How to Convince a Design Manager to Pay for Courses
How to get courses for free if you’re employed
Reading Time: 9 minutes
What is the secret behind successful pitches for the education budget?
As a design manager, I’ve seen good and not-so-good approaches. In this article, I want to:
Provide a glimpse into how a design manager perceives an education request
Give a step-by-step approach to why, how, and when you should present your request for training
Share some stats on online courses because managers love data
Education outside the 9-to-5 has greatly benefited my career, but not all managers see this value. This article is for those that need to convince their manager of the value of further training.
Like any budget request, the key is providing the appropriate info and demonstrating a commitment to the proposed approach. This article will cover how to show the effort and data that decision-makers need to support your development.
How much budget should I have?
Let’s start with looking at how much budget you should have, depending on your company’s size (based on U.S. dollars):
And those numbers are expected to go up.
67% of HR Managers Expect L&D Budgets Will Increase
Businesses and workers need to adapt to a shifting workplace environment that increasingly incorporates AI and automation technologies into everyday use. With this in mind, two-thirds of HR managers expect their L&D budgets to increase this year. (source)
At the Fountain Institute, their employers funded over 50% of our alumni. It’s a thing, and if you don’t use it…you lose it. Education budgets typically expire at the end of the year.
Why people don't request training
Before we talk about how to request training, we need to address the most significant barrier: you. Here are some reasons I've seen people not request for budget:
There isn't a precedent for employer-funded education at their level
They worry that a special request would cause unnecessary friction
They don't feel enough job security to request additional funding beyond their salary
They feel like they haven't "earned it" due to recent performance
They worry that a training request indicates a lack of skills in that area
Beneath most of these issues is a lack of confidence. You have to make the case to yourself before you make it to someone else.
Let me give you a glimpse into how an education budget request might appear to a design manager. When designers on my team presented a request for further training, I took it as a sign of their commitment to their practice and the team.
As a manager, I always knew what budget I was working with, but I also knew there was potentially more if I asked. The problem is, I was busy and didn’t want to ask. I needed a little pressure from the designer before finding any extra budget for something. I assumed that if they weren’t asking for it, they didn’t need it.
I would compare the negotiation for training to the negotiation around salary. While negotiation can be annoying, in the end, I had to respect the designer for asking what they wanted. To me, negotiation skills are a sign of experience and professionalism.
Get in the mindset of a design manager.
The key to getting your program approved is to understand the person approving the request. What information would you want before you spent 2000 Euros on something? If you were spending that money on vacation, you would do your research. Why wouldn't you do the same for your design manager?
Remember that after you make a pitch to your design manager, your manager might have to pitch your request to THEIR manager. Everyone involved will be grateful if you've done your homework and provide a good pitch for the reimbursement proposal.
How to pitch for an online course
The most effective way I've seen a designer do this is through a face-to-face meeting with a Google Slides presentation. The process for presenting your pitch might look like this:
Schedule a 15-minute meeting with your manager or add an agenda item to your regular check-in so that your manager isn't surprised when you start to pitch
Give a 5-minute presentation that outlines your thinking and proposal
Listen carefully to their response and identify the biggest barrier
Finish the presentation early to leave them with some extra time to think about your request
Follow up within two weeks
How to design your pitch presentation
Here are ten tactics that you can use in your pitch presentation:
Check the official policy before you do research and include it in the presentation
Mention your past performance reviews as the primary inspiration for seeking training
Reframe your skill gaps as opportunities for the company
List the concrete outcomes from the training
Show alternatives in addition to your chosen program
Include the price AND time commitment for the program
Provide a schedule for when you will be working on the course
Include graphs and stats in the presentation (see stat examples below)
Commit to present your course learnings or course project to your team
Commit to finishing the course and offer to sign a pledge if you detect distrust
Stats for addressing common questions
What are companies spending per employee?
Small companies (100 to 999 employees) increased their per-person budget to $1,678 in 2020 from $1,511 in 2019 (source)
Small companies' employees spent an average of 41.7 hours in 2020 on L&D training (source)
What type of training should my employees get?
The average completion rate for self-paced online courses is approximately 15% with some Coursera completion rates as low as %3. (source)
The completion rate for cohort-based, interactive online courses is approximately 85% completion rate (source) while our completion rate is 94%.
(Read more about self-paced vs. cohort-based courses here)
What's the cost of not funding training?
the average company in the United States spends about $4,000 to hire a new employee, taking up to 52 days to fill a position (source)
Your professional development is up to you.
Ultimately, your learning and development are up to you. Even in larger companies with dedicated programs, you should take the initiative to find the program that works for you. Do your homework, and your company will likely invest in your future.
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