Jekyll2023-06-20T02:17:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/feed.xmlObsidian LearningObsidian develops interactive learning programs that engage learners, accelerate skills development and boost overall business performance.Customize New Hire Training: 5 Reasons to Partner Up With a Vendor for Your Onboarding Program2021-03-17T00:00:00+00:002021-03-17T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/03/customize-new-hire-training<p><em>Your employees might not have the time or specialized skills to convert an existing inperson onboarding program to a virtual one, or to create such a program from scratch. Partnering with a talented vendor might be your best bet for designing a customized program that reflects the culture and values of your organization.</em></p>
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<p>Off-the-shelf training has its place, but onboarding is…not it. If there is any type of training that calls for a customized approach, surely it is this. Whether your program is virtual onboarding, face-to-face, or a blend, onboarding provides your new hires with their first glimpse into the company culture, values, and structure. Each organization has its quirks and specificities, and these should be reflected in the onboarding program. But if you’re going to create customized training for your onboarding process, you might need help. Let’s look at 5 reasons why you might want to partner with a vendor to develop a robust, customized onboarding program.</p>
<h3 id="reason-1-availability">Reason #1: Availability</h3>
<p>While your employees might possess the institutional knowledge to set up an onboarding program, they might not have the availability. They have daily tasks that require their attention, and it can be difficult to carve out the time to focus on a project that is not directly related to their day-to-day responsibilities.</p>
<p>A vendor, on the other hand, is focused on getting the ball rolling on your project as soon as you’ve signed on the dotted line. They will develop a mutually agreeable timeline, and will be focused on getting the job done according to the terms outlined in your contract. <a href="/blog/2019/05/ten-questions-to-consider-when-selecting-a-custom-elearning-content-provider.html"><strong>Hiring a strong vendor</strong></a> increases capacity and ensures speed to implementation.</p>
<h3 id="reason-2-specialization">Reason #2: Specialization</h3>
<p>The services your vendor will provide are associated with specialized skill sets that might not be internally available. A vendor’s fully fleshed out learning and development team might include a program manager, learning strategists, instructional designers, animators, and graphic designers that function as a well-oiled machine. Such a talented group of individuals will be focused on learning and visual design, and can provide you with fresh ideas, fresh approaches, and fresh eyes when it comes to your content.</p>
<p>Particularly in today’s context, be on the lookout for a vendor with experience in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=19&v=APr9pwl-QPM&feature=emb_logo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapid conversion</a> of existing materials for virtual deployment. As the COVID-19 pandemic has so vividly demonstrated, organizations should be prepared to pivot to virtual onboarding as necessary. A competent vendor should offer content analysis services, engagement strategies, and a detailed design for your onboarding program that will provide a roadmap for the conversion process.</p>
<h3 id="reason-3-engagement">Reason #3: Engagement</h3>
<p>Your staff might have a good handle on the necessary content for your onboarding program, but can they make it interesting? Can they leverage the latest developments in adult learning theory? Can they implement strategies to boost engagement? If you’ve selected a qualified vendor, they should be able to tackle all of these items and more.</p>
<p>Ideally, your vendor will partner you with a qualified learning strategist who will parse through your content and identify opportunities for engagement. This might mean implementing elements of gamification, social learning, microlearning, animation/video—but don’t assume this always means a significant financial investment. You don’t always need slick production values or professional animation to maintain engagement, and a skilled learning strategist will direct you toward those elements that fit both the content and your budget.</p>
<h3 id="reason-4-organization">Reason #4: Organization</h3>
<p>It can be tricky to keep track of an internal development process. As the training goes through various iterations, you can get to v10 before you know it. And if the onboarding program has been designed according to <a href="/white-papers/blended-learning-a-proven-approach-to-learning-development.html">blended learning</a> principles, it’s a good bet that there will be a lot of moving parts.</p>
<p>At the conclusion of a project, any vendor worth their salt will leave you with a neatly packaged bundle of deliverables, and should provide a clearly outlined list of all assets (file names, locations, etc.) that includes a short description of each item. In terms of efficiency, this is a clear advantage as compared to digging through the sub-sub-sub folder where a vital piece of content might be buried. Leaving your files in good order is crucial to easy maintenance, which is the lynch pin of sustainability and long-term value of your onboarding program.</p>
<h3 id="reason-5-perspective">Reason #5: Perspective</h3>
<p>While the strong institutional knowledge of your employees has the potential to enhance your onboarding program, it can also lead to an overabundance of content. How do you sift through all of it? A vendor can help you distinguish between need to know, good to know, and save it for later—and will provide solutions for how to treat all three categories of information.</p>
<p>Coming from a vendor, such determinations can be easier to accept than if originating from internal sources. You should be able to rely on the objective voice of a third-party consultant, as they should have no link to internal company politics, entrenched positions or history—their sole aim should be the success of the program.</p>
<p>Finally, a vendor can provide a clarifying perspective. As they’re not steeped in company culture and practices, they will more easily spot those things that might be puzzling to new hires, and can help identify opportunities for messaging or conveying a specific organizational vision.</p>
<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>
<p>Team building is vital to the success of any business. If your employees don’t feel that they’re working with a common purpose toward common goals, it can seriously affect morale and productivity. Developing a strong onboarding program is the first step toward ensuring that your employees are getting off to the right start. With a talented vendor in your corner, you can be confident that the program is in professional hands and will have the intended impact.</p>Amanda CostaYour employees might not have the time or specialized skills to convert an existing inperson onboarding program to a virtual one, or to create such a program from scratch. Partnering with a talented vendor might be your best bet for designing a customized program that reflects the culture and values of your organization.Skilling Up Virtual Team Managers and Supervisors: 3 Essential Upboarding Tips2021-03-10T00:00:00+00:002021-03-10T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/03/skilling-up-virtual-team-managers-and-supervisors<p><em>New managers and supervisors have more than ever to learn if they are stepping up to manage a virtual team. Great upboarding can have a tremendous impact on their success, and on the productivity and satisfaction of the virtual teams they lead.</em></p>
