Buying guides
How to brief, shortlist and choose providers, from executive coaching and leadership development to outplacement, wellbeing and digital skills training.
Each buying guide walks through one purchase from brief to decision: what to ask for, how to shortlist, which accreditations matter for that kind of work and what to check before you sign. They are written for the person doing the buying.
Corporate Training Providers in the UK
How UK corporate training providers differ by specialism, delivery format, accreditation and pricing model, and how to decide which suits your organisation.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose an Executive Coaching Course or Certification Programme (UK)
How the ICF, EMCC, AC and ILM routes into coaching compare, and what to check before you enrol on a course or certification programme.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose an eLearning Content Library for Your Organisation (UK)
For L&D teams buying an off-the-shelf content library: content formats, licensing models, technical fit and the questions that separate the options.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Leadership Development Provider (UK)
Matching leadership and management programmes to the seniority of your people, comparing delivery formats, and judging providers before you shortlist.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Diversity and Inclusion Provider (UK)
The types of D&I provider, the legal points every buyer should know, what the evidence says about training, and how to compare providers fairly.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Workplace Wellbeing Training Provider (UK)
What employers are required to do, what research says about wellbeing initiatives, and how to choose training that holds up after the session.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Digital and AI Skills Training Provider (UK)
Excel, Power BI, Microsoft 365, Copilot and AI training: setting the right level, ways to buy, responsible AI, funding and questions to ask.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose an Outplacement Services Provider (UK)
Matching outplacement and career transition support to seniority, what a package usually includes, delivery formats and questions for providers.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose an Executive Network or Peer Community (UK)
The main formats, how to judge group fit and the chair, confidentiality and competition law, what drives the fee and the questions to ask before joining.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Psychometrics and Assessment Provider (UK)
Types of assessment, BPS test user qualifications, validity and fairness, the law on testing and candidate data, what drives the cost and questions to ask.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Team and Organisational Development Provider (UK)
Team coaching, away days, facilitation, culture change and organisational design: the credentials that exist, what the evidence says, cost drivers and questions to ask.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Become a Non-Executive Director in the UK: The Complete Guide
The legal duties, the experience boards look for, whether a qualification helps, how first appointments happen, pay, and what to check before accepting.
By Kathryn Smith, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Corporate Training Provider (UK)
A practical framework for defining the problem, assessing facilitators and accreditation, comparing quotes like for like and questioning bold claims.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose an Executive Coaching Provider (UK)
For HR, L&D and procurement teams: provider models, an assessment framework, pricing, governance, UK GDPR and questions for your tender.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
Leadership Training & Development Companies in the UK
The main types of leadership training and development company in the UK, how they differ, and what to check before you shortlist.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
How to Choose a Leadership Consultancy (UK)
What a leadership consultancy does, how it differs from a training provider, how consultancies price their work and what to ask before you shortlist.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
Management Training Providers in the UK
What management training usually covers, how it differs from leadership training, and the types of provider you will find in the UK.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
Bespoke Corporate Training Providers in the UK
What a real bespoke design process looks like, what drives the cost, and how to spot an off-the-shelf course with a new name.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
In-House Training Providers in the UK
What in-house training means in practice, when it beats open courses, what drives the cost and what to check before booking a provider.
By Paige Thomson, Co-Founder. Updated
Work in this field? Write for CompareHQ