The training and development of employees is an integral part of the working pedagogy of any organization. Right training and development are enough to propel any company to the path of success and enhanced profitability. When employees are equipped with the right skills and up-to-date knowledge, they are better able to navigate through their jobs, and the challenges are thrown at them.
The pandemic has changed the way companies approach corporate training because of the sudden confinement of employees inside their homes as the lockdowns started taking effect for curbing the spread of the virus. HR managers had to think on their feet and come up with digital solutions to the learning and development of employees.
Even as the restrictions are now lifting gradually, two years after the onset of remote work, demands for a hybrid approach to work, which combines in-office work with remote work, require HR professionals to devise strategies that can tackle the new normal effectively without compromising on productivity and results.
Let’s take a look at the essential trends that HR managers need to keep in mind while designing training modules for the near future.
- Employee mentalities have been changing
Remote work allowed employees to experiment with the freelance economy to polish their skills and earn a little extra income. Employee mentality towards learning changed considerably when they witnessed how hands-on work fares better than regular training modules. The realization is a great opportunity for HR professionals to design newer training methodologies that focus less on rote learning and more on practical tasks. The need of the hour is to capitalize on the employee’s tilt towards learning and development to help them grow professionally and contribute to the organization handsomely.
- Requirement for personalized training has increased
Keeping in line with the changing employee mentalities, the demand for personalized training has been on the rise. Personalized training, as the name suggests, is customizing the training modules for individual employees based on their skill gaps, strengths, and weaknesses.
Personalized training allows employees to work on their specific weaknesses and polish their existing skills to become valuable assets of a company. Digital platforms like the Cornerstone software provide the required tools to HR managers for designing and tracking specific training modules that cater to the individual needs of every employee.
- Mixed reality can improve the training experience by making it interactive
Training modules are required to become more interactive to allow employees to engage more. Better engagement is key to better learning outcomes and increased productivity. Adoption of augmented reality and virtual reality while designing training components allows employees to immerse themselves in the learning process and retain the knowledge for longer periods. Training delivery makes a huge difference in its efficacy.
Gamification is also a part of delivery methods of the future, along with microlearning, simulation training, and quizzes. A combination of these methods improves the whole learning experience.
- Employees need more time for learning
Holistic learning outcomes may only be achieved when employees learn at regular intervals of time. Knowledge retainment is a direct function of the time spent learning a given skill. Therefore, many organizations have been implementing weekly training modules. With the help of internal learning management systems and training departments, HR managers have been pursuing the continuous learning approach of late and achieving better results than ever before.
- Phishing risks call for cybersecurity training
Remote work has made employees and organizations more prone to data theft and phishing attacks from hackers. There have been multiple instances globally where confidential company data has been compromised by such attacks in the last year. Therefore, there’s a pressing requirement for implementing compulsory cybersecurity training modules for equipping all employees to safeguard their data and company information.
Conclusion
Corporate training has seen myriad changes and new developments in the wake of the pandemic, and HR managers need to be ready for more of them soon. The above list can be helpful for HR professionals in their pursuit of designing and implementing effective training programs despite the challenges facing them.