After years of remote work and virtual meetings, teams are craving something that screens can’t fully deliver: real human connection. As companies refine their return-to-office (RTO) strategies, many are turning to in-person training programs to rebuild culture, strengthen employee engagement, and create a renewed sense of purpose.

In-person training offers a reason to reconnect with purpose, not just proximity.

It’s not about abandoning virtual learning, but re-centering what makes workplace growth truly transformative: shared energy, eye contact, and the subtle cues that build trust and understanding.

In this article we’ll explore:

Why In-Person Training is Worth the Investment

Companies that invest in comprehensive employee development programs, whether remote or hybrid or in-person, are making an investment in the betterment of their people and their company overall. How so? Research shows that when companies offer engaging training opportunities that engage, employees are between 14-18% more productive, with measurable gains in retention and well-being

Additionally, this research shows that employees experience:

78% less absenteeism
21% lower turnover
70% higher overall well-being

Also of note, emerging studies show that in-person learning’s biggest advantage is physical proximity, which allows for the development of socio-cognitive skills. This includes the ability to interpret micro-expressions and body language, both of which are critical to creating an engaging, informative session.

Engagement is a Big Part of the Picture

When you invest in in-person training, you get access to a combination of activities that engage your team entirely. Not only do you get the presence of a live instructor, but they can dynamically adjust their methods and tone, reading the room and creating space for deeper, more vulnerable conversations that virtual sessions can sometimes struggle to sustain. They also can incorporate activities that cannot be completed via virtual learning, utilizing hands-on experiments to allow for real-world experiences. These can reinforce theoretical concepts into concrete, critical learnings.

This is to say that the advantages of in-person learning is not just about preference, it’s about science. Learning retention and emotional regulation both improve when employees participate in in-person workshops that encourage collaboration, reflection, and active learning. These physical and social cues reinforce engagement pathways in the brain, and deepen understanding and recall. In that way, knowledge becomes collective, not individual.

But the biggest return on investment might not be just performance metrics: it’s in belonging. When people learn together, they see each other differently, appreciate perspectives, communicate openly, can give and receive feedback, and build empathy in ways virtual settings cannot always reciprocate.

What In-Person Training Looks Like Across Industries

Effective corporate training programs look different depending on the team and context. From leadership development workshops to community-based nonprofit training sessions, the best in-person experiences adapt to unique needs.

The beauty of face-to-face learning is that it adapts to the environment, audience, and goals of each organization. Whether you’re leading a corporate strategy retreat, a nonprofit workshop, or a frontline skill-building session, in-person learning meets people where they are and brings them together in ways virtual sessions simply cannot replicate.

Corporate Teams: Rebuilding Collaboration and Strategy

In corporate environments, in-person training often can take the form of offsites, retreats, or immersive workshops. These spaces allow leaders and employees to step outside the day-to-day grind, think strategically, and rebuild connections across departments.

Retreats also work well for hybrid and virtual teams, offering opportunities for in-person connection without requiring a full return to office.

Facilitators can use tools like mapping scenarios specific to the organization, live brainstorming, or empathy-based exercises to break silos and surface shared goals. The outcome? Teams will leave not just aligned on deliverables and future goals, but re-energized around a shared mission and ideals.

The Takeaway: In-person training turns collaboration from a calendar invite into an experience people remember for a long time to come.

Nonprofits: Connection Rooted in Purpose

For nonprofits, in-person training is where mission meets momentum. These sessions often blend education with storytelling, reflection, and community-building. When participants share lived experiences in the same space, trust grows faster and that trust powers stronger advocacy, service, and teamwork.

In-person sessions also help volunteers and staff connect emotionally to the “why” behind their work, which is a huge part of nonprofit work. It’s less about professional development and more about collective renewal towards a shared vision and purpose, which can reinvigorate employees and leadership alike.

The Takeaway: For values-driven teams, shared space becomes a shared purpose.

Frontline Teams: Hands-on Learning That Sticks

For frontline staff (i.e., healthcare workers, service workers, municipal workers, and educators) training must be tactile and immediately relevant. In-person delivery enables role-play, scenario practice, and live feedback that can’t be replicated virtually. Facilitators can observe body language, tone, and response in real time, creating teachable moments that translate directly into safer, more inclusive service.

These sessions often carry emotional weight, especially in conflict resolution and de-escalation and psycholog ic al safety, both of which are emerging as crucial topics for frontline workers. Having a facilitator physically present allows for real-time debrief, grounding, and emotional support.

The Takeaway: When training reflects the real world, employees are better prepared to navigate it.

Who Benefits the Most: Leaders, Employees, or Both?

In-person training and hybrid training formats are both valuable, but in-person leadership training and team-building sessions create distinct benefits for connection and culture. Plus, it serves both sides of the organizational spectrum, from employees to leaders to everyone in between, and when leveraged effectively the greatest gains come from a unified experience of learning together.

Leaders

For leaders, face-to-face learning environments offer something rare: uninterrupted space to reflect, engage with peers, and step outside the day-to-day.