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<p>While onboarding refers to preparing employees to join the company or team, “upboarding” refers to employees staying in the same company but stepping into a new role, usually in a leadership capacity.</p>
<p>Unless there is a big lateral move involved, the new supervisor or manager probably already knows the company’s culture and general practices, but they know them from the perspective of an employee, not a supervisor or manager. To be effective in their new role, they need new knowledge, skills, and practices. If most of their work experience has been in face-to-face environments, leading a virtual team is a double whammy. Worse, in an organization that has undergone a sudden shift from face-to-face to working remotely, the new manager may not personally know any mentors who can advise them on the virtual aspects of their job.</p>
<p>Good upboarding can make all the difference for new supervisors and managers, and through them, for the teams they lead.</p>
<p>So, how do you make great upboarding?</p>
<h3 id="tip-1-update-your-managers-playbook-specifically-for-managing-a-virtual-team">Tip #1: Update Your Manager’s Playbook Specifically for Managing a Virtual Team</h3>
<p>There’s more to working successfully in a virtual team than learning how to join a Zoom meeting. Every human interaction is different to some degree in a virtual environment, which means the <a href="/services/virtual-team-building-toolkit.html">manager’s “playbook”</a> needs a global update.</p>
<p>Put yourself in a new manager’s place and ask yourself: What, specifically, is different about managing in a virtual environment in your company? Or maybe the better question is, what’s not different? It won’t take you long to start tripping over gaps between practices taught for face-to-face management and what works in virtual interactions.</p>
<p>For example, most companies skill up supervisors and managers for sensitive tasks like conducting performance reviews. But if your existing “how to” resources don’t consider the virtual work environment, they leave gaping holes such as:</p>
<ul>
<li>If the team has shifted recently from face-to-face to virtual work, are performance expectations and requirements in the new environment clear? If not, how do you conduct an equitable performance review?</li>
<li>How do you gather performance data when the vast majority of work hours are unobserved?</li>
<li>How do you provide performance feedback, especially negative feedback, in a virtual environment?</li>
<li>What accommodations does the company provide for employees who have hearing difficulty or other barriers to online communication? How do accommodations, their lack, or their lack of success factor into evaluating performance?</li>
<li>When, if ever, should virtual conversations be recorded? Is the reviewee’s consent necessary? If the reviewee wants to record the conversation, should the manager consent?</li>
</ul>
<p>Other commonly overlooked areas where the virtual work environment has a big impact:</p>
<ul>
<li>Social connection, especially sense of belonging and trust</li>
<li>Employee motivation, including self-motivation</li>
<li>Running different types of online meetings (brainstorming, milestone celebrations, etc.)</li>
<li>Inclusivity</li>
<li>Integrating new/reboarded employees</li>
<li>Training/coaching employees remotely</li>
<li>Sustainability and succession planning</li>
</ul>
<p>Upboarding new managers with systematic training on the typical virtual interactions they are likely to encounter, and ways they can make their virtual meetings run better, is not only reassuring as they face new challenges—it can also yield big results for them, their teams and the company.</p>
<h3 id="tip-2-provide-extra-support-around-building-social-connection-on-virtual-teams">Tip #2: Provide Extra Support Around Building Social Connection on Virtual Teams</h3>
<p>As we’ve discussed in other contexts, people who work remotely tend to feel less connected to their team and their company. This can impact motivation, morale and basic mental health, which in turn has real financial impact in reduced productivity, increased missed work and higher employee turnover costs. <strong>Social connection impacts every area of team performance</strong>. It’s good for humans, and it’s good for companies. But it doesn’t happen by chance.</p>
<p>Building social connection on virtual teams requires regular, intentional action. Yet most people come into management with neither formal training nor informal experience in building social connection in a work environment.</p>
<p>Ask yourself:</p>
<ul>
<li>In your company, is social connection seen as something that should happen after hours, or as a regular part of work interactions?</li>
<li>Are there any successful models for virtual social connection team activities in your company?</li>
<li>Are there teams in your company that exhibit strong social connection? What attitudes, structures, and practices make them work? Could they be a success story/case study to teach new managers and teams?</li>
<li>Do you offer courses and other resources for building social connection on virtual teams? Do they provide specific practices for managers and teams to use?</li>
</ul>
<p>The gap between knowing something and being able to do that thing is often vast, and social connection is no exception. Many people have never experienced a regular sense of social connection in a virtual work setting. A manager will find it easier—and also be more motivated—to increase social connection on their team after experiencing it themselves. Look for ways to include <a href="/services/virtual-team-building-social-connection.html">experiential elements</a> in any social connection learning program you create or implement.</p>
<h3 id="tip-3-make-your-management-training-super-accessible">Tip #3: Make Your Management Training Super Accessible</h3>
<p>By its nature, upboarding often means employees are juggling balls from both their old and new positions while climbing a steep learning curve. Anything you can do to make their training more flexible is a boon.</p>
<p>Your company likely has at least basic training in place for people stepping into management for the first time. If at least some of that training is not available online, then <strong>get it online</strong>, in fairly small chunks, so trainees can learn on their own schedule. Give them a <a href="/projects/role-based-microlearning-portal/">learning map or portal</a> for their new role so they can see everything they need to learn in order, or choose the topic they need most today. eLearning and microlearning are particularly great for this.</p>
