The learning and development landscape is evolving – and so are the demands of working from home. No matter what reason you have for going remote, you’ve probably been ready for this trend for a while. You may feel forced into making the shift, but there are benefits for your company to consider.
For example, did you know 85% of companies report an increase in employee productivity when working remotely? Even still, working from home sometimes leaves workers feeling “out of sight and out of mind.” As many as 70% of workers report feeling left out of the workplace and lacking access to information. That’s why many companies are using technology to build connectivity with and among their teams.
During a period of event cancellations and necessary social distancing, reflecting on policies and procedures is natural. And the change implores a critical question: Is your company well prepared to deliver remote training and ensure productivity?
Here are three best practices to help you deliver practical remote training.
Use contextual learning
Contextual learning stems from a theory that learning takes place when a student constructs meaning from the presented information. That means your training needs to fit into your remote employees’ life experiences and routines. A typical instructional technique is developing real-life examples in your training as case scenarios to help a learner contextualize the material. It helps them to understand and retain information. Delivering the right content, at the right time, in the right way, matters.
Leverage microlearning
This approach is an effective strategy to resolve common pitfalls of training – it’s too long, not engaging, lacks the right focus, isn’t consistent, persistent, or accessible. Microlearning addresses these shortcomings by providing the ability to create training to address many different situations before, during, and after formal training. A microlearning approach can also succeed in flexible formats like job aids, videos, podcasts, eLearning modules, and infographics. The variety makes it an ideally suited method for training remote workers.
Support collaboration
You need to incorporate collaboration into your learning strategy. First, you can create opportunities for remote workers to share their thoughts, questions, and ideas throughout their training. Second, mobile Apps, collaboration tools in learning management systems (online chat, discussion boards, whiteboard, etc.), provide community-building opportunities, help employees virtually “meet” and build a connection to each other while training remotely.
We do the heavy lifting
We create custom B2B marketing solutions for clients with outside sales organizations. Our team pairs a traditional ADDIE instructional framework with the creative minds of a marketing agency to optimize the alignment and performance between your marketing and sales efforts. With more than 17 years of experience, we’ve had time to perfect our approach. We understand the daily workflow of an outside sales organization. And we know how to develop learning for their world.
Are you ready to take your sales team to the next level? Contact our team today.
