How to Provide Virtual On-the-Job Training
Virtual on-the-job training programs for a remote workforce can fall by the wayside. Yet, conducting effective remote virtual training is not something you can afford to neglect. A 2020 report from LinkedIn found that 94% of employees say they would stay with their current employer if given access to an impactful virtual employee training program. The last thing any business needs now is to lose their best talent to the competition.
How do you provide and encourage workforce development in this new world of work? Here are some remote training best practices that you can implement to create an engaged and prepared virtual workforce.
1. Choose the Right Facilitators
An engaging facilitator is the key to successful virtual training for employees. If your facilitator has no presentation experience and tends to drone on and be oblivious to their audience, you aren’t going to get far. This is a difficult position; training isn’t easy in the best of circumstances – take the time to find the right person for the job. Otherwise, you are just wasting your money.
Add a co-facilitator for larger groups. Co-facilitators can monitor the chat, answer questions, and stoke engagement within the group while the facilitator focuses on content.
2. Find Interactive Technology
One of the exciting things about trying virtual employee training is the sheer range of available technologies. There is no need to stick to video calls alone. A simple google search can show you the range of really good technologies that have multiple intuitive, interactive features to maximize your efforts to train a remote workforce.
If you’re new to virtual learning, try out different products before committing to one. Many tools offer free trials, so pick two or three contenders, and then ask:
What tool is easiest to set up?
What product offers the most stability?
What do employees find most engaging?
What tool will allow you to be creative and grow?
3. Provide a Schedule
Anything that happens virtually needs a schedule published in advance to reduce anxiety, ensure everything runs smoothly, and avoid any serious oversights.
Provide start times, end times, titles, descriptions, and a list of collaborators before any event. Doing so gives work-from-home employees a chance to be better prepared for the meeting.
Be sure to schedule breaks to give everyone a chance to recharge. You want people to concentrate, not be worrying about unanswered emails. And, Zoom fatigue is real so everyone needs a few minutes away from the computer.
4. Use Weekly Check-ins
On-the-job training in a virtual environment requires a steady hand on your part. Because you can’t walk past the trainee’s desk or chat with them in the break room, you need to be intentional in asking them about their progress.
If employees are new, be sure you have an effective virtual on-boarding process in place and check in daily or weekly as appropriate. This is the time to gather feedback on the process, identify roadblocks, and provide support your remote employees.
If you are looking for great training videos on important topics like Sexual Harassment Training or Bias and Diversity Training, check out these highly-effective training videos produced by WILL Interactive.
Are you looking for an employment agency and hiring partner to help you find great staff? Get in touch with Elite Personnel and learn how we can help you hire your next best employee, both in office and work from home.