<p>Don’t overlook the value of real humans as resources in upboarding. A buddy who is going through, or just went through, the same transition keeps the new manager from feeling alone in their challenges. A strong mentoring relationship may last for years. But even if it just provides support for the first 6-12 months, those can be crucial for a new manager or supervisor. Consider implementing a <strong>buddy or mentoring system</strong> if you don’t already have one. Nothing replaces having a trusted person outside the situation to turn to for perspective and advice.</p>
<h3 id="recap">Recap</h3>
<p>Upboarding managers and supervisors specifically to lead virtual teams can make all the difference for their success and satisfaction, and for the virtual teams they lead. Remember these tips to make your upboarding program impactful.</p>
<ul>
<li>Tip #1: Update your manager’s playbook specifically for managing virtual teams.</li>
<li>Tip #2: Provide extra support around building social connection on virtual teams.</li>
<li>Tip #3: Make your management training super accessible.</li>
</ul>Shelly ImmelNew managers and supervisors have more than ever to learn if they are stepping up to manage a virtual team. Great upboarding can have a tremendous impact on their success, and on the productivity and satisfaction of the virtual teams they lead.Back to the Workplace: 5 Things to Consider When Reboarding Returning Employees2021-03-03T00:00:00+00:002021-03-03T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/03/five-things-to-consider-when-reboarding-returning-employees<p><em>Though times are uncertain, it seems likely that organizations will be seeking to rehire former employees as the economic climate stabilizes. Reboarding—bringing former employees back up to speed—is different from onboarding and should be designed as such.</em></p>
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<p>The COVID-19 pandemic has stretched out longer than many of us could have imagined back when we heard the first reports of this disease. At its onset, and in industries where it was a viable solution, many businesses shifted to remote work as a temporary measure to slow the spread of the virus while still maintaining productivity. But as the pandemic continued with no clear end in sight, businesses faced tough decisions about resource allocation and personnel. Whether compelled to implement temporary furloughs or outright layoffs, just about every business sector has been affected to some degree.</p>
<p>While we’re still waiting to see what the new normal might entail, it would be wise to start thinking about what will happen once the dust settles. It seems a fairly sure bet that many industries will be seeking to rehire furloughed employees. Why start from scratch when you’ve got experienced hands waiting in the wings? Reboarding, however, can be a delicate dance. Let’s take a look at why that might be the case.</p>
<h3 id="consideration-1-reboarding-is-not-onboarding">Consideration #1: Reboarding Is Not Onboarding</h3>
<p>When onboarding, you’re dealing with individuals who are new to the organization, its culture, administrative quirks, and best practices. When reboarding, the exact opposite is true. How are you going to handle this distinction?</p>
<p>If you have a robust onboarding program in place, you’re already ahead of the curve. Sift though the typical onboarding program and determine what will be appropriate for your reboarding hires. They surely don’t need to sit through the entire program, and if you insist that they do so, be prepared for resistance—it’s a tough exercise to sit through training that you don’t want or need. And as an employer, do you really want to get off on the wrong foot with rehires?</p>
<p>Be thoughtful about change management. Identify new workplace practices, notably those related to health and safety, and ensure those are included in the reboarding program. You’ll avoid boring your rehires to tears, while demonstrating your concern about the continued wellbeing of all employees.</p>
<p>Be sure to leverage the experience of past and present managers and supervisors, not just HR. Their broader perspective will help enrich the reboarding process. Rather than having rehires jump through some administrative hoops and calling it a day, this is an opportunity to reconnect in a meaningful way with your employees.</p>
<h3 id="consideration-2-rehires-need-a-roadmap">Consideration #2: Rehires Need a Roadmap</h3>
<p>Clarity is key for returning employees. Let them know straight out of the gate what the reboarding process will look like. Outline the steps they need to take, what portion of the onboarding training is required, and what assessments will be necessary. Especially in a time of widespread uncertainty, setting clear expectations will be highly appreciated.</p>
<p>Address career development from the outset. Are employees being reassigned to the same role? Are they back on their previous development path? What can they expect in terms of career progression? These are burning questions for rehires, so make sure to provide the answers from the outset. And if you honestly don’t know, or need additional time to nail down a new organizational structure, tell them that. Businesses are suffering from uncertainty as much as individuals, and your honesty will go a long way towards rebuilding trust.</p>
<h3 id="consideration-3-returning-employees-have-specific-needs">Consideration #3: Returning Employees Have Specific Needs</h3>
<p>Speaking of uncertainty, operate on the assumption that returning employees will require some reassurance. Bring them up to speed on organizational changes that might have occurred while they were away; you can’t assume they know or will discover everything they need to properly perform and excel at their jobs.</p>
<p>Equally, you’ll need to undertake a respectful look at potential performance gaps. How long has the employee been away? Has it been long enough that some key job functions have changed? If so, they might need to unlearn some old habits and acquire new ones. Provide performance support to address any gaps as swiftly as possible.</p>
<h3 id="consideration-4-leverage-the-experience-of-rehires">Consideration #4: Leverage the Experience of Rehires</h3>
<p>If you’ve recalled employees and are also hiring new ones, here’s an opportunity to leverage the professional experience of the former while enhancing the onboarding experience of the latter. You’ve got a pool of individuals who know how the organization functions, but might be feeling a bit out of sorts after a period of unemployment. Demonstrate your confidence in their competence and institutional knowledge by asking them to volunteer as mentors to the new hires.</p>
<p>The newbies will benefit from having a specific person to ask the questions they might hesitate to ask otherwise, and rehires can brush up on their own skills by helping the new employees through the onboarding process. A note of caution here: make sure the mentor has a positive outlook. A returning employee resentful of having previously been let go can seriously put a damper on the enthusiasm and potential of a bright-faced new employee.</p>
<h3 id="consideration-5-returning-employees-deserve-honesty">Consideration #5: Returning Employees Deserve Honesty</h3>
