3 Kinds of Virtual Learning HR Should Consider in a Pandemic

Continuous learning throughout the organization, starting from the C-level down to the front-liners, is a basic tenet of a holistic growth company. Improving products, services, and IT systems will not be effective without raising the level of the human component. In the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis, human resource managers are hard-pressed to find other ways to train their workforce who are mostly working from home these days. 

WFH and online learning

According to the State of Remote Work 2019 report by Owl Labs, a majority of employees prefer working at home for various reasons: better work-life balance; increased productivity due to improved focus; less stress; and the reduction of hours-long, taxing commute.

However, human resource managers are also well aware of the challenges that the WFH scenario brings, such as: 

Employees feel out of the loop – Synergy that builds employee morale is fostered in healthy work environments. A lot of employees enjoy the office environment and interacting with their colleagues. Working from home on a long-term basis may make them feel alienated and left out.

Time and productivity monitoring problems – While there are software that can help with communication, monitoring if an employee is properly doing their job is harder in a virtualized workplace. Careless mistakes arising from the lack of supervision and complacency can also be detrimental to your business.

Virtual learning can be utilized to close these gaps. It can make employees located in various parts of the city or country connected again. It can become an instrument to bolster teamwork and morale. At the same time, it ensures that the training and development of the workforce will continue. The company will not lose its competitive edge. 

Virtual classes have been around since the 1990s. The technology and system have matured since then. According to feedback received by The University of Potomac, 77 percent of educators and 70 percent of students claim that online learning is just as good or better than traditional classroom settings.

A system that works for professional students can be made to work for bonafide professionals. It’s just a matter of careful design and implementation. 

Types of online learning

Virtual classes or online learning refers to instructional sessions done through technology with the teacher not being in the same place as their students. It can be classified into certain categories, based on the instructional environment, tools, and overall approach to learning:

Asynchronous Online Courses – More of a self-study type approach to online learning, instructors upload teaching materials and assignments, and students complete the assignments on their own time. Interactions are done through online forums and other knowledge-based boards. This works best for an organization that promotes flexible working hours.

Synchronous Online Courses – Similar to a webinar, the instructors and students are online at the same time and interact through audio and/or video and live chat. It is the closest method that virtual learning has in emulating a classroom environment, at least for now.

One of its advantages is that it reintroduces the idea of teamwork and brainstorming in a remote environment. 

Hybrid Courses – A mixture that results when the first two types are implemented. Students study and complete the requirements according to their own schedule, but they have periodic face-to-face meetings with their instructors.

Younger employees who are working from home have taken to this approach. The lockdown gives them enough time to self-study while allowing them to handle family matters related to the crisis at the same time. Periodic training will keep the HR and management up-to-date on the progress of their employees and how they are coping with the new situation.

The flexibility of hybrid learning is precisely what every company needs to adapt to fluid situations such as the current coronavirus pandemic. Online training does not only make your company more agile, but it can boost employee productivity by 53 percent, says Course Genius.

One on One Mentorship – The employee, referred to as the mentee, is guided by a mentor who has more experience, knowledge, and skills on a particular subject than most.  Demographics and the chasm of generations may not matter at this point. Senior managers can mentor their younger colleagues on soft skills. On the other hand, rising millennial stars can walk their managers through the latest technology that the company is using. 

The approach is personal and individualized. The relationship between mentor and mentee can grow to their benefit, as well as the company’s. Both individuals learn new things. All live sessions are done one on one. Consultation times are set at regular intervals, e.g. weekly or monthly. This one-on-one approach gives the mentee the space and the time to immerse themselves in their new studies. 

Why consider virtual learning

Choosing between many forms of online learning boils down to your corporate requirements, budget, and available personnel. Will your company continue the work-from-home / continuous learning policy past the lockdown? Do you have the budget to invest in a specialized online learning platform? What kind of skills and monitoring do you need to teach your employees while working from home?

The coronavirus pandemic might just have provided your company an opportunity to test how a virtual workplace can work for your organization. Go through the process, and monitor the results. Adopt what works, and improve on the flaws that do not. 

As you modify the system, your people will remain at the cutting edge of competitiveness long after the crisis is over.