A decade ago, remote work was uncommon, typically only accessible as a special arrangement to assist people in certain circumstances. However, in 2022, it’s a different ball game altogether. The essence of work has shifted dramatically with the rise in remote working or work-from homes.
Cultivating a robust remote work culture is becoming a routine aspect of daily life. Organizations have started increasingly focusing on work done rather than hours worked or necessitating tools and apps to oversee remote employee performance. Continuous feedback while overseeing work, on the other hand, has become increasingly requisite as managers attempt to assist employees in navigating their job tasks and meeting performance objectives. Therefore, it is vital to rethink how goals get created and determine crucial performance metrics when handling remote workers in today’s work environment.
The perks of remote working for businesses are more business-oriented. Among the benefits include:
- Cost savings – The overhead expenses for organizations drop by half due to lower or zero costs for office space, utilities, office supplies, and so on.
- Employee wellbeing – Employees are relaxed and more concentrated, equating to improved business in general. Remote employees are happier and healthier.
- Global access – By utilizing remote work, firms can invite global talent to join their organization regardless of their location.
As the pandemic settles, many businesses are considering a new hybrid virtual model in which some employees work on-site and others work from home. The new model offers individuals, and smaller teams enhanced productivity, greater individual flexibility, and better employee experiences.
Read more: Regulating On-the-Job Training and How People Development is the Answer
What are the Challenges Organizations Face in Training Remote Staff?
Remote training comes with its own set of challenges, regardless of its convenience. Some of the most frequent issues you may encounter include:
- Trainees’ lack of attention due to the absence of face-to-face supervision
- Technical issues from inconsistent internet or VPN to software or platform issues.
- Distractions at home
- Feelings of social isolation
- Scheduling training programs at a convenient time for all
Simple Steps to enhance efficiency when training remote employees
Establishing an effective remote training program can be intimidating at first, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a success! Here are some effective practices for remote staff training.
1. Use a range of training formats and file types
Using a combination of different training formats is the best method. For example, you can use synchronous learning methods like conference calls or online meetings wherein people can interact and learn from each other. On the other hand, asynchronous or on-demand learning is self-paced and involves employees learning from online materials at their convenience.
2. Make the training accessible via mobile devices
Remote employees need not constantly work from home and might not always be in front of their computers or laptops. It is critical to ensure that training is mobile-friendly and accessible at all times.
3. Establish a learner community
Tools for communication and productivity, such as Slack, Asana, and Trello, make remote working and training more straightforward than ever before. In addition, such solutions establish a space for several employees participating in the same remote training session to engage in discussions and share ideas and expertise.
4. Assess the effectiveness of training
Tracking the efficacy of your remote training is critical for several reasons. It assists in determining which courses and training are most successful and which need to be improved or replaced. Also, it helps to identify the learners’ progress.
5. Make remote training self-paced
Consider making some aspects of the remote training self-paced to give your employees additional flexibility. For example, offering them a completion deadline and letting them choose when to work through it based on their schedule and preferred learning style.
6. Incorporate gamification
Gamification is an excellent approach to increasing interactivity, engagement, and motivation among your learners while reducing distraction.
7. Utilizing training software
If you have a large corporation, remote training software or learning management system (LMS) targeted toward remote settings will help you successfully plan, implement, and deliver your training program.
8. Promote a learning culture
It is imperative to instill a concept of learning in your employees when they join your firm. The remote training programs you provide should be ongoing rather than a one-time event.
Read more: How To Ensure Your L&D Meets Organizational Goals?
How can an effective LMS be the solution!
Many organizations may use traditional classroom learning, but this may not be practical in the present climate. A holistic Learning Management System (LMS) can assist the modern work culture. One of the primary advantages of an LMS is e-learning, which eliminates the time and distance constraints that foster efficient learning and allows employees to complete training courses at their leisure. In addition, employees can select between blended learning and self-paced learning, depending on their preferences. Benefits of LMS include:
- Reduces training time significantly – Traditional classroom training requires employees to leave their workstations and attend training in a conference room. However, according to Brandon and Hall’s research, remote training saves employee time by 40% to 60%.
- Provides employees with flexibility – One impressive characteristic of eLearning is the potential to provide employees with flexibility. Employees can start the course anytime they want and complete it at their pace. Employees can also choose their comfortable learning modes across various learning materials such as files, documents, videos, links, and more.
- Limitless access to learning resources – This allows employees to access training materials at any time, whenever they need them.
- Improves employee retention – According to a Gallup study, 87% of millennials believe that learning and development opportunities are crucial in their workplace. Employees can enhance their abilities and perform better for the organization by implementing an effective and easy learning program.
- Encourages debate and discussion – Real-time exchanges with peers and instructors allow your staff to clarify course-related doubts and comprehend the course materials better.
- Easier assessment – Ensuring every employee gets the most out of their training sessions is vital. LMSs can administer tests and assignments to determine whether your employees have grasped the training sessions.
- Enables feedback – Constructive criticism from instructors and managers assists employees in improving their skills. In exchange, employees can also submit feedback on the courses and teachers. This allows you to increase the quality of employee training and tailor it to their tastes and needs.
Having talked about the benefits of LMS, it is vital to adopt an ideal learning management system to ensure organizational and employee growth.
Read more: Tips to Choose the Perfect LMS for your Organization
Skill Lake is an efficient and holistic LMS solution that aids organizations in providing remote training. It navigates any industry challenges at scale, irrespective of the organization’s size. Skill Lake enables businesses to create an employee-centric learning culture in which learning occurs holistically and helps your organization achieve its goals. Some interesting features of the platform include interactive learning (live webinars), immediate feedback (guided tests), self-paced learning, gamification, and many more. Skill Lake is a dynamic product that can satisfy the needs of present and future workforces. Explore more about Skill Lake by taking a quick demo here.
Ashmitha Chatterjee
Ashmitha works with Skill Lake as a creative writer. She collaborates with the Digital Marketing team to deliver engaging, informative, and SEO-friendly business collaterals. Being passionate about writing, Ashmitha frequently engages in blogging and creating fiction. Besides writing, Ashmitha indulges in exploring effective content marketing strategies.