job for a full day. Can lead to higher training course attendance, and lower anxiety

  • Convenience - No need to travel to a training venue. Delegates can participate from their own office, or from home

  • Investment cost - Investment cost per person is lower - in theory, the maximum number of delegates is only limited by the meeting platform

  • Flexibility - 1 or 2-day courses can be subdivided and delivered in discrete themes over your preferred schedule

  • No boundaries - Training can be readily delivered to delegates outside of the UK

  • Learning potency -Some people find shorter sessions are more impactful

  • Practise - For multi-session courses, delegates can reflect and practise their new skills, between sessions

  • Togetherness - Geographically-dispersed delegates can participate at the same time

  • Review & Reflect - At your request, the session can be recorded to be viewed again


Cons

  • Delegate “presence” - Lower levels of interaction (typically)

  • Discussion - Less freedom to explore a topic more deeply via group discussion

  • Learning style - Some delegates find that they benefit from an immersive, whole-day session

  • Fun - Less fun than face to face (probably)

  • Exercises - Fewer options for the range and type of group exercises that can be conducted

  • Team learning - The learning experience could be "individual", rather than a shared, group experience

  • Networking - Delegates are less likely to interact with unfamiliar colleagues

Don’t just take my word for it. Please also see world-renowned management trainer, Chris Croft’s view on this topic here: Chris Croft - Zoom pros and cons