Today’s workforce is no longer made up of employees who sit at desks in a single location all day long. More than ever before, the modern employee is someone who telecommutes or works from home for at least part of their workweek. Remote learning is part of this new phenomenon, and it can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be impossible. Even if your team members aren’t in the same physical location every day, you can still effectively train them so they can do their jobs better and become more efficient. Remote learning for employees is simple with the correct tools and techniques, so it doesn’t have to be difficult after all. You just need to know where to start.
What is remote learning?
The term remote learning can refer to a few things. Remote employee training can refer to any type of training that non-office workers receive. It can also refer to the learning materials or methods that you use to train your distributed team. Finally, remote employee training can refer to the medium that you use to deliver that training. Remote employee training can take many forms. It can include the following:
– Orientation – New employees need training, too, even if they work remotely.
– “How to do your job” – Because remote workers don’t have supervisors looking over their shoulders, they need to be self-sufficient. They need to know how to do their jobs effectively.
– Keeping up with company-wide changes – New software, regulations, and processes affect remote employees just as much as office workers.
– Specialized training for remote-only skills – Remote workers, who only interact with other remote workers all day long, won’t learn the ins and outs of the office culture the same way their in-person counterparts do. A little extra training can go a long way toward bridging these cultural gaps.
Finding the best remote learning tools
Remote learning is easier than ever before thanks to the wide range of collaboration and communication tools available today. Finding the right tools for your team members to train with can help ensure that their transition to a remote work environment is as seamless as possible. There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing remote learning tools:
– Availability – You’ll want to make sure the tools you choose are available to your team members. Some tools, like online textbooks, are available to anyone, while others, like online video conferencing services, are only accessible to certain groups of people.
– Ease of Use – Some collaboration tools are easier to use than others. Be sure to choose tools that your team members can figure out easily and that don’t create extra work for them.
– Affordability – Some collaboration tools are free, but most have a cost associated with them. Make sure you choose tools that fit within your budget.
– Appropriateness – Different tools are better suited to different situations. Choose tools based on what your team members need to learn.
Video conferencing and Screen Sharing
If you’re looking for ways to train your remote team members in real time, video conferencing is a great remote learning tool. You can use video conferencing to:
– Give presentations – If your team members are meeting virtually, they might need a way to share information. You can use video conferencing to present information and share PowerPoint slides, PDFs, and other types of content.
– Coach and mentor team members – Remote workers might not have managers or mentors who can meet with them. You can use video conferencing to mentor your team members and coach them through their day-to-day activities.
– Conduct virtual job interviews – Some companies use video conferencing for real-time job interviews with remote candidates. You can use video conferencing to conduct virtual job interviews, too.
– Collaborate – Some tools, like Google Hangouts, allow you to share documents (like spreadsheets and Google Docs) during video calls. You can use this feature to collaborate on work-related documents with your team members.
Remote Keyboard and Mouse (AKA, Virtual Keyboards)
If you’re looking for a way to simulate in-person training at a distance, you can use a remote mouse and keyboard. Some tools, such as GoToAssist, have this feature built in. Remote mice and keyboards are helpful for training the following:
– Keyboarding – You can use remote mice and keyboards to train employees to become more efficient at typing. Using remote mice and keyboards allows you to simulate the experience of working at a desk.
– Using software – Some software, including customer relationship management (CRM) software, has a remote mouse and keyboard feature. You can use this feature to simulate using that software remotely.
– Using equipment like spreadsheets, graphs, and charts – Some software allows you to create and manipulate visual graphs and charts remotely. You can use remote mice and keyboards to train employees on how to use this software.
Virtual Meeting Rooms and Collaboration Tools
If you want to create an “in person” experience between your remote employees, you can use virtual meeting rooms and collaboration tools. You can use virtual meeting rooms to:
– Hold meetings – You can use virtual meeting rooms to hold virtual meetings. This is a great way to simulate an in-person meeting between your remote team members.
– Conduct training – You can conduct training in virtual meeting rooms to simulate being in a classroom setting. This is especially useful if your team members need to learn specific skills, like public speaking, that don’t have a remote equivalent.
– Hold team-building exercises – You can use virtual meeting rooms to host team-building exercises like trust falls and icebreaker games.
Bottom line
Remote learning is more important than ever before. With the rise of cloud computing and highly-effective collaboration tools, businesses are able to get more done with fewer employees. Remote employees need training, coaching, and mentorship just as much as their in-person colleagues. Finding the best remote learning tools can help you deliver that training more effectively. Remote employees are challenging to train, but it can be done. With the right tools and techniques, you can effectively train remote employees so they can do their jobs better and become more efficient.
We Can Help
Companies that invest in remote learning benefit from reduced attrition rates and hiring costs, better employee productivity, more knowledgeable employees, and a competitive hiring package. ReadyTech‘s remote training software provides different ways to interact with trainers and peers, encouraging participation and active learning. We provide companies and their employees with a hosted training solution that offers hands-on, virtual training software to aid your workforce in practicing job skills.
If you are still interested in learning about remote learning, read some best practices here. ReadyTech provides you with everything you need, and we offer a full-service setup process and 24/7 live support. Do you have questions? Contact us today.
