Flexible working has grown in popularity over the last few years. Now, employees can maintain a healthy work-life balance by working remotely at a location that suits them. Flexible working has many benefits for both organisations and their employees. As well as boosting productivity levels, it can also keep employees engaged in their job roles.

Remote working does bring some challenges though. For example, how do you effectively train staff who are no longer in the office? This article is here to explain how.

Time Your Sessions Wisely

Put yourselves in the shoes of your employees for a minute. Sitting in a meeting that has gone on for way too long can soon become very dull. This leads to employees disengaging with what is being said - and quickly losing motivation. So, compare long meetings to lengthy training sessions. They both have the same effect. Online meeting fatigue is real, and your employees are bound to feel it. Therefore, it is important that you make your training sessions short. Your employees will struggle to concentrate during online learning if they get bored. Let's face it; no one wants to spend their entire day sitting through a training session.

It is recommended that you split your sessions into smaller segments. That way, your employees get the brain break they need throughout the day and, as a result, you will see an increase in engagement. If your organisation struggles with employee engagement, don't hesitate to turn to the internet for some advice. You can access some helpful top tips to guide you in the right direction.

Engage Learners

If your employee's training sessions consist of talking and listening, they can quickly become disengaged. It is easy for them to get lost in a daydream or distracted by something they see out of the window. Therefore, it is crucial that your training sessions encourage employees to get involved. For example, you can use chat functions to open up a discussion or create polls/quizzes. Not only does this encourage interaction between your employees, but it also helps them digest the information more effectively. You can seek comfort knowing that they are engaged with the session.

Chat functions are fairly straightforward to use. However, if you are new to polls and quizzes, you may need to conduct a quick online search to find out how to create them. There are plenty of free online poll makers that you can take advantage of. The key is to make your training sessions as interactive as possible. Once you achieve this, you are sure to see a boost in productivity.

Use Technological Advancements

How will you deliver ongoing training to your staff? Ideally, you will need a system to fulfil all your employee's training needs. This is where online learning suites can help. Check out the imc Learning Suite, which combines learning experience, management, and performance all on one platform. These platforms give your employees more control over their learning by allowing them to access training sessions at a time that suits them. For example, they can access learning materials on their mobile, online, offline, on the internet or through the app.

You can customise your learning software, so it fits into your company's existing infrastructure. The learning suite allows you to integrate tools your employees may already be familiar with, such as Microsoft Teams - and e-commerce platforms like PayPal. This makes it a lot easier for users to understand and helps avoid any confusion as they will no longer need to take time to learn how the new software works.

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Create a New Workplace Culture

Shifting to remote work brings along many changes. The workplace culture you used to have in an office can be different from remote working. So, it is important that each employee understands what is expected of them. You should also clearly outline the avenues for support and help and give your employees a place to interact with one another. Emphasising your workplace culture can provide your employees with the boost in motivation they need to complete their training sessions and progress in their roles.

Creating a desirable workplace culture can also work wonders for your brand's reputation. It can help you attract strong talent to your organisation as people are more likely to want to work for your brand and be a part of its success. There are plenty of ways that your business can create a strong workplace culture, such as rewarding success and hiring the right people. You can learn more about this through some helpful online resources.

Offer Regular Check-Ins or Meetings

Often, learning for remote staff can feel lonely. This is one of the downsides of the flexible working model. Training sessions require less face-to-face interaction. Therefore, it is important to prioritise the well-being of your staff by offering regular check-ins or meetings. These meetings can be crucial for your employees as it is an opportunity for them to gain answers to any questions they may have regarding their learning materials.

These meetings can also be hugely beneficial for your organisation as they provide you with an opportunity to gain feedback from your employees about their training materials. It can help you identify whether the system you have in place is working as well as it should be. If not, you can then start to make the necessary amendments.

Make Sure Learning Materials Are Easily Accessible

Unlike working in an office, remote workers cannot turn around and ask you a question if they have a problem. Therefore, it is important that you ensure learning materials are easily accessible. Failure to do so could lead to wasted time, negatively affecting workplace productivity. Firstly, you should make sure materials are consistently organised. Segment your learning materials into different categories so they are self-explanatory as this will help to avoid any confusion.

If your learning materials contain visual and auditory elements, ensure they can also be accessed without needing vision or hearing. For example, if you have a piece of audio that your learners need to listen to, make sure there are subtitles for those who need them. Similarly, if anyone has audio problems with their device, their learning will not be hindered and they can carry on with the task. Many businesses struggle with lost time in the workplace. This affects workplace productivity - and costs your business a lot of money. If your company is struggling with this, you should look online at some time-saving tips to see what you can do to help.

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Summary

Remote working is certainly a workplace trend that has taken over in recent years. It can offer several benefits to your company if it is implemented correctly. By following some of these top tips, you should be able to provide ongoing employee training to remote workers that is clear, concise and self-explanatory.

Once your online learning system is up and running, don't hesitate to ask for employee feedback. This will help you determine the success of your learning materials, and you can also make any necessary changes that you feel will benefit your team. Switching to a remote working structure can be full of trial and error but, with the right preparation, your employees will be able to access all the materials they need to do their job.

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