Why Face-to-Face Training is Better Than Online

By Swanstaff

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An issue faced by many businesses is whether the Continual Professional Development (CPD) training they do is better online or through face to face coaching. Many are swayed by the potential for lower costs in online training but businesses are increasingly finding the positives of face-to-face training simply cannot be replicated online. This is particularly noticeable within manual trade industries and the healthcare sector. 

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Hands-on or click on?

Whilst some e-learning courses do offer possibility for practice via simulated scenarios, for many courses this is impractical.  Face-to-face allows your employees to put into practice new skills or methods with each other and the trainer. Seeing and doing are two different things and often the act of doing can solidify the theoretical training as well as allow a trainer to correct mistakes.

Cost vs flexibility

Even though cost is often advertised as a big advantage of online training, this isn’t always the case. Some online training is more expensive than face-to-face when it is worked out as cost per head in a class.  The lack of flexibility in online training can be another difficulty as they do not allow you to deviate from the course plan and address related questions that students may have about the scenario they are learning. In a face to face setting the trainer can draw from their own experiences and tailor the learning.

Relationship or just click?

Good trainers like the ones we have here at Swanstaff, will adapt their training to the students and build a relationship with them. They will be able make the training work for each individual and provide feedback and advice as they learn. This sort of responsive learning is simply not possible with online training.

The future of online and face-to-face training

Online training is certainly useful in its own way, especially for specific and perhaps more academic subjects. However, those that say face-to-face training should be replaced by online are ignoring the unique, valuable and clear advantages of coaching face-to-face and the hands-on experiences for the learner.

Online training may sometimes save money but in the long run, a face-to-face trainer will teach your employees to put into practice what they’ve learnt with confidence. Many people say "Monkey See - Monkey Do" and it's true... no your staff aren't Monkey's but they will definitely learn more and be able to put into practice the skills they learn if they take part in face to face training.

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