Table of Contents
Keeping employee skills sharp is necessary to remain competitive. Although many organizations develop in-house training programs, business process outsourcing (BPO) for upskilling efforts is more efficient and effective.
This article explores when it makes sense to outsource upskilling efforts, especially in situations involving tight deadlines, limited internal expertise, or the need for scalable learning solutions.
When to outsource employee upskilling: Key signs and scenarios
Your team needs the right skill sets to keep up with changing technology and business. Research shows that companies that train their employees are 21% more profitable and 17% more productive.
However, building effective training programs in-house is challenging. You might lack the time, resources, or expertise to create high-quality training resources. Your learning and development (L&D) team can quickly become overburdened, and scaling training across teams or locations is overwhelming.
What’s the role of BPO in designing training programs? Instead of building everything in-house, BPO lets you tap into ready-made content, expert instructors, or scalable platforms that can expedite learning.
However, knowing when to outsource upskilling efforts is just as essential as knowing how. If you wait too long, skill gaps can widen, productivity might dip, and missed opportunities become abundant. Conversely, outsourcing too soon or without proper planning can lead to goal misalignment. When is the best time to outsource upskilling? Five key indicators signal when outsourcing upskilling becomes your best strategic option:
1. Your L&D team is overwhelmed and burned out
You might need to outsource upskilling when you can no longer manage it. Your L&D and human resources (HR) already handle several responsibilities, from recruiting to onboarding, compliance training, performance management, and more. Adding the design, delivery, and ongoing management of comprehensive training programs can overwhelm your team.
When stretched too thin, employees are more likely to experience burnout. A recent study found that 62% of employees are concerned about being overworked.
When your internal team is overworked, training quality can suffer. Courses feel rushed, outdated, or lack structure. Follow-up and reinforcement might fall through the cracks. Consequently, your employees don’t get the full value of the training, and your business doesn’t see the impact you’re aiming for.
Outsourcing offers relief by partnering with dedicated professionals specializing in learning design and delivery. They move faster, scale more easily, and bring fresh ideas and technologies you might not have internally.
When you outsource, your employees receive high-quality learning experiences while your in-house teams focus on strategic initiatives.
2. You lack internal expertise on critical tools or technologies
Not all companies have deep knowledge in each skill area, but that’s okay. Outsourcing is an innovative solution when you must train your staff on technologies, tools, and topics outside your company’s core strength.
Let’s say you’re adopting a new customer relationship management (CRM) tool, moving to cloud-based solutions, or implementing artificial intelligence (AI). These fields need highly technical knowledge, up-to-date training materials, and hands-on practice.
The training strategy might be shallow or inaccurate if your internal team isn’t familiar enough with the subject. This leads to poor adoption, frustration, and wasted time.
One of the benefits of outsourcing training is that you can work with subject-matter experts. They bring real-world experience, certified credentials, and proven learning paths so your employees can build meaningful skills that translate directly to their work. It also saves you from training the trainers or investing heavily in building temporary expertise in-house.
3. You need to upskill large teams fast
When rolling out new systems, undergoing transformation, or growing fast, you might need to upskill large groups of cross-functional employees quickly. Trying to scale training internally under these conditions is a logistical and operational nightmare.
Your in-house department might struggle to provide consistent training at scale, and you might face issues with inconsistent content delivery, limited facilitators, or platform limitations. These result in slow rollout, delayed results, and uneven learning.
Strategic outsourcing provides trainers with built-to-scale, on-demand digital learning, global delivery networks, and infrastructure to support large cohorts without sacrificing quality.
An outsourcing partner helps you move faster with better consistency, whether onboarding 500 employees on new software or reskilling a whole department quickly. When you need speed and scale, BPO gives you the resources and reach to upskill at the pace of your needs.
4. You have a tight deadline and no time to build in-house training
Sometimes, upskilling is an urgent need, not a long-term project. Designing learning programs in-house might slow you down when your timeline is tight. However, your team will need to learn new skills quickly if you launch a new product or respond to market changes.
Your internal trainers might need weeks or months to research, design, test, and deliver training, especially if the content is unfamiliar or technical. That kind of lead time is ineffective when your business needs results now.
Many upskilling providers come with ready-made content, skilled instructors, and learning platforms that are already up and running. Outsourcing offers fast-turnaround training programs tailored to your unique outcomes so your team can learn and apply what they’ve learned almost immediately.
5. You need certified or industry-specific training support
Sometimes, you must go beyond general training and into niche or regulated territory. You might need to deliver training that’s accredited, certified, or aligned with industry standards, such as cybersecurity, cloud architecture, data privacy, or healthcare compliance.
Internal teams often lack the required credentials to deliver this specialized training. They may also lack access to current materials, proper assessments, and industry-recognized certification pathways.
BPO partners hire certified specialists who can teach current best practices and provide hands-on learning experiences to prepare their employees for real-world applications. External certification is even a requirement in other industries, making outsourcing the only viable path.
In-house vs. outsourced training: Which is more cost-effective?
Cost is vital when deciding whether to outsource upskilling efforts or keep them in-house. However, it’s not just about the upfront price. Real cost-effectiveness involves resources, time, and long-term value.
At first glance, internal upskilling might seem more affordable. You avoid vendor fees and keep everything within your existing team. However, the costs can increase quickly, especially if your team lacks the necessary expertise.
You must invest in curriculum development, content design, facilitation, tech platforms, and ongoing maintenance. And don’t forget the cost of time: internal programs can take weeks or months to launch, which delays business outcomes. Learn to compare in-house and outsourcing costs by asking the following questions:
- Training scope: How many employees need training, and what’s your timeline?
- Internal capability: Does your team possess the expertise to build and deliver compelling content?
- Technology infrastructure: Do you have platforms to support learning at scale?
- Program longevity: Will you reuse this program, or is it a one-time need?
- Measurable outcomes: Which approach will deliver stronger, quantifiable results?
Outsourcing can cut expenses when done correctly because you receive ready-to-go programs, expert instructors, and scalable infrastructure. Plus, you avoid the cost of trial and error.
The bottom line
Understanding when to outsource upskilling efforts helps ensure your training investments produce desirable results. Outsourcing isn’t about replacing internal capabilities. It’s about extending your capacity and giving your workforce the best learning experience possible.
By recognizing the five key indicators we’ve discussed, you can make informed decisions that provide your workforce with exceptional learning experiences while optimizing resource allocation. The key lies in assessing your limitations, identifying growth opportunities, and selecting partners who align with your business objectives.
Ready to boost your upskilling strategy? Let’s connect to explore how our training solutions can accelerate your team’s success.
