Are you responsible for the learning and development of your corporation? If so, you know what a monumental task it can be.

The training programs that you bring in need to adequately equip employees to do their jobs, advance creativity and innovation, and ultimately, help your business thrive.

Knowing how to hire a speaker for corporate educational events is a crucial part of your role. How can you be sure that you’re getting the right person for the job? Here are some guidelines to help.

Consider budget and ROI

It’s true that you get what you pay for. So be sure to hire the best speaker that your budget will allow! But there’s more to it than budget.

Investing in the people you have is critical for retention. We’ve actually spoken to people in organizations who are reticent to train, because they don’t want to equip their employees to go elsewhere. That’s backwards thinking!

People stay where they are valued, and if they become better professionals thanks to your training, and still leave, they become a critical part of your organization’s network.

Investing in leadership training is always a win-win  –  especially when you hire a speaker who delivers meaty, actionable content in a way that goes beyond engagement.

Go for cutting-edge methods

The success of your company depends on the quality of the learning and development programs.

To remain on-trend, you need customized solutions that are crafted with the needs of your employees in mind.

Improv is about as cutting-edge as you can get in terms of training.

You’re probably not used to hearing improv in the same sentence as is good for your business.

But it’s true and here’s why:

• Think on Your Feet. Improvisers handle change and uncertainty with aplomb, can innovate in the midst of chaos and respond quickly. These are all attributes of great corporate professionals.
• Creativity. If you’ve ever seen an improv actor, you know their craft requires endless imagination, quick responses, and innovation.
• Snowballing ideas. You start out with small ideas that build into great solutions.
• Collaboration. Two (or more!) heads are better than one, right? Leverage the power of great minds coming together toward a common goal.
• Turning mistakes into positives. Mistakes can pave the way for incredible discoveries.

A good speaker or trainer who integrates improv into their work not only provides fun and engagement, they deliver critical lessons in teamwork on the edge and the importance of positivity to any work environment.

Be specific about what you expect

Give the speaker clear guidelines as to what your goals for the presentation are. Let her know in detail what you would like the employees to get out of the event.

For example: What specific behaviors are you targeting? What skills should they gain? What metrics will you use to measure success?

A reputable training vendor will help walk you through these steps to uncover your true purpose or goals for the session.

 

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Work with your presenter to develop strategic goals for the presentation.

 

Think about a follow-up strategy

Find a presenter who can give you ideas about how to follow-up in the days and weeks after the event. This is one of the best ways to cement the principles into the employees’ minds and create lasting change.

For example, the speaker may be able to suggest reading material that reinforces the ideas or he may even provide additional materials for smaller group meetings in the future.

Once you’ve found a presenter who is just right, you can start thinking about the other ways to facilitate a successful learning and development event.

The most important aspect

When all is said and done, the reason for the event is to educate employees and to encourage needed change and innovation in the workplace.

Following these tips for finding the best speaker for the job and implementing these ideas can ensure your employee training is successful and effective.

 Be intentional about each aspect of an educational event— from choosing a speaker to setting the schedule.

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This article is 100% written by a human named Karen Hough. She is the Founder & CEO of ImprovEdge, in the top 4% of women-owned businesses in the US, a 3-time Amazon bestselling author, Yale grad, wife and mom of three.