19 Jul

Remote Training: Onboarding Challenges and Solutions

Posted at 15:25h in General News, Inductions and Training by Sam Fisher

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Remote training is now a reality for businesses of all sizes, and managing onboarding with a geographically dispersed team can be challenging.

This blog will guide you through the unique hurdles of remote onboarding and show how software can be your secret weapon for building a successful remote team from day one.

Key Stats:

Remote employees need extra support: 39% of employees received the right level of support during remote onboarding, and 18% said they had no support at all (source).

44% growth in remote: over the last 5 years, employees working in a remote capacity had increased by 44% (source).

#1 Disconnected Training Experience

Problem: New hires often feel disconnected and overwhelmed during the onboarding process, especially when working remotely.

Fragmented onboarding experiences where information is scattered across emails, shared drives, and various platforms can lead to confusion and frustration.

Solution: Remote staff would benefit from a more centralised approach where resources and training are accessible. A single point of reference for everything they need from policies to job specific training.

Handling onboarding this way makes it more cohesive and connected, benefits which are likely to be felt by the remote worker. With more structured and interactive training online, not only is the experience for the remote worker better, but the business gains benefits like tracking.

#2 Remote training and Engagement

Problem: Keeping employees engaged during remote onboarding is a big challenge. Without face-to-face interactions and hands-on activities, it can be difficult to stay focussed and motivated.

Traditional training methods of documents and presentations, while comprehensive, often fail to capture the attention of remote workers, leading to a lack of enthusiasm at a time where enthusiasm should be at an all-time high.

Solution: Interactive training such as quizzes can greatly improve engagement for remote training. It turns passive learning into something which a user is required to apply themselves and become more intimately involved.

Videos also make training more memorable, helping people learn more practical and tangible skills. So including a range of varied content can help boost engagement by accommodating to learning styles and encouraging employees to think differently about their training.

#3 Inconsistent Training Delivery

Problem: Variability in training delivery and quality is a common issue for remote onboarding.

Different trainers have varying styles and levels of expertise, leading to a pretty inconsistent experience for new hires.

This inconsistency can result in knowledge gaps, confusion and a lack of uniformity in how new employees perform.

Solution: Standardising training modules and workflows can ensure consistency in remote training. Creating a unified curriculum guarantees that every new hire receives the correct training and proper instruction, regardless of manager.

You could also consider some level of automation for your workflows and delivery, ensuring that training is delivered in a structured and sequential manner, minimising the risk of error.

#4 Tracking remote Training

Problem: Monitoring progress of new remote hires can be difficult. Without the ability to observe managers struggle to gauge engagement and understanding.

This leaves a visibility gap which ultimately delays the discovery of issues like compliance and gaps in knowledge, hindering the employees ability to integrate and perform.

Solution: Without measuring anything you are accepting the unknown, which is why a digital alternative for remote-heavy businesses can help.

When looking for a digital alternative, consider what you’d like to track and how you intend to use the information, for example do you want to track failures, passes or both? Do you want to notify specific managers of important updates? Do you want to see the most commonly failed items?

Digital inductions allow you to ensure training is completed on time, the appropriate interventions take place, and the correct people stay informed.

#5 Overwhelming with initial training

Problem: Traditionally, onboarding and training takes place upon arrival during the first few days of employment. This approach can leave new starters feeling overwhelmed due to the sheer volume of information all at once.

This often impedes a new hires ability to effectively integrate into their role due to difficulty in retaining important details.

Solution: Breaking things down into manageable training modules can help prevent overload. Additionally, delivering the training earlier with deadlines for specific sections can help manage the load, allowing them to apply themselves at a time which is more conducive of learning.

Some people prefer to learn in a comfortable environment, for example at home on their own devices, so also consider if this is something your business could accommodate.

#6 Geographical Barriers

Problem: Geographical distances can pose difficulty, particularly in remote-first environments where workers are widely spread. Not only are you battling with the physical restrictions, but potentially time zones too.

Solution: Consider hosting your training on a platform which is accessible 24/7. This can help overcome geographical and time barriers by allowing employees to engage with training at their own pace.

This not only facilities a smoother onboarding process, but also ensures new hires are all receiving the same level of training and support, regardless of their remote status.