How to select an eLearning agency

24 Aug

The world is quickly moving away from traditional forms of learning and towards the use of the latest technologies and remote access opportunities: whether at educational institutions or in the corporate sector, change is afoot!

As an organisation, there are countless benefits that eLearning brings to the table, both for the greater organisation as a whole as well as for each individual employee.

In terms of Learner engagement, course completion rates, accessibility of training, and even your organisation’s talent retention, eLearning has the potential to bring about significant positive change.

More and more organisations are actively incorporating eLearning into their training options, and switching over to the latest and greatest in eLearning technology.

Designing a comprehensive eLearning program is easier said than done. So what should be the way forward for an organisation wishing to make the switch to better learning for their employees?

The answer is relatively simple; you should collaborate with an eLearning agency with a proven track record of designing and implementing effective digital training programmes. eLearning is an area of specific expertise, one which is complementary to your organisation’s niche - close collaboration with an external eLearning agency will bring the best of both worlds together.

From seeing the webinars they host to their previous designs of branding elements and infographics, and even potential interviews with relevant specialists that work at the agency, you can find out a lot about an eLearning agency before you even contact them directly!

Collaborating: benefits, benefits & more benefits

The most significant benefit of working with an eLearning agency is the experience they bring on the table. You can’t expect your in-house learning and development or training team to be specialised in eLearning content curation and implementation. That is not their core competency, and although their skillset and expertise may be complementary to the team from an external agency, they won’t be able to go through the process alone. Unless you specifically retrain your existing staff in eLearning and have them obtain both the technical expertise and the foundation of knowledge required for effective course design, the benefits of hiring an external agency outweigh the costs manifold.

The agency you take on to work with your team to design a successful eLearning programme - aka, an eLearning programme which effectively and positively imparts the necessary skills within your workforce - needs to be a good fit and be at the top of their game. Fantastic coordination and collaboration fall flat if the creative process is lacking or if the tools are outdated.

Good collaboration has no downsides.

With hundreds (if not thousands) of eLearning agencies available, all claiming to be in the top tier of agencies and ready to develop a top-notch digital training program for your organisation, your first steps should involve both your own and your potential collaborator’s competencies and vision.

Know yourself and your expectations to know what you need someone else to bring to the table.

You will be spending considerable resources and time collaborating with an eLearning agency throughout the process of creating your organisation’s courses. The thought of changing to another agency midway through the process sounds like a nightmare, so take the time to make the best possible decision in the first place.

We’re going to discuss a few key considerations that will go a long way towards helping you to make the right choice for your eLearning development needs, so stay tuned!

2. Ask for a sample, and expect a decent response

Asking for a sample as a prospective client is your right and should not be made to feel like a luxury. You can’t fully judge the quality of work of an eLearning agency merely from browsing their website or scrolling through social media accounts. Terrible website design can be very telling and help you eliminate potential options from the list, but unfortunately, you cannot take good website design and a superior social media presence as standalone proof of expertise!

A work sample is the best way to figure out whether or not the agency is capable of designing a digital training program that aligns with your business needs. Remember, the sample should relate to your industry. We’re also not talking about the agency directing you back to the potentially related case studies available on their website; a response to a direct enquiry should go into far more detail with regards to the projects that the company has worked on in the past, and answer direct concerns and questions regarding what the agency can do for you.

A good eLearning agency will understand that a proper showcase and sample of what they’re capable of is an important part of your decision-making journey, and won’t shy away from showcasing their work when asked.

3. Speak with relevant people in the agency

It is not necessary to meet every single person you would be working with at the eLearning agency in order to develop a clear view of the agency’s abilities and reliability, but you should be able to discuss your potential custom with sufficiently influential members of the agency’s team. You should be able to have direct contact and dialogue with people who would be directly involved in the content curation for your digital training program, should you choose to hire the agency.

This meeting could either be in person or via video conferencing, as long as the agenda for the meeting allows you to convey your requirements to the company in an open a dialogue. This could include listening to their proposed solutions for your problems, being shown samples in more detail, or even brainstorming options for your specific needs. It is not possible to discuss all of this over email, and a refusal to connect with you on a more personal, direct level should be taken as an immediate red flag.

Pro tip: In order to take full advantage of the meeting, prepare a list of questions well in advance!

4. Do they know video & visuals?

Video-first training is a tool for engaging your Learners in their own learning process in a very authentic and memorable way. We’ve previously written on the importance of video in modern eLearning design, and given how fundamental good video is to the success of your course you need to find out whether your potential eLearning providers produce great video and 3D motion design. Other visuals matter, too - ask to see examples of infographics, interactive quiz content, and branding designs. eLearning is multi-faceted, and the agency needs to cover all the bases!

If the agency does not produce quality visuals, scrap them off of the list of options!

5. Request a pilot project

This is (probably) the final stage in vetting an eLearning agency for your digital training program, once you’ve narrowed it down to a couple of high-potential options. Note that a pilot project is different from the work samples that we discussed earlier. A pilot project is a mini demonstration of your actual project and allows you to get an idea of what your eLearning content would look like.

A pilot project should also help you figure out if the price quoted by the agency is justified or not. In short, a pilot project will give you a birds-eye view of what the actual digital training program will look like when handled by that particular agency.

Fact: You should never be expected to enter into collaboration blindly.

Never settle for the ‘best of the worst’

If your list of options doesn’t include any agencies that genuinely convince you they are capable of producing the eLearning content to a high standard, then don’t settle. There are fantastic agencies out there, and they are worth searching for.

This article was a quick feature about what to look for when choosing an agency, and as you now know, the process isn’t as complicated as it might initially have seemed. As long as you start with a clear vision of your needs and aims when it comes to collaborating, you will successfully find a partner agency if you follow these steps. Quite frankly, the same goes for any and all collaboration with external agencies; partnerships aren’t something to enter into lightly.

Detailed due diligence at your end will ensure that your journey with the eLearning agency you choose isn’t a roller coaster ride of ups, downs, twists and loops, but rather a smoothly flowing collaboration you’re enthusiastic to take part in.

We have been in the industry for over 15 years and have been fortunate enough to work with clients from all around the globe. Our experts can help accelerate your employee training by producing the perfect, tailored eLearning programme for your company. We provide our very own LMS called LMS LAB, but will also work with any LMS of your choice.

At TheLearning LAB we have dedicated experts for all facets of your digital training program: video and 3D motion design, eLearning LMS, analytics and more.

We are always happy to have a detailed discussion with our (prospective) clients to develop an in-depth understanding of their requirements and needs.

Try us out, challenge us, and contact us now for a consultation, a FREE workshop, or just for an initial chat to find out what our team can do for your organisation!

Mariel de Haan