<p>This is critical. Beyond the financial implications, it’s never easy to be laid off; there are always lingering questions about personal competence and value as compared to other employees, especially those who weren’t let go. How do you make employees feel valued and appreciated under such circumstances?</p>
<p>This is perhaps less difficult considering where we are today; a world-wide pandemic that has rocked the global economy is a pretty convincing rationale. But as employees return, reinforce how and why their presence is important to the organization’s success. And if the state of the organization, industry, etc., remains precarious, let them know that, too. Explain the strategy for building back the business; better yet, involve them in that strategy. You never know what creative solutions might be lurking in the minds of your employees; making them feel a necessary part of your team might tap unanticipated potential and insights.</p>
<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>
<p>Rehires are a special breed, and should be treated as such. They have skills, experience, and organizational knowledge that will get them back up to speed much more quickly than a new employee. Keeping these 5 tips in mind will equip you to navigate the reboarding process for the mutual benefit of your returning employees and the organization as a whole.</p>Amanda CostaThough times are uncertain, it seems likely that organizations will be seeking to rehire former employees as the economic climate stabilizes. Reboarding—bringing former employees back up to speed—is different from onboarding and should be designed as such.5 Ways Social Learning Can Lead to an Effective Remote Onboarding Process2021-02-24T00:00:00+00:002021-02-24T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/02/five-ways-social-learning-can-lead-to-effective-remote-onboarding<p><em>Social learning is key to the integration of new employees. Focusing on social learning elements during a remote onboarding process will ensure that new hires more quickly transform into fully functional employees.</em></p>
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<p>Reaching back as far as recorded human history, there is clear evidence that humans are social beings. Early artists didn’t generally draw pictograms of one man with a spear; rather, a group of individuals might be depicted taking down a mammoth, or perhaps a collection of handprints could be found embedded on a cave wall. When those early drawings were made, social interaction was closely connected to survival. You had a much better chance of making it through the harsh realities of life as a group rather than an outlier. But a large component of survival rests upon acquiring the skills you need to make it through life—and how better to develop those skills than to learn them from your mentors, peers, and colleagues: your social group. Really, not so much has changed.</p>
<figure class="figure">
<img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-02-24/amiteshikha.jpg" class="figure-img img-fluid rounded" alt="Human History" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption">Image licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Attribution: amiteshikha.</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Fast forward to more recent history, and we’ve gone from gleaning survival skills from our social group to trying to figure out the most effective means of transmitting skills to individuals new to our organizations and integrating them into our workplace cultures. We’ve gone so far as to develop an entire field—social learning theory—based on the premise that “behavior is learned from the environment through the process of observational learning.” (Albert Bandura, 1997) How can we take this premise and apply it to make the onboarding process—and more specifically, a remote onboarding process—more effective?</p>
<p>A successful onboarding experience focuses not only on knowledge sharing, which is indeed a crucial component, but also on the social aspects of learning. It implies introducing a new person into an already formed environment (in terms of both people and tasks) and guiding them to a sufficient level of comfort such that they feel a part of and can contribute to that environment. Let’s examine 5 social learning concepts that can be applied in a remote onboarding context to achieve that goal.</p>
<h3 id="concept-1-observation">Concept #1: Observation</h3>
<p>Learning through observation—watching someone perform a task or describe a task—is a critical element of social learning theory. In a classic onboarding experience, this might be accomplished through “shadowing” an experienced colleague, or being involved in meetings and group activities that demonstrate the desired interactions. In a remote situation, video is perhaps the most effective alternative to in-person observation. Familiarizing a new hire with company culture can be as simple as building a video library of employee interactions, or short interviews with existing employees that highlight “how we do things” in that particular organization. As tolerance for low production values has greatly increased due to regular exposure to YouTube videos and the like, this is actually a fairly low cost means of providing your new employees with an insider’s view of how the company functions and the values it holds dear. Read more about video-based best practices and tips in our free <a href="https://elearningindustry.com/free-ebooks/video-based-learning-best-practices-tips-corporate-training-guide?itm_source=eli&itm_medium=business_listing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eBook.</a></p>
<h3 id="concept-2-retention">Concept #2: Retention</h3>
<p>Onboarding can be an overwhelming experience. There’s so much to learn, do, keep track of. How are you going to remember which papers to sign, documents to submit, compliance courses to take? For proper retention to take hold, the information must be presented in a simple and memorable way. Providing your new hires with a roadmap so they can track their progress and know exactly where they are in the process will help keep them on track.</p>
<p>Overwhelming new employees with a lot of processes and policies is not the best means of helping them retain the truly important information they need to get off on the right foot in the organization. Parse through your content and determine what can be conveyed in an impactful way—connecting learning to a story or personal experience will help the learning stick. Much of your content is probably more appropriate for resource learning or can be provided as performance support. Rather than teaching exactly what each policy says, teach where they can be accessed at the time of need.</p>
<h3 id="concept-3-motivation">Concept #3: Motivation</h3>
<p>Providing adult learners with a rationale for learning is an excellent means of making them more receptive. Why do I need to learn this policy/procedure/task? What’s in it for me? For the organization? Most people need to know why that specific learning is useful and how it’s going to help them in their work. Providing that information will go a long way towards increasing motivation.</p>
<p>There’s also a plausible argument for motivation stemming from reward or consequences. <a href="/blog/2015/08/gamification.html">Gamification</a> can be an effective strategy in this regard. Designing a remote onboarding journey that comprises badges, leaderboards, etc., can stimulate interest, competition, and it’s just plain fun.</p>
