We are living through a historic and unprecedented time with the global spread of COVID-19. Because of this, companies have rapidly shifted to remote work in order to promote the health and wellbeing of their employees and flatten the curve in their communities. For many companies, however, managing remote employees is an entirely new venture, and one that brings up a lot of questions. So what are some best practices for training remote employees, and what are some resources companies can utilize today to make the transition to remote go well?

Good news is, remote work has already been proven to be a good choice for employees and employers alike

As of March 2020, 5 million US employees are remote working anywhere from half- to full-time. Though remote work may be unknown to you and your company, thousands of companies have been implementing remote work for their teams and seeing impressive results.

Employers could save up to $11,000 per half-time worker when trained well. This is due to reduced turnover, increased productivity, and reduced absenteeism. When employees feel supported and trusted to work at home, they work harder and enjoy their jobs more.

With this in mind, here are some best practices for training remote employees.

Best practices for training remote employees

1. Embrace digital learning by adapting existing training to a new structure

Odds are, your company has an existing body of training to help employees succeed and thrive in the workplace. Now that your team is working from home, consider ways to breathe new life into old training by shifting towards a digital platform.

What used to be an in-person training could easily transition to a series of video workshops, interactive motion graphics, and activities that implement branching scenarios or other helpful elearning modules.

For a short-term solution, there are many off-the-shelf learning companies that have created massive libraries of training across multiple industries. While working towards a more custom solution, off-the-shelf elearning can offer temporary relief and give employees a source of support. Need help choosing an off-the-shelf learning solution? Here’s a list of our personal favorites.

2. Create a sense of community by offering opportunities for connection

For new remote workers, it can feel isolating sitting at home each day, unable to collaborate with team members. It’s vital for managers to consistently check in with their team members to track progress and offer assistance. If remote employee training is not done well or at all, this could leave your team feeling abandoned and isolated.

For training remote employees in particular, a sense of community can be achieved by conducting a digital Instructor-Led Training on Zoom followed by breakout sessions. Luckily, Zoom has this feature built-in, allowing smaller groups of people to discuss within the context of a larger Zoom call. The great thing about this style of training is that it implements social learning theory, a human-centered approach that allows employees to learn by watching and imitating the actions of others.

3. Create a personalized training experience with an LXP

If you’re looking for a way to train remote employees that departs from the one-size-fits all model, consider investing in a learning experience platform (LXP). LXPs allow employees to select the skills/training that are most relevant to them, giving them a tailored experience while showing them that your company is invested in their growth.

Need a completely custom LXP that’s perfectly branded, easy to use, and free of feature clutter? Check out Loop LXP and learn how you can transform your remote employee training today.

Helpful technology for training remote employees

Need a few resources for training remote employees? Here are a few that we find helpful whether we’re all together or worlds apart.

1. Zoom for team meetings or digital instructor-led trainings

Just because your team is out of office doesn’t mean you should forego an in-person feel for your remote employee training. Using platforms like Zoom create opportunities for collaboration and interaction which are essential for a collaborative learning process.

2. LXPs for custom, clear learning paths

Learning experience platforms take the features of learning management systems and supercharge them, creating limitless opportunities for employees to pursue personalized learning paths alongside structured training. And with some LXPs like Loop, there are built-in features for feedback and personalized coaching along the way to address individual needs and improve learning outcomes.

3. Communication apps for encouraging post-training growth

Reinforcing what employees learn through training is key to ensuring that what they learn sticks with them. With a remote team, communication apps like Slack are a good way to foster post-training discussions, address lingering questions, and create a collaborative environment for pursuing goals.

Great remote teams are built on communication and solid training

We hope you found these best practices for training remote employees helpful, and we’d love to see how you take these concepts and apply them in your workplace.