Employee Training and Development Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

In a bid to continue business operations amid these difficult times, employee training and development has taken a backseat in many organizations. The work culture has undergone a major shift with remote working becoming the new normal. Economic recession has forced many organizations to trim their budgets and employee training is no more a priority. Businesses are focusing more on productivity and customer acquisition and retention. However, training and development needs to be viewed as an investment rather than a cost, more so in these uncertain times. The COVID-19 crisis has adversely affected business operations in multiple ways and it is now that employees need to upskill themselves to keep up with the changes and be informed enough to innovate for better navigating the murky waters.

Take a look at the benefits of employee training and development during these challenging times and how the industry is adapting to emerge as more helpful for the organizations.

1. Strategic Training Modules

The pandemic has been throwing at us new challenges every other day and businesses are finding it hard to cope. However, the training and development industry is now more focused on creating programs that address those challenges and suggest techniques to overcome them. Also, creating a safer work environment and abiding by the federal and state regulations have become a priority for employers. The training programs can be valuable in ensuring that your workforce is safe and your business operations are compliant with the law. Experts are designing learning programs that are clear and compelling,and effectively boost participation and engage the attendees even when most of them are stressed out, anxious or depressed about the current scenarios. Focus is more on delivering the maximum value in a short span of time. By investing in employee development during the COVID-19 crisis, companies can further increase their odds of success.

2. Virtual Training Programs

Majority of employees are still working from home and on-site trainings are no more an option. However, by making the optimum use of technology, virtual training programs have emerged as a valuable tool to keep the workforce skilled and updated. Organizations are embracing new tools for communication and collaboration, that weren’t common before the pandemic, which are also paving the way for employee training. But there is a need of revising the content, delivery approach and learning goals to suit the remote workers. Also, there needs to be a program coordinator to ensure a smooth learning experience. However, these alterations are not temporary but are laying the foundation for making training and development in a post-COVID-19 workplacemore convenient. Thus the training industry is evolving significantly to better fulfill the learning needs of organizations even beyond the pandemic.

3. Focus on Employee Wellness

The healthier your employees are, both physically and mentally, the more they can contribute to the organizational success. The pandemic has severely impacted the mental health of people as they are constantly worried about getting sick or losing their jobs. The prolonged social distancing is also taking a toll and all these are impacting the physical health as well. Employee wellness has seldom received a spotlight and unfortunately many organizations have been ignoring this from ages. The COVID-19 crisis has, however, highlighted its significance, and the training industry is now more focused on developing programs that help the workforce stay healthy. The pandemic has prompted such widespread mental health issues that companies are taking a keen interest in educating their employees and helping them cope. The training programs on employee wellness are now of paramount importance for the organizations chasing long-term success.

Upskilling and reskilling employees is now more important than ever as organizations need new insights and techniques for business continuity and people management amid all the uncertainties. The more your workforce learns and enhances their skillset and knowledge, the better they can help your organization survive the pandemic and pave the way for long term success.