Why is remote training important?
Remote training is a type of training delivery aimed at people who work from home or at a location outside their main office environment. It can be delivered through the use of online courses, webinars or live training with (2 way interaction).
How is remote training different to classroom training?
Remote training differs from traditional classroom training, in that it offers the opportunity to train people at multiple locations, this makes it more affordable, convenient and means training can be arranged reactively in response to. Other key benefits to remote training include-
- It facilitates knowledge retention.
- It improves employee productivity.
- It allows the drip-feed of training content to increase efficiency.
- It offers a high-customized level of training.
- It decreases absenteeism.
- It provides immediate feedback.
Security and house rules
With remote training the key is to make sure the session run smoothly by establishing some house rules at the start of the session, these include things like setting down, how attendees post questions (Chat, Hands up, ask during the session etc), and how to use breakout rooms and who will be in each room, this saves confusion later down the line. Another important thing is to show people how to mute and unmute themselves.
When running an online session there are extra elements of security to consider such as sharing your screen. A trainer should remain in control of what content is shared so before the session begins its important to close down any tabs or programs you don’t need. This is doubly important if you are recording a meeting as any visuals shown will be able to be viewed at a later date. it is also worth noting that attendees should be made aware if a session is being recorded and that they are happy with this.
The lobby feature is a really useful gatekeeping tool to ensure only the right people are in your training session, when people join a session they will enter the lobby until they have been approved to enter the meeting.
Running a successful training session.
Preparation is key to any training session. To run a successful session, its important first of all that you set up an optimal training environment so you can focus on delivering the best training possible. It is important you set up these up ahead of the session, ideally 15minutes or so before. Things like headsets, light sources, your background, and noise pollution should all be considered. Review your training environment, make sure your hair is brushed and your slide show is open, as well as ensuring any unnecessary files etc are closed you should turn off any notifications that may cause a distraction. Most importantly have a cup of tea ready and a smile on your face!
Leading up to the meeting trainers should make sure they have the best contact information for their attendees so they can receive any relevant information both before and after the meeting.
Invites should be sent out and trainers should consider what information needs to be included in this, things like the meeting name/date/time are essential and agendas or attendee names can also be useful. If you want to use Breakout Rooms or share files that attendees need and should be sent/set up in advance.
We recommend having a moderator for larger meetings. This person can help bring forward any chat questions and provide meeting guidelines and reminders. They can also be responsible for muting/unmuting attendees and responding to chat messages/ monitoring questions.
The camera is one of the many great features of a Teams meeting, especially as training is now remote, using your camera helps with making it feel more personable. Make sure to use your camera when you are meeting and greeting people and doing introductions, it’s nice to put faces to names and helps people to engage more. It is also good practice to use the camera when answering questions.
When delivering any information you want to be focused on, it is advisable to turn off your camera as this will help attendees to focus on your voice and the information you are giving and not your face. When sharing your screen, controlling someone else’s screen, and presenting information it is also best to keep your camera turned off.
Keeping attendees engaged during sessions
During an presentation you want to keep attendees engaged, using icebreakers at the beginning within teams is a good way to do this, also utilise the notes section to note down people’s names and roles to remind people which groups they are in for breakouts.
Keep presentations to the point and be specific about the benefits, this reinforces why it’s in the attendee’s best interests to listen and interact, meaning more of the training is taken on board. Command attention from the start and don’t let the introductions go on too long, make sure you involve participants when presenting to avoid talking at them rather than to them, this will ensure they remain “plugged in” rather than “tuning out”. A trainer’s energy and enthusiasm can make all the difference to how connected and engaged the participants feel, so make sure to keep your energy up and keep on smiling!
