Why Do You Need to Train the Remote Workforce?
The world we live in is constantly changing. We do things differently than before, in pursuit of increasing comfort, efficiency, and output. The workplace in particular has become more diverse. There are more and more remote workers and they keep increasing by the year. According to a recent study by Flexjobs and Global Workplace Analytics, in 2019 there are are 4.7 million Americans who are working remotely, and they comprise 4.3 of the population. Another study by Talent LMS says that 66 percent of U.S. companies are allowing their employees to work at home several times in a day. Remote workforces are composed of employed individuals who don’t necessarily work in a conventional office setting. They are treated as regular employees except that they are not required to go to an office. They have the option to work from home, a co-working space, a café, a library or anywhere that has internet connection. Companies are open to allowing their employees to work remotely because there are actually advantages both for the company and the employee.
Remote workers are deemed to be more productive for businesses. Furthermore, as a business owner, you can source out from a large talent pool since you can hire from anywhere in the world. Remote workers, though, still need to be trained. Working remotely has its perks but that doesn’t mean they are exempted from complying with company rules and standards. Moreover, training is essential to keep the company’s quality standard and enable the workers to keep pace with the company’s flow of things.
A report by Flex Strategy group highlighted that 57% of the hired remote workers didn’t have any guidance or training on how to do remote working properly. There are different protocols and procedures when working remotely and they are far from that of a regular office setting. In the same study, 70% of the employees who received training for remote work felt more productive over the 53% of those who did not receive it. Furthermore, formal training boosts the employee’s abilities to create, innovate, and communicate better with their colleagues than those who didn’t receive any training.
Above all, conducting training can help the remote worker understand better his role, as well as the scope and limitation of his job. Training also will give a clear understanding of the different tools to be used for the job and for communication. As a general rule, with more information and knowledge comes the power to do more and perform better. That is the very reason why training remote workforce is needed.
How to train remote employees
Training remote employees can come in many forms and ways. Here are some of the common ways and styles on how to train remote workforce:
Use and teach technology
The main reason we can do remote working today is because of the technological advancements that we currently enjoy. There are a lot of software tools and applications that you can use to communicate with people in different parts of the world. You can conduct live one-on-one training and you can give a recorded format that the workers can watch from time to time. In remote working, you sometimes have to show how things are done and you can do that with whatever tool that works. For example, in a remote workplace setting, training can show newbies how to use VPN or a chat app that complies with the needs of the job.
Track training and developments
Having a standard set of guidelines and courses can be very beneficial for the company. It is easier to train new remote workers if there is a step-by-step guide on how to go about it. In a remote workplace setting, share how newbies are taught to use VPN or chat app that complies with the needs of the job.
The thing with remote working is you can never really tell if the person is really doing what they’re supposed to do and according to the pace you have required of them. So it is important to track their training and development. It is essential to conduct regular meetings/assessment just so you can be sure that everyone is on track or if someone needs extra help. It is important to understand that not everyone works at the same pace.
Having remote workers can be a great benefit to your business if they are trained well. Having the right set of goals, skills, and tools that remote workers are knowledgeable of can make the company soar. With proper training, you can expect more productivity from your remote workers. Lastly, you’ll have a diverse team who performs competently doing and under minimal supervision.
