HSI Blue Ocean Brain Blog

Reducing Risk: How Not Having a Single-Solution HR Partner Can Hurt You

Written by Brandon Towl | Jan 23, 2024

As an HR professional, you are aware of all of the training requirements for your employees…probably more so than anyone else in the organization. And, you are probably aware of all the frustration and administrative overhead that comes from managing multiple vendors for all of that training content—from safety and compliance, to DEI, to leadership development and beyond.Instead of choosing multiple vendors to provide training on all of these topics, you can eliminate inconsistencies and streamline training by using a single-solution provider—provided you can find one with all the content you need, and with whom you can build trust. Here are all the ways that sticking with a one-stop shop can reduce risks in your organization.

A trusted vendor in one topic can be trusted in other areas

If you’ve already used one company for soft skills training and your employees responded positively, it’s a good indicator that the material was well-organized, easy to comprehend, and delivered effectively. Chances are good that the same provider has similar training methods in other areas that provide the same results. 

Likewise, a vendor that’s been providing your company with excellent safety compliance training will also provide good soft skills training.

Employees respond well to consistent training methods

We all know how frustrating it is to have multiple passwords for multiple apps. Using a single-solution provider puts every training software within one login. Having one digital door also reduces the risk of workers becoming frustrated by unfamiliar technology. For instance, if your employees have already become accustomed to microlearning lessons for their safety training, lengthy sexual harassment videos or in-person workshops offered by another provider may wear on their patience—and that will affect how well they absorb the information. 

Microlearning is built to reduce cognitive overload. Breaking down training into bite-sized chunks allows employees to integrate the lessons into their day, and the material is easier to digest. By using this training method across multiple platforms, you can be sure staff members are absorbing and retaining all of it.

Combining training topics can make each lesson more effective

Many training topics go hand-in-hand. Teaching about fairness and equality, for instance, can lend a new understanding of why it’s so important to show respect for every gender in the workplace. In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) advises that harassment is more likely to happen in the workplace with a lack of diversity. As such, providing harassment training can be made more effective by including DEI training.

The same can be said for soft skills training and leadership development. Leaders need to know how to be empathetic to gain trust so team members feel safe sharing innovative ideas. By working with a single-solution provider who offers the same training methods for both subjects, you’ll be reducing the risk of employees not fully comprehending what it takes to lead.

Training can be tracked on one dashboard

Having a single-solution provider can give you a "bird's-eye view" when it comes to tracking program utilization. Rather than checking which safety training videos an employee has watched from one vendor, which anti-harassment videos they’ve watched from another, and which soft skills lessons they’ve completed from a third vendor, you can see everything in one convenient location. 

This helps tremendously in understanding what employees have learned and prevents important subject matter training from falling through the cracks. 

A single-solution provider can help change your company’s culture 

True learning isn’t possible through a single video or a day-long course. It takes a training program that addresses workplace issues with a holistic approach.

To improve your organization’s culture, employees need to absorb a variety of messages that tell them how to do better and how to be better. These messages must involve a variety of topics—from diversity and inclusion to empathy, from safety to anti-harassment, and much more. In a nutshell, employees have to want to change things for the betterment of all. A single-solution provider can customize and deliver an entire program to do just that.

How using Blue Ocean Brain and the family of HSI products aids in reducing risk

Both Blue Ocean Brain and our parent company, HSI, provide online training that delivers a consistent, convenient, and impactful experience. Training remains effective because it doesn’t overwhelm or bore employees. Self-directed learning allows workers to focus on bite-sized pieces of relevant content that address their genuine questions and concerns. Training can be done from anywhere, so no remote workers miss the opportunity to learn. And both Blue Ocean Brain and HSI are always available to recommend the next relevant subject that will make a difference in the future of your organization. 

To learn more about HSI or to schedule a consultation with Blue Ocean Brain, contact us today.