<h3 id="concept-4-community">Concept #4: Community</h3>
<p>Allowing some time for informal learning through personal interaction can reap untold benefits. In the pre-pandemic era, this might have been your new hire lunch, or an after-work mixer. You can still provide opportunities for this type of interaction, albeit in virtual form. Try providing “water cooler” type forums for new hires. Give them a date and time to show up, introduce themselves, and chat about their ongoing onboarding experience. Don’t worry about moderating, this should be a comfortable and relaxed occasion. This is a great opportunity for networking, exchanging tips, and simply getting to know fellow newbies. Sense of belonging is a factor when considering retention rates and is thus worth cultivating not only because you want employees to feel they’re part of a team, but also to reduce training costs over the long term.</p>
<h3 id="concept-5-collaboration">Concept #5: Collaboration</h3>
<p>You can’t get more social than learning with and from others. Collaboration has the twin advantages of being both an excellent means of knowledge sharing and acquisition, and a great way to network with fellow onboardees. In a remote onboarding environment, this might look like organizing “each teach” sessions whereby groups of trainees are assigned a task to research and report back on to their fellow new hires. Or perhaps a buddy system whereby new hires check in on one other at certain set intervals to chat about their progress. You can also consider pairing a seasoned employee with a new hire; the more experienced employee can point the onboardee in the right direction if they hit a roadblock.</p>
<h3 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h3>
<p>Neglecting the social element of learning will have repercussions throughout your organization. New hires will likely not be invested in the process, and much of the learning will fall flat. Particularly during the onboarding process, social learning is key to the integration of your new employees. Focusing on social learning elements such as observation, retention, motivation, community and collaboration—and adapting them to effectively support a remote onboarding process—will ensure that new hires will more quickly transform into fully functional employees, firmly anchored in the organization.</p>Monica SavageSocial learning is key to the integration of new employees. Focusing on social learning elements during a remote onboarding process will ensure that new hires more quickly transform into fully functional employees.How to Develop a Sustainable Remote Onboarding Program for Your Virtual Teams2021-02-17T00:00:00+00:002021-02-17T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/02/how-to-develop-sustainable-remote-onboarding-program<p><em>Virtual onboarding of new talent in your organization should achieve all the objectives of classic in-person onboarding. However, purely remote, digital, or fully virtual onboarding does add an interesting layer of complexity. Read on to learn how to rapidly convert or create a virtual onboarding program that ticks all the boxes.</em></p>
<hr />
<p>In a face-to-face, 9 to 5 work environment, the hiring professional, the direct supervisor, the team and the new hire would generally all be at the same physical location. They would meet in person, shake hands, cross paths in an elevator and chat about life events. They would have the opportunity to test their professional chemistry, and eventually weave together a professional cohort—their team. Most probably, they would also gravitate toward an informal tribe of likeminded individuals. Far from being strictly about work, an individual’s presence at the physical work environment has also always been a means of establishing and developing personal connections, seeking mentors, and making friends.</p>
<p>Virtual onboarding of new talent in your organization should achieve all the objectives of classic inperson onboarding. However, purely remote, digital, or fully virtual onboarding does add an interesting layer of complexity.</p>
<p>To create a truly sustainable virtual remote onboarding program, you must accommodate for the full onboarding experience, which includes the soft elements described above.</p>
<p>How can this be accomplished?</p>
<p><strong>Step #1: Review, Analyze, Plan, Map</strong></p>
<p>If you are digitizing an <u>already existing onboarding program</u> (in other words, if you have a great onboarding program but you just need to adjust it for a virtual environment) you will need to review it to ensure two main objectives: instructional clarity and interaction opportunities. If creating a <u>brand-new virtual onboarding program</u>, this step is also valid, but should be applied to the rough mass of content rather than existing learning resources.</p>
<p><strong>Instructional Clarity</strong></p>
<p>When analyzing your existing program, undertake your review with the following question in mind: Will the new employee be able to understand and successfully complete all necessary tasks and assignments in the allotted time without having someone there to explain every step?</p>
<p>The objective is to create as much of a user friendly, clear, intuitive, and self-guided user experience as possible.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tips:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
Organize tasks chronologically (e.g., first day at work, second day at work, first week at work, second week at work, first month at work, etc.). This will help your new employee clearly see what needs to be achieved (filled out, submitted, reviewed, signed, etc.) and when. This applies not only to the necessary administrative tasks that accompany new employment, but also to training and assignments that pertain to the job itself.
</li>
<li>
Ideally, your new employee should have a single point of contact that is the assigned “font of knowledge” for the entire onboarding process.
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Interaction Opportunities</strong></p>
<p>In a face-to-face office setting you would create and facilitate formal opportunities for your new employees to interact among themselves as well as with their supervisors, peers and teams. To bridge the gap between a face-to-face office setting and a fully virtual remote onboarding program, identify all opportunities for your new hires to interact with other employees and create formal digital events which will serve as a (hopefully temporary) substitute for the face-to-face office setting interactions.</p>
<p>The objective is to create varied events for your new employees to successfully integrate with the new teams and adopt the culture of your organization.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tip:</strong> Review your existing onboarding program through the prism of personal interaction opportunities. For example, on Day 1 you could hold an onboarding town hall meeting for all new employees hired on that day. The meeting would have specific objectives and the attendees would be encouraged to interact and make connections. A formal introductory activity would facilitate this. In the design phase of the virtual onboarding program, focus on creating as many effective substitutes of this type as necessary.
