On-boarding remote employees: Training
Getting remote workers onboarded, trained and up to speed requires a certain approach. Below are some tips for how you can best train your remote workers and make sure that they are ready to hit the ground running.
1. Create a detailed training manual
When people have a consistent schedule for training, they’ll prioritize it and you’ll generally have higher attendance levels.
Use this time to set expectations – discuss the reason for each session, the expected outcome, and how it contributes to the employees’ growth path. When employees can see the next steps in their career path within your company, they're more engaged and more willing to learn what you need them to learn.
2. Content and Courses
Evaluate which training modules are best suited to individual sessions or group sessions. Many training topics, especially related to policies and procedures, are best delivered individually. Skills training and sharing best practice can be done in groups, creating interaction and saving time.
Create variety across sessions – use webinars, eLearning platforms, screen sharing – keep it simple and easy to access and use.
Allow for personalization - Letting remote workers learn at their own pace can help to keep them engaged. Creating short webinars and other online content can allow the trainee to choose the pace and way in which they learn, which can help ensure that their learning is lasting. While the ultimate goals have been clearly laid out and agreed upon, the path to reaching these goals should be flexible.
Keep all training content in the same location online – shared docs, OneDrive etc. Content needs to be accessible and convenient for employees to refresh or recheck themselves.
3. Training Sessions
Use video conferencing as much as possible – this provides accountability to ensure people are paying attention.
Don’t Only Tell but Show - Try to make the training as practical as possible through clear demonstrations of the different processes you are covering. This can be done through recorded demonstrations, but in order to be most effective you should find ways to demonstrate ‘in person.’ One of the best ways to do this is through screen sharing software.
Prioritise collaboration – get groups together where possible. This will improve teamwork and build relationships.
Work to establish fun and interactive training sessions – ask questions, ask for feedback, encourage trainees to ask questions. Create quizzes or games to drive interaction and competition!
Focus on Mission and Values - Between soft and hard skills, the latter elements in a remote training program can often be the easier of the two. Remote employees don’t benefit from the daily office interactions that can reinforce your business’ mission and values. Remember to highlight these through real life cases in order to give your remote employees a clear idea of what lies behind the words and the purpose of the sessions. Discussing specific situations in which the trainee can see your values in action will help them to translate them into action later.
Leverage a platform for peer-to-peer training - informal learning can comprise up to 75% of total learning, often taking the form of casual interactions among colleagues. Foster a virtual and private environment where employees can seek out new information, share best practices, and share the kinds of conversations and encouragement that would typically happen in the hallway and around the water cooler.
4. Measure and Evaluate
You developed specific outcomes for the training of remote employees so post-training assessment and feedback must be part of the process. You can't just send a link to a webinar and expect remote employees to have mastered the material. Have tools to evaluate them, like quizzes or worksheets that can be accessed and submitted remotely.
It is crucial to build a personal connection - frequently review progress towards goals through one on one video meetings in order to maintain the personal element of your training program. This will also give the trainee time to ask any burning questions and share any feedback they have regarding the process.
Have a process to follow up if remote employees perform below your expectations.