COVID-19 has changed the world as we know it. Businesses from all sizes and walks of life are massively switching to working from home. This move has redefined the everyday life of countless people around the world. Even though the virus is contained in certain parts of the world, COVID-19 is not completely eradicated. As a result, social distancing and remote work are expected to continue being utilized by corporations worldwide in the short-term future.

Remote work presents a lot of tough challenges to employers — from technological solutions and corporate security on one hand to staff training and development on the other. Even though your employees are not present at the office, they still need to be adequately coached and trained in order to be happy and productive. If you are one of the many professionals who are struggling to implement effective training and development procedures for their remote team, this article is for you.

As a leader, you know that investing in your staff is one of the best ways to improve performance, results, and employee retention. In the following paragraphs, we will give you some practical advice on how to conduct highly effective training and development sessions while you and your team are safely working from home.

Embrace Virtual Training and Development

Modern technologies allow people to efficiently work together and stay aligned even when physically separate. They are also a powerful tool that managers and trainers can utilize in order to train their remote teams and ensure that all work processes continue in a normal and productive way. No matter the size or industry of your business, you can make use of software and hardware solutions that make long-distance communication and interaction possible.

Virtual training comes with a lot of benefits, with one of the most important ones being scheduling. You no longer need to secure a room for your employee training sessions, as everything is done online. Additionally, utilizing virtual learning tools can make your training easy to adapt to feedback in real-time. There are a myriad of digital tools you can use to improve the training and development processes, making them more engaging, memorable, and effective as a result.

Lead By Example

In order for any new company policy to be implemented, the change must start from the top. Executive managers should lead the charge to adapt virtual training by personally taking part in sessions. Even better, CEOs and other executive staff are particularly well-suited to moderate training and development events. Employees will be able to adapt to the new situation better if their superiors are actively supporting the idea. On top of that, having senior staff on the same level as employees helps boost morale and teamwork.

One of the benefits of virtual learning and development is that it develops a strange sense of familiarity between people. Some might say that it is even more effective than working together in the office. This gives leaders and executive managers the opportunity to step out of their professional persona for a bit. By doing that, they will appear more relatable and authentic to the employees.

Don’t Be Afraid to Get Creative

Depending on the industry you are working in, you might need to think outside of the box when it comes to implementing training procedures during social distancing. For example, if you need to train on-site staff in the construction and manufacturing industries, you might need to look into purchasing a tour guide system. Such equipment has many advantageous uses when it comes to employee support, especially if they are conducting fieldwork.

If everyone is just stuck in their homes and working remotely, keep in mind that a person’s attention span is a fickle thing. An effective virtual learning program is much more than just putting on some slides and talking over them. Ensure that your staff is engaged by translating standard exercises and games to the virtual environment. You can effectively use online collaboration software and other standard apps to provide an authentic and efficient learning experience.

Encourage Collaboration

When it comes to company training and education in general, working in a team and collaborating with your fellow colleagues is crucial. In order to maximize the impact of your staff training exercises and events, you need to actively encourage communication and teamwork. Even though it might seem hard when social distancing rules apply, virtual tools give you the ability to do it just right — and even go a step further.

A great idea you can implement in your training system is the creation of an online education portal that employees can access at any time. When you combine this with collaboration tools like task management systems and chat apps, your staff will feel right at home at all times. Create an environment where asking questions is not only permitted, but expected. This way, your employees will be able to freely engage and any obstacles that social distancing poses will be eliminated.

Conclusion

Even though the rapid implementation of social distancing rules and working from home came as a shock to many, people around the world quickly adapted to this status quo. In fact, we can now safely say that this new reality offers a lot more benefits than previously imagined. The new normal comes with lots of challenges, but also with plenty of opportunities. When it comes to employee training, social distancing is not the issue it would’ve been 20 years ago.

With modern technologies and virtual learning tools, businesses from all industries can continue onboarding, coaching, and developing their staff. The virtual “classroom” can work wonders if implemented correctly. Follow the advice outlined in this article and see how you can turn this unusual situation into an advantage.

About the Author: 

Tremper Longman is Marketing Director at Plant-Tours.com, manufacturer of the most reliable, easy to use, highest quality headset communication systems for the manufacturing, industrial and institution markets. In addition, he has a wide breadth of experience from multiple industries including cybersecurity, manufacturing and communications. Tremper is a graduate of Clemson University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and also holds an MBA from The University of Connecticut in Marketing Intelligence.