</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Stability of Content</strong></p>
<p>It is relatively easy to update a slide or two of an in-person workshop presentation; eLearning modules are a different story. Updates to this type of content are usually more complicated, requiring more time, expertise, money, and specific software.</p>
<p>Content analysis is especially helpful here. You should have a clear understanding of the resources your target audience will need to access, and their level of stability. The following three levels can serve as a guide when determining your options for content delivery:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Level 1: High stability</em>. Content is not likely to change within 5+ years. Examples might include proven scientific facts/theories and established processes/systems within your organization, etc.</li>
<li><em>Level 2: Medium stability</em>. Content may evolve within the next 3-5 years. Examples might include legal and/or compliance training, which should be earmarked for updates within an expected period. Learners should be informed about the possibility of (and the reason for) such updates.</li>
<li><em>Level 3: Low stability</em>. The likelihood of updates is high and the timeline is short. Examples might include tactical documents related to hiring, updates to contract formulation, legal and compliance training, as well as updates in very active scientific fields. It is not advisable to integrate this type of content into eLearning modules; it is better suited for curation and independent access in easily amended formats (e.g., website, science journal, or a simple folder).</li>
</ul>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tips:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
If you need to link to a specific piece of Level 2 or 3 content, create an external folder (in SharePoint or any public drive) and link to the folder. Linking to a specific folder instead of individual files gives you the flexibility to swap out the resource without having to update the link, which can be complicated in eLearning modules. This also allows focus of the updates to be only on one end of the information path (the folder and its contents), instead of having to maintain a log of every piece of material that links to the folder and update each individual link.
</li>
<li>
Implement an update strategy from the outset. Use these questions to formulate your plan: How often do you need to review content? Who will review the content? Who will execute updates and how? How do you communicate about the updates?
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Step #2: Design and Create</strong></p>
<p>For both approaches (rapid conversion or brand-new virtual onboarding program) employ the principles of blended learning to ensure instructional efficacy and effective knowledge transfer. You will assuredly not have as much in-person interaction with your new employees; providing them with a variety of distinct learning assets heightens the potential success rate of the program by taking into account the different learning styles your target audience might possess.</p>
<p>To learn more about the principles of blended learning and the blended learning philosophy, click <a href="https://www.obsidianlearning.com/white-papers/blended-learning-a-proven-approach-to-learning-development.html">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Step #3: Manage</strong></p>
<p>Management of your remote onboarding programs depends on the technical centralization of the program itself. There are two types of onboarding programs: centralized and scattered. Centralized onboarding programs usually reside and are managed within a single learning management system (LMS), website, learning hub, or app. Scattered virtual onboarding programs may be outlined in a comprehensive electronic checklist or onboarding map, but the learning assets themselves are distributed across different platforms.</p>
<p>From the management and tracking perspective, it will always be easier to have the learning deliverables in one place. All contemporary LMSs allow for tracking and reporting, usually at the click of a button. Reporting and tracking of scattered programs is more complicated, as each tool may have its own reporting features.</p>
<p>Regardless of the centralized vs. scattered nature of your onboarding program, the tracking and reporting should control:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Completion</em>. Has the mandatory learning deliverable been completed? Has it been completed on time? If not, do you know why?</li>
<li><em>Behavior</em>. How do your new employees interact with the learning deliverables? Do they complete them in batches a few moments before the deadline or do they pace their effort over time?</li>
<li><em>Feedback</em>. Do the new employees have an avenue to report on their experience or provide feedback?</li>
<li><em>Social interactivity</em>. Do you know if and how your new employees interact with each other? Are the formal interaction channels being used? Are informal interaction channels being created?</li>
</ul>
<p>Completion falls under a binary evaluation criteria: the learning was or was not completed. The remaining components of effective management and reporting are more difficult to track and interpret. It’s important to gather as much information as possible so you can maintain a constant improvement loop for your remote onboarding programs.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>Whether converting an existing onboarding program to virtual or creating an entirely new virtual onboarding program, the ultimate objective is the same: fully integrating new employees and ensuring that they are informed about the culture and values of the business. Following the steps outlined here will put your organization a step ahead toward achieving these goals.</p>Lubos JanoskaVirtual onboarding of new talent in your organization should achieve all the objectives of classic in-person onboarding. However, purely remote, digital, or fully virtual onboarding does add an interesting layer of complexity. Read on to learn how to rapidly convert or create a virtual onboarding program that ticks all the boxes.Make Onboarding Remote Employees a Success With These Blended Learning Strategies2021-02-10T00:00:00+00:002021-02-10T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/02/make-onboarding-remote-employees-a-success<p><em>What do you need to consider when onboarding remote employees? Read on to learn about 6 blended learning strategies that will support your exceptional onboarding program.</em></p>
<hr />
<p>You’re investing a lot of resources in your onboarding program. You need it to be just as effective for your remote employees as it is for on-site personnel. A successful onboarding program reduces time from hire to contributing real value, reduces turnover, and improves employee satisfaction. Leverage the strengths of blended online learning to make onboarding your remote employees a powerful and valuable experience.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #1: Create a Sense of Belonging</strong></p>
