How to Find the Right Trainer for Your Organisation

Bringing in an external trainer is the perfect way to address a skills gap within your organisation. But only if the right person is actually found. The wrong training can actually do more harm than good. However, the search to find the right trainer for your company can be time-consuming, especially if you are trying to do so without a clear process. Thankfully, services such as The Trainers Training Company exist specifically to shortcut that exact search. Companies offering this type of service connect organisations directly with a network of experienced freelance trainers rather than starting from a blank job advert.

Despite there being a wide pool of trainers, choosing the wrong one for a specific need can waste both your time and that of the trainer, not to mention be detrimental to your training goals.

Here are a few ways you can get it right before starting the search to make a real difference.

Define What You Need

Going into your search with a vague brief of “we need some leadership training” will result in you attracting a range of trainers with very different approaches, some of whom won't be the right fit at all.

You need to be specific about the actual gap, whether it's first-time managers struggling with feedback conversations or a team needing a particular technical skill, so that trainers know enough beforehand about what you need so they can assess if they are suited to the work.

It's also worth clarifying the format you need the training delivered in, whether it's a single workshop or an ongoing programme, as this will also affect who's actually available and willing to take it on.

Check Relevant Experience

A trainer skilled at delivering sales training isn't automatically the right choice for compliance training and vice versa. While they both might fall under the broad label of corporate training, you need to specifically ask about experience in the relevant sector; whether it's healthcare, financial services or local government, it matters more than a generic training background. Especially since sector-specific context often shapes how content actually lands with a particular audience. Ask for a portfolio or case studies from similar engagements so you can get a clearer sense of fit rather than a general list of qualifications.

Ask for References

Never rely on a trainer's own description of their work. The best thing to do is to look at this in relation to details from past clients and testimonials, as this will enlighten you to things that might not otherwise come up in conversation. Look for details on how they adapted to unexpected changes, how engaged participants were during training and if it was delivered on time. This is often a step that gets overlooked, but making reference calls can help you prevent a costly mismatch down the line.

Confirm Delivery Format

Virtual and in-person training require different skill sets, and a trainer who excels in a room full of people might struggle to deliver the same training digitally. You need to confirm which platform a trainer is more comfortable with, i.e., Zoom, Teams or an in-person session. This means everyone is on the same page about what is required, what is being offered by the trainer, so you can ensure you're a match before things get underway.

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