According to Center for Creative Leadership (CCL), in-person leadership development excels when participants can exit the usual work environment, build peer support networks, and focus deeply on themselves and their impact. This matters because real leadership isn’t just execution: it’s about modelling culture and expressing vulnerability.

Employees

Employees at all levels benefit too. Being physically present means more than just being in the room. It signals:

You are valued;
your time matters;
and your growth is worth the investment.

Recent data show that well-designed training correlates with higher engagement, stronger retention, and greater well-being. For example:

A broad review of training data found that brands with in-depth employee training programs show higher productivity, income per employee, and even a higher profit margin in some cases.
More than half of employees (59%) believe the training they receive is directly linked to their performance.

Working Together Amplifies the Effectiveness

When leaders and employees engage in the same in-person learning spaces, hierarchies tend to soften, peer networks form, and trust grows. Because everyone is being invested in collectively and simultaneously, these groups can align more effectively overall.

In-person training supports this by:

Breaking routine and creating a learning environment that feels distinct from virtual training.
Allows for real-time adjustment by facilitators. Leaders can surface emerging issues and employees can speak to them directly.
Creates a space where employees and leaders are seen, heard, and engaged with, which strengthens bonds and trust more quickly and effectively than virtual formats often allow for.
Last (but not least!), it shows that organizations value the development of their employees. When they commit to in-person training, they signal that growth, culture, and connection are core priorities at the forefront of their minds, not optional extras.

In-Person Training as a Core Part of RTO Strategy

In-person training reframes RTO mandates as an opportunity to rebuild culture from the inside out. It creates a meaningful reason to gather: to learn, connect, and grow together. Instead of viewing RTO as a corporate mandate, employees start to see it as an investment in their development and belonging.

As organizations plan their research-to-office strategy, many HR leaders are discovering that in-person learning experiences provide the most effective way to reintroduce collaboration and culture-building after years of hybrid work.

Research backs this up: in fact, Gallup’s 2023 State of the Global Workplace report found that 71% of employees who have opportunities to learn and grow at work are engaged, compared to only 31% who don’t. In other words, in-person learning eases the RTO transition, especially for employees hesitant about returning, by creating space for genuine growth and connection.

When to Choose In-Person Vs. When to Go Virtual

Ultimately, it’s not an either-or decision. Instead, it’s about designing a blended learning strategy that fits your goals, audience, and outcomes. Many leading companies now combine in-person training with virtual learning modules to create sustainable, accessible, and inclusive development pathways.

Virtual training excels when accessibility, consistency, and scale are key. It’s ideal for delivering foundational knowledge, compliance training, or introductory learning related to inclusive practices. Its flexibility means that everyone, regardless of location, time zone, or role, can participate. For global teams and large organizations, that level of inclusivity matters greatly.

On the other hand, in-person training shines in moments that require nuance, empathy, or collaboration. Topics like psychological safety, inclusive leadership, and team communication thrive when participants can share space, build trust, and respond to one another in real time. It’s also the best setting for hands-on activities, roleplay, and sensitive discussions where tone, facial expressions, and body language play a vital role.

When deciding between in-person and virtual formats, consider:

The Topic’s Depth and Sensitivity: If it involves emotional intelligence, feedback, or equity discussions, in-person usually fosters richer dialogue
Team Distribution and Logistics: Virtual sessions work better for dispersed or shift-based teams who need flexibility.
Desired Outcomes: Are you aiming for awareness or transformation? Awareness can start virtually, but transformation often happens face-to-face.
Sustainability and Follow-Up: Many organizations use a hybrid model. They start with in-person connection, then reinforce it virtually through eLearning or discussion check-ins. This can be an excellent way to refresh and update knowledge after employees have connected in-person.

Final Thoughts

In-person training isn’t about moving backwards, it’s about introducing the human element that makes workplace learning truly stick. It’s the shared laughter during a group exercise, the spark of insight during a discussion, and the sense of belonging that comes from realizing you are part of something bigger.

As workplaces evolve, one truth remains: people learn best when they feel connected, regardless of where this connection takes place. Through its very nature, in-person training offers that connection through real-time, human-centered work grounded in shared experiences. It’s not just an investment in skills, but an investment in culture as well.

FAQ: Quick Answers to Your Questions About In-Person Training

In-person training activates a different kind of engagement. When employees share a room, they’re listening and interacting directly with one another. Facilitators can read the room, tailor their approach in real time, and lead meaningful dialogue. Physical presence also supports nonverbal communication and empathy, which are two elements that drive stronger connection and retention than screen-based learning alone.
Many organizations use in-person learning as a bridge to rebuild culture after years of remote work. Rather than seeing RTO as a policy, employees begin to see it as an opportunity for growth and reconnection, especially when resistance to RTO mandates are present.
In-person workshops create a shared purpose, reminding teams that the value of returning to the office isn’t about presence, it’s about participation.
The key is to move beyond lectures and into interaction. Effective in-person learning includes discussion, role-play, and hands-on scenarios that connect directly to real workplace challenges, including: communication, sales conversations, or inclusive leadership. When people can practice what they learn in a live setting, skills move from theory to habit.
Learn more about how you can book in-person training here.

The Power of In-Person Training: Why Face-to-Face Learning Builds Connection