<p>One goal of any onboarding program should be to help a new employee feel like part of the team, so be sure to include social elements in your remote employee onboarding. Kick the program off with a live introduction for your new joiners so they can connect with at least one other person in the organization and with one another (if you onboard more than one person at a time). During this introductory session, provide an overview of the entire program so new joiners can get a big picture view of the expectations for their first days on the job, and be sure to include elements of networking. Consider a buddy system where new joiners are paired with a specific colleague who agrees to help them through the new hire transition. Structure some online events to help them get to know their teammates. Build trust with engagement exercises. Check out our <a href="https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2020/02/3-key-benefits-of-video-based-learning-you-should-not-ignore.html">blog post</a> to learn about the social benefits of video-based learning.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #2: Highlight Company Culture</strong></p>
<p>Does your virtual onboarding program include a bunch of canned training courses that the new hire has to wade through or does it really highlight your specific company culture? What is great about working for this company and how can you convey that? If donut Fridays were an important part of office life, how can you capture that same camaraderie in a virtual session? The benefit of a blended approach can include a variety of elements. If you do rely heavily on off-the-shelf training, include additional elements that feature company culture. Don’t be afraid to use informal video. Ask others in the organization to capture what they love about working here, tell a story on camera that embodies a company value, or capture a quintessential culture moment to share.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #3: Distribute Learning Over Time</strong></p>
<p>Carefully consider how long onboarding should last. Traditionally limits were imposed by classroom time. How many days could new employees and the instructors be away from work? How many days of lodging can we afford for the out-of-towners? With virtual onboarding, such limitations are not an issue, and you can consider onboarding more holistically as the process from hire until an employee can work independently and add value to the organization. With that definition, the necessary learning components can be distributed over time. Onboarding may not be complete for weeks or even months. Meanwhile, new joiners can learn in layers and step-by-step with time to integrate in between so as not to get overwhelmed with new information.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #4: Customize the Program</strong></p>
<p>As we discussed in our blog article <a href="/blog/2021/01/onboarding-training-challenges.html">5 Onboarding Training Challenges and 5 Opportunities Today’s Remote Workforce Faces</a>, virtual onboarding can provide a level of consistency for those elements that really need to be the same for all employees. However, there will most likely be elements of onboarding that do not apply to every candidate. Some learners may be joining with more experience or specialized skills, and some learners may be joining teams or departments that require some custom preparation. With virtual onboarding, you can have the best of both worlds—highly consistent and tracked elements that ALL new joiners take and modules relevant to only a subset. Create learning maps customized by department, role, or even the individual so that new employees get just the training they need when they need it.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #5: Make It a Program</strong></p>
<p>To best manage the strategies described above, you will need to create an entire onboarding program—not just a single learning element—so that the learning can be distributed over time and customized to each learner. Onboarding should include synchronous elements (learning with a live expert/instructor at a specified time) and asynchronous elements (learning in selfpaced formats like web-based training courses or self-study work assignments). It should also include a variety of media like video, webinars, infographics, checklists, self-paced courses and activities. Not everyone learns in the same way, and with new employees, it can be challenging to know in advance how best they learn. Having a variety of media can help keep attention focused and cater to a wider variety of audiences. Repeat your key messages in several different ways to help boost transfer of knowledge.</p>
<p>Remember that regardless of the media selected, blended learning works best in small doses. Keep your lessons short (under 15 minutes) and restrict them to need-to-know information. With the recent increase in the use of virtual learning, many people are developing media fatigue. And beyond that, there is a limit to the amount of time we can take in new information. Read how <a href="https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2019/11/five-ways-microlearning-increases-employee-satisfaction.html">microlearning increases employee satisfaction</a> for a case study that explores the power of the short lesson.</p>
<p><strong>Strategy #6: Measure Your Outcomes and Continuously Improve</strong></p>
<p>Before you launch your virtual onboarding, be sure your team has considered what success will look like and how you will measure it. Is it time from hire to independent productivity? A level of competency in a few key skills? Retention? New hire satisfaction? Manager of the new hire satisfaction? Evaluate at the end of each remote onboarding session and again at intervals that make sense for your organization—every 30 days for the first 6 months? At 2 and 6 weeks? Solicit feedback from your audience and then make changes and updates to the program as needed. Build in content review and testing on a regular basis so your program stays up to date.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>By taking advantage of the best features of virtual learning (flexibility, diverse offerings, ability to be chunked in manageable amounts), you can quickly get your newest employees up and running as contributing and satisfied members of the organization. Remember to include the managers of the new employees in communications about the updated onboarding program so they know what to expect in terms of time required for training, skill level expected at its conclusion, and the manager’s own role in the process. Their support will be key!</p>Shannon HartWhat do you need to consider when onboarding remote employees? Read on to learn about 6 blended learning strategies that will support your exceptional onboarding program.3 Benefits a Blended Virtual Onboarding Plan Brings to Your In-House and Remote Workers2021-02-03T00:00:00+00:002021-02-03T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/02/blended-virtual-onboarding-plan-benefits<p><em>Blended learning is a highly effective instructional strategy. In the past, virtual learning assets (microlearning, video, etc.) were embedded as one aspect of a broader blended learning program. As we look forward, such assets will be the essential pillars of blended virtual onboarding. How will your in-house and remote workers benefit from this shift?</em></p>
<hr />
<p><em>Imagine</em>: Opening the heavy glass doors of the skyscraper. Getting into an elevator and pressing the button for the 24th floor. Smoothing your hair in the elevator mirror. Meeting your boss and walking through the open space straight to your new cubicle. Feeling the looks, returning the smiles. Sweating a little. Exciting, yes?</p>
<p>As the world turns, markets become global, internet speeds faster—and a virus wreaks havoc world-wide. One of the consequences: the palpable energy of the physical, in-person first day at work may be a thing of the past for many.</p>
