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Hello everyone, this is Tom Hallett from the Learn Grow Succeed Podcast.
Today we’re talking about a topic that is relevant right now with the second lockdown, and that is virtual learning programmes.
It seems pretty surreal that we are now living our lives under constantly changing restrictions, and that might all change next year with the vaccine – but for now, we’re continuing with our digital ways of working.
By the way, if you’re new here, welcome! As our regular listeners will know, you can find a transcript of this podcast on the Excel Communications website, and you will also find plenty of additional resources there too, including podcasts, white papers and training webinars.
Now, we’ve seen some pretty significant changes over the past few months, with virtual communications of all different types being championed by businesses and people everywhere.
At Excel Communications, virtual communications and specifically virtual learning has always been something we’ve been passionate about, and it’s great to see more people embracing and understanding the value of virtual learning programmes which has happened since the first lockdown.
So today, I’m going to sharing some of the hidden benefits of virtual learning programmes for your organisation – virus or no virus, online learning platforms are here to stay.
1. Preparing Your Workforce With Digital Skills for the Future
In every organisation, there will be a varying degree of tech skills, from the experts to those who needed help setting up Zoom for the first time back in March.
But, if the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s that tech skills are going to be essential for our post-pandemic world.
The workplace of the near future is going to be very different from the one we left in March, and your workforce will need the skills to be able to thrive in this new environment.
Forbes lists ‘tech-savviness’ as one of the eight job skills that employees are going to need in the post-Covid world; they need to be comfortable working with different types of A.I. and virtual platforms. Introducing virtual learning as a training method is a great way to get your team comfortable with the significant digital changes that are set to happen over the coming months.
2. Hidden Cost-Savings
One of the biggest advantages of virtual learning is that the initial costs are far less than in-person learning; it’s an altogether more efficient and streamlined package in terms of set-up and cost.
But as well as the initial saving, investing in digital learning saves costs in some unexpected places, too.
Travel costs, the costs of physical resources, meals and refreshments – the price of regular in-person training events can add up.
Virtual training is far more cost-effective than physical training events in many unexpected ways. With training budgets being squeezed as they are this year – cost-effective training and development for your team are what many organisations are looking for, and with virtual training, the ability to have the programmes delivered directly to your employees wherever they are right now – their home office or dining table, in many cases, it really is a win-win for the employer.
3. Increased Wellbeing
The pandemic caused a shift in what employees are looking for from their employers – the organisations who neglected to invest in supporting their teams could end up paying the price.
The most talented individuals are looking for employers who invest in their futures. A recent PwC study found that excellent training and development programmes were the third most sought after characteristic for employees.
Organisations who are focusing on developing their team in our post-pandemic world will benefit by keeping their employees happy – which in turn leads to higher engagement and productivity – another win-win for the employer.
4. Encouraging Adaptability
And finally, our last hidden benefit of virtual training is the way that introducing new platforms and ways of working and learning builds flexibility and adaptability in your team.
It’s hard to imagine life pre-Covid in the office now.
So much has been changing recently, and the businesses who are thriving are the ones that are full of highly adaptable employees.
Virtual learning encourages employees to train ‘on the go’ – to get them to incorporate learning and development as part of their ongoing job role, rather than something that happens as a ‘one-off’ and then is rarely implemented afterwards.
Equip your team with the tools that will allow them to be flexible and open to learning new skills in new ways, and you will unlock their hidden potential.
Summary
So there we have it, the four hidden benefits of investing in virtual learning for your team, they are again:
- Preparing your workforce with new digital skills
- Hidden cost savings
- Increased wellbeing
- And finally – increased adaptability
And all of these extras come along with the primary function of virtual training – that of equipping your team with the skills your business needs to thrive in our new post-pandemic environment.
If you would like to know more about the many benefits of virtual training, head to our blog, where we have a catalogue of articles about online learning – I’ll leave a link in the comments.
For information about the online learning programmes we provide, I’ll also leave a link in the transcript of this podcast which you can find on our website.
And remember you can access all of our podcasts on iTunes by hitting the subscribe button
This is Tom from the Learn Grow Succeed Podcast Saying bye for now.
Thanks
Tom
About Excel Communications
LEARN, GROW, SUCCEED
Excel Communications is a learning and development consultancy based near London in the U.K. For more than 30 years, we have been collaborating with clients across the globe.
Partnering with Excel empowers you to evolve your people and business by fuelling a love for learning.
We work with you to create unforgettable, customised learning experiences to achieve your vision of success and growth, with tangible results.
View our case studies here.
We have a team of expert trainers delivering programmes across five continents in multiple languages. Call us now on +44 (0) 1628 488 854.
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