Why Virtual Trainings are a Real Business Necessity

A quick high-five in the hallway or a fresh cup of coffee on the desk – there are so many little things about the workplace that cannot be replicated during a lockdown. In addition to the comradery that we enjoy with our colleagues, we are also missing out on opportunities to attend face-to-face training sessions. Training and development activities provide individuals with an opportunity to enhance particular skill sets. For an organisation, training sessions help improve the problem areas within a team or even an entire department. In these post-Covid19 times, most workplaces are now functioning remotely. As with everything else, such as coaching, skills-based training, and experiential games sessions must also be reformatted to make sense in the ‘New Normal’.

Benefits of Hosting Virtual Training Sessions

Consult any experienced human resource manager and they will agree with this saying: ‘Hire for Aptitude, and Train for Skills’. Now, more than ever organisational leaders must continue their in-house professional development programs for their employees. Opting for virtual training sessions is one way to keep the team members on-track and motivated as the organisation navigates these uncertain times. Other advantages of pivoting towards online-only training sessions include:

• Greater knowledge retention,
• Added convenience due to tools and technologies,
• An increase in trainee participation and engagement,
• Almost instantaneous feedback,
• More flexible scheduling options, and
• the ability to continue on-going professional development programs for a remote workforce.

In addition to skills enhancement, online employee training programs can be tailor-made to deliver role-specific training as well. This ranges from the mastery of certain software to detailed product knowledge of the latest product line.

Together, Apart: Navigating the ‘New Normal’

Online training sessions can encourage team-building, create opportunities for targeted skill development, and rekindle a sense of community. Besides virtually hosting webinars and online coaching sessions, other ways managers and supervisors can support their team members is by taking a more human approach to professionalism. Unlike our lives before the pandemic, we no longer have the luxury of cleanly demarcating a line between what is work and what is life. There will be days when we will come remarkably close to that, but on other days the kids will barge in on a critical Zoom meeting and the door will keep ringing while you rush to submit the proposal on time. As a team lead, you have the unique opportunity to shift the focus from ‘looking right’ to ‘being in the right frame of mind’ for the entire team or department. You can lead by example! Prioritize comfortable and clean clothing over restrictive office wear and go ‘off-the-script’ to share coffee or tea recipes with your hard-working colleagues. The idea is to embrace this new reality, help everyone else adapt to it as well, while staying productive and positive throughout.

The continuation of skills-based and game-based training can ensure a sense of normalcy for the entire team. If the idea of selecting the virtual training path seems interesting to you, feel free to reach out to an experienced training consultancy.

Mariam Shoaib trains senior management and their employees in achieving crystal-clear communication and maintaining optimum synergy between various teams in an organizational setting. Using a combination of experiential training games, role-playing, as well as team-building exercises, Mariam aims to bridge the gap between the organization’s team members and the external customers. In addition, she works with her team to design and produce bespoke tutorials that can elevate the skillsets of all those in a customer-facing role.