Covid-19 and Workplace Learning
Workplace learning is one of the most important aspects of organizational development. Only organizations that have a clear strategy to train their employees and provide a path for personal and professional development can motivate their employees. The start of the pandemic forced organizations to go into lockdown and saw companies letting employees work from home. As the world saw second and third waves of the pandemic, organizations adopted work from home and hybrid working models, which forced L&D teams to change their training and learning delivery models.
Key Challenges in Employee Training
Some of the key challenges in employee training are:
Ascertaining the exact learning objectives mapped to the requirements of the learners
Budget restrictions forcing L&D teams to come up with basic solutions for complex training needs
Poor learner engagement and massive disconnect between the training content and the original learning objectives
Measuring the efficacy and effectiveness of the training program
Learning content not translating into measurable or tangible improvements in the performance of the learners
Key Challenges in Delivering Employee Training Due to Covid-19
The pandemic brought in another set of challenges that affected the delivery of training. Some of them are:
Shift to a completely online training model
Addressing accessibility issues for people living in areas with poor Internet connectivity
Absence of in-person interactions and direct discussions to clarify queries
No option to run learning in the flow of work programs
Motivating learners during tough times and helping them keep a positive outlook towards work and learning
Coordinating blended learning programs and bringing learners together online at one specific time for an interaction with the trainer
Lack of the “human touch” in completely online or self-paced learning programs
How Can Organizations and Trainers Tackle These Challenges?
It took a bit of time but most L&D teams globally have pulled themselves together to ensure that the employees could get access to learning without problems. Some points that other L&D teams could keep in mind and implement while delivering their training are given below:
Group learners together so that they can monitor or follow each other’s progress and help themselves
Accessibility challenges can be a problem. If, feasible deliver training content in a USB-drive that can be sent by post or courier to the learner’s residential address
The last two years have taken a tremendous toll on people both physically and emotionally. Some have lost a loved one, most have been ill, and have recovered after undergoing suffering. So be mindful and conscious of the problems that the learners are facing. Don’t force deadlines on them to complete a program
Check where you can use microlearning and video-based training content that can be easily accessed and consumed by the learner and use it appropriately
Design self-paced online training content that is not just good to look at but is of actual use to the learners and helps them do their job better
L&D teams and employee managers should work closely to recommend the proper program for each employee. It is also important for the employee managers to follow-up with the learners and check if they are benefitting from participating in the training programs
Design learning with a mobile-first approach and adopt an agile mindset in designing your training content. This will help you make changes to the learning content easily based on the feedback provided by the learners
Employee Training – Motivation & Happy Employees
The LinkedIn Workplace Learning Reports that have been published over the years show a clear corelation between employee happiness, training and development, and the opportunity to learn new skills. Upskilling and reskilling of employees has been a top priority for L&D teams in 2021. With organizations looking inwards to retain talent and fill vacant positions instead of hiring from outside; the focus on reskilling is a direct result of the plans of HR teams to retain top talent. As per the LinkedIn Learning Report for 2021, the top three focus areas for L&D teams were:
Upskilling and Reskilling
Leadership and Management
Virtual Onboarding
Upskilling and reskilling give organizations an opportunity to identify the best talent within the organization offer such employees the chance to learn new skills, take up new roles, and work on challenging projects that helps them put the new skills to use.
Motivated and happy employees work with greater passion and focus and help the organization achieve its goals. So, invest in the well-being and learning of your employees and give them the chance to explore new career paths.
S4Carlisle – Creating Impactful and Effective Employee Training Solutions
The pandemic continues to remain despite vaccines being available and governments are identifying ways to be prepared for the next wave. What this virus has taught us is that nothing is permanent and we should be prepared to face any eventuality. Workplace learning and training is no exception. As an employer, you can deploy quality training content for your employees, and help them learn new skills. With hybrid working models becoming the preferred way of working and some organizations switching to completely remote-working models; ensure that all your employees find a way to learn without upsetting their day-to-day job roles.
At S4Carlisle, our goal has been to demystify employee learning, making it easily accessible to everyone, focus on a mobile-first learning approach, and using the best principles of instructional design and training pedagogies to create highly leaner-centric training content. Our expertise in understanding the challenges of L&D teams and working closely with clients to deliver engaging digital learning solutions make us a preferred learning partner for several organizations globally. Write to us at sales@s4carlisle.com to learn how we can deliver an effective employee training program for your organization, which retains the interest of your employees, and helps them excel at their jobs. Pandemic or not, the process of learning should never stop.
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