Adapting to Online Training
Training, as we are all aware, is important for a variety of reasons. Trained staff means happy customers and they tend to be more efficient and use resources in a more economical fashion. Training also means that staff are more flexible and open to change which in itself has huge benefits for an organisation.
As with everything, training has evolved and moved online. Traditional methods such as instructor-led classroom training and hands-on training can still work but logistical challenges sometimes make this type of training method expensive and difficult to implement. If staff are not close to a company’s headquarters, a geographical challenge arises straight away.
If a company chooses to implement training for frontline staff, traditional training methods would make it difficult as all staff could not be trained at once and branches would have to close, costing even more money. Training larger numbers of staff at one time can also present a challenge as the training will be less interactive and staff may feel uncomfortable asking questions.
Online training is something that first appeared in the training industry towards the end of the 20th century. The dawn of the internet enabled training to be provided across a variety of new platforms and delivery methods.
Once a company makes the decision to utilise these delivery methods, which Seamscloud provide, there are a number of things a company can do to help them transition and adapt to this form of online training.
It is imperative that the company firstly design a course or choose modules and content that suit the needs of the organisation and communicate with the instructor or person presenting the content. It is important to create clear and realistic expectations and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
Secondly, management needs to ensure to build into the training time to check in with employees and identify any areas that could be improved for further training cycles. Employees may have accessibility issues or technical problems and these can be noted for both the LMS provider and for management for future employees taking the course.
It is also a good idea that before training commences with staff, management tests the training and at this point iron out any areas which may be causing concern. Of course, some areas for concern may only present themselves when staff begin the training, but this is a step that aims to eliminate as many of these problems as possible.
If your staff are older, it may be a good idea to offer to help staff and to suggest completing training in small groups so that others can assist with the technology if some staff members aren’t as tech-savvy as others