Moving to online training due to COVID 19

Over the past two decades, rapid technological developments have dramatically changed our daily lives, the way we communicate with one another, how we obtain information and the way we work all being much different. Just as mobile phones made generations wonder how their elders made do with queuing for the local landline, the advent of smartphones and tablets has given us a world that has never been more connected, even in the midst of a pandemic that has forced us all apart.

In many ways, we are more connected than ever thanks to technology.

As businesses try to adapt to social distancing as they move forward, they will face many challenges, with many of the old ways of working not being possible in the current situation. Whether your business operates in a shop environment or an office environment, even when it is deemed safe for everyone to physically return to work, there will be a significant adjustment period as businesses get employees up to speed on the new policies and procedures in place to protect their safety and that of their customers. Training will be more important than ever in ensuring this, especially in the area of health and safety to ensure compliance with existing and future regulations.

While there has long been debate around the merits of online training or eLearning versus traditional face-to-face training, the benefits of the former outweigh those of the latter in the current environment, particularly while it is not possible to get staff in the same room due to social distancing. Online training is more cost-effective, convenient and above all it is safer as it reduces the need to have large groups of people in any one location at the same time. As the social distancing measures will be in place for quite some time yet, moving to online training makes sense in the long term as well as the short term.

Aside from the safety element, the flexibility that online training offers ensures that businesses can offer an employee-friendly schedule as online training can be done anywhere and at any time, meaning employees in lockdown with their families can complete the training in stages and at the time that suits them. With so many having to juggle work with childcare at present and in the immediate future, companies are having to accommodate changed circumstances for many employees and flexible working hours are becoming the norm alongside working from home. Online training fits both of these working practices perfectly and avoids scheduling difficulties and the higher costs associated with face-to-face training.

Another big advantage of online training is that it is measurable. Assessments can be added to the end of each module to ensure that employees understand the key elements covered in the course material. Reminders can be set up for employees with outstanding training or where re-sits are required, while all results can be accessed at the simple click of a button as all records are stored securely online. Lastly, there is the cost-saving element of going online, which can reduce training overheads by up to 80% compared to face-to-face training as once set up it eliminates the costs associated with hiring a trainer, a training room and the physical material, let alone the harder to measure “away from desk” costs of face to face training