While the shift to a hybrid or remote workforce was hastened by the pandemic, for many companies, remote teams are here to stay. And it’s not all bad. There are plenty of benefits, both for workers and for companies. Savings on office space, a more flexible work environment, the ability to hire the right person for the job, wherever they happen to be. But one thing companies can find challenging is onboarding and training.
The old days of “Here’s your desk, here are all the files, here’s the handbook. If you need something, just ask a coworker,” are gone. As we’ve shifted to video calls and cloud-based folders, it’s easy for things (and people) to fall through the cracks. As an HR Services Training Manager at Xenium, I support our own team as well as clients in developing training materials and programs. Here are some key learnings you can apply to your own training and development process with a remote workforce in mind.
Get to know your new hires
Training programs can’t be one-size-fits-all. The best way to give a new hire a strong start is to understand what they need to thrive. At Xenium, I like to meet with all our new hires to introduce myself, share my role, and understand how I can support them. My favorite question is, “How do you like to learn?” It seems so basic, but everyone learns in different ways and you won’t know how to support them unless you ask.
Support all kinds of learners
There are three kinds of learners: kinesthetic, auditory, and visual. Kinesthetic learners learn by doing.They’ll probably prefer to try something on their own with someone watching or talking them through it. Auditory learners prefer a lecture over written instructions. Video, webinars, or a meeting recording will help them take things in. And visual learners need to see it. They’ll gravitate toward reading detailed instructions or referencing a flow chart. The ideal training resources are the ones that support all three learners.
Ask for feedback regularly
Training resources aren’t a set it and forget it kind of thing. Information changes, new processes come up, teams shift and change. Whenever you hire someone new, that’s an opportunity to reassess your onboarding process and training materials. Regularly check-in and ask how resources are working for people and whether they have any suggestions. You might find ways to simplify, expand, or even try something new.
Use in-person time wisely
With so many great online resources for learning and development at our disposal, we’ve found that remote workers don’t want to use in-person time for training. More and more, people are looking for connection, networking, and conversation with their coworkers. We’re seeing many companies use in-person time to do just that, bringing teams together on a regular basis simply to make connections and build relationships to ensure the company culture thrives.
Personally, I find this shift really exciting. When done well and designed to support all kinds of learners, remote training resources may actually be better than the old way. People can learn at their own pace, using the methods that help them learn best.