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Finding great training content shouldn’t take up so much time.
But evaluating the quality and relevance is often the most time-consuming part of L&D. With hundreds of options, multiple providers, and little transparency, it’s easy to get stuck searching.
At Go1, we aggregate learning content from over 250 providers—and we’ve seen what separates high-value programs from filler. Whether you’re looking to cover compliance quickly or build a strategic skills program, here are five shortcuts to help you assess prospective training content quality.
1. Check for freshness, not just polish
Outdated content can look polished, but it risks misleading learners with obsolete practices or regulations . This matters most for compliance, tech, and leadership training, where even small shifts can change what success looks like. But remember: Outdated and old are not synonymous. Some companies use legacy technologies, and they’ll need that Microsoft Office training from 2007. So be sure to review what your specific team needs and don't immediately count a provider out if something like that catches your attention.
Get started: Look for “last updated” timestamps on courses or content libraries. If timestamps aren't public, ask your provider. If in your search you’re seeing older courses that make you second guess credibility, ask about those too.
Internally, set your content expiration window (around 12–18 months), so your team knows when it’s time to review or replace. Adjust that window based on how fast the field moves.
2. Vet your sources upfront
Anyone can produce sleek slides, but effective learning starts with credibility. Just like you’d do with any new source, content should be vetted before rollout. That little bit of effort up front can save you big headaches later. Courses built by experts with hands-on experience tend to be clearer, more relevant, and more likely to deliver lasting value.
In practice: A customer service module built by a former call center leader is far more likely to resonate than one written by a training generalist. Check the provider’s background and expertise for clearly stated learning objectives or credentials.
3. Prioritize engaging formats
Growing employee engagement and personalizing learning programs are priorities for talent development teams across the globe. We know learners are far more likely to finish and retain content when it fits their preferences and daily routines. And passive formats like longer PDFs or lecture videos have higher drop-off rates that no longer cut it.
Get started: Seek out platforms with microlearning, audio-first options, and knowledge checks built in. These formats make learning easier to digest and more likely to stick.
4. Make it relatable
Generic examples rarely connect. When employees see their own roles, experiences, or language reflected in training, that's when they pay attention and apply what they learn.
It sounds daunting to personalize content, but you don’t need to rely on manual methods in 2025. Choose content providers or aggregators with enough depth to the library for segmentation by role, level, or function. AI can be a partner in this for you, but with supported human intervention. A provider with AI-assisted search and curation can deliver more relevant results and quickly add personalization, but a human should always review the work to make sure no bias creeps in and the context is still clear.
In practice: A retail manager is more likely to apply training that shows how to lead a busy shift or manage a customer complaint than a theoretical leadership module explaining communication skills as a whole.
5. Use your data to guide smart content choices
When training requests come in, it’s tempting to just act. But without data, you risk chasing every request instead of scaling what’s already working for you. Built-in content analytics can help you track usage trends, identify in-demand skills, and compare engagement across teams and peers in your industry.
Then, as requests come through your inbox, you can justify whether or not it’s worth your time based on what you see in the data. Or tweak to an existing offering that’s already working.
Get started: Block off two hours next week to dig into your data. What courses are getting completed most often? Is it because of topic, length, format, or timing? Even that quick snapshot can help you make sharper content calls going forward.
Prioritize your people, not platforms
Searching for quality content shouldn't be the hardest part of your job. Go1 makes it easy to spot what works, connect learners with the right training, and track impact—all in one subscription.