<p>The initial adjustment is a hard one, with a multitude of implications: the cost of disconnect, of the difficulties that come with virtual onboarding, the cultural implications associated with lack of understanding and experience of the culture itself. Human beings are social animals, and the value of human interaction, networking, physical proximity, teamwork, and sharing as elements of the onboarding experience are only being fully appreciated in their absence.</p>
<p>But as time marches on, a prolonged virtual experience is looking more and more like a grim reality for new employees. And we must and can develop strategies to deal with this new normal—and find ways to make it much less grim.</p>
<p>As learning, development, and human resource professionals, the field is ours. And the remedy is relatively simple: developing a blended virtual onboarding plan or program is key.</p>
<p><strong>But Why Blended?</strong></p>
<p>Think of your regular, in-person, physical onboarding program. If it’s already a top notch program, you convey the information a new employee needs to review, learn, fill out, print out, sign, etc., in a simple and intuitive way. A good portion of your assets—perhaps an introduction to the organization, your health and safety information, all of the necessary administrative paperwork—might already exist in digital, on-line form. And if that’s the case, you’re a step ahead of the curve and we can leverage all of those assets. If not, creating or recreating such deliverables is one of the more easily accomplished tasks in terms of blended learning development.</p>
<p>The greater challenge is creating viable substitutes for the personal interactions that your new employees are most decidedly are not getting while sitting in a home office and clicking through a presentation on the history of your organization.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.obsidianlearning.com/white-papers/blended-learning-a-proven-approach-to-learning-development.html">Blended learning</a> describes a learning experience that can be adapted toward a specific audience, and which is not constrained by space or time. With this in mind, a broader definition could be: learning in which the audience learns at least part of the time in a classical educational space and the other part of the time with the help of an online environment, controlling their own time, place, path and/or rhythm.</p>
<p>Blended learning implies variety (or a blend) of learning methods such as lectures, web-based trainings, learning videos, animations, microlearning, quick reference guides, checklists, etc. It also incorporates elements of social learning. It is this last characteristic that makes blended learning particularly suitable for contemporary virtual onboarding plans and programs. Social learning provides ample opportunities for interaction among new hires, their peers and management in both formal and informal settings.</p>
<p>What are the concrete benefits of blended virtual onboarding plans and programs?</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-02-03/01.png" alt="Blended Learning" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Benefit #1: Clarity and Transparency</strong></p>
<p>One of the greatest benefits of a fully virtual onboarding program is the clarity that can be provided by a simple, intuitive layout and organization of the facts, tasks and deadlines that are usually required of each new hire on their journey toward becoming a productive employee.</p>
<p>There are two critical elements as regards the clarity of your blended virtual onboarding program:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Location</em>. Having your onboarding learning deliverables scattered in different locations is certainly an option. However, in a virtual setting your new employees may not feel particularly empowered to ask clarifying questions. The onboarding experience can quickly become a source of frustration for them and complicated for your HR department when deadlines are missed and the information you receive is missing or inaccurate. Gathering all resources in single location—whether a website, onboarding application, or a simply structured onboarding folder on your company’s public drive—will simplify the process for all those involved.</li>
</ul>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tip:</strong> It’s not always possible to gather and maintain all necessary forms, documents, and questionnaires in one location. Consider creating an onboarding “hub” based on curating and linking to the resources that are necessary for new employees. This type of solution is generally not cost prohibitive and is relatively easy to maintain. The real trick is then creating an intuitive structure.
</p>
</div>
<ul>
<li><em>Structure</em>. In the absence of a single designated point of contact or only virtual contact with an HR representative or colleague, a clear structure and rational organization of onboading tasks is essential for both the new employee and the person in charge of successful virtual onboarding. The structure should be exceedingly simple, and should highlight expected milestones for new hires. A chronological listing of onboarding tasks makes the most sense.</li>
</ul>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tips:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
Having an electronic checklist with linked (or embedded) resources, forms and learning assets is the easiest method of organization. When designing virtual onboarding we often recommend checklists of tasks to be completed for Day 1, Day 2, Day 3 then Week 1, Week 2 then Month 1, and so on.
</li>
<li>
Since we are using the blended learning methodology to bridge the gap between online assets and human connection, make it a specific point to include an element of social connection or even social learning for every milestone or at expected intervals. Ideas might include kicking off Day 1 of the onboarding process with a virtual town hall so new employees can introduce themselves to one another, then reinforcing those newly made connections with informal opportunities for them to interact and connect after the town hall. Or you might consider assigning a virtual onboarding buddy that can shepherd a new hire through the program and ensure that deadlines and expectations are met.
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
<p>The <strong>transparency</strong> aspect of this benefit is inherent in the design of most blended virtual onboarding plans and programs. Ease of accessibility implies ease of review, ease of providing feedback, and ease of providing comments. As one cog in the wheel of a continuous improvement loop, user input on your program is invaluable.</p>
<p><strong>Benefit #2: Efficiency and Consistency</strong></p>
<p>One of the strongest arguments in favor of virtual onboarding programs is their consistent nature. Consistency allows tremendous efficiency, though this is not achieved without difficulty, and is characterized by a two-pronged effort:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Design</em>. Designing an effective blended virtual onboarding program not only sets the tone of the experience; it also underlies the success of the program itself. Your design should include all the elements of a classic onboarding program in addition to the adaptations for social learning and interaction. Organization and structure also come into play here, as both are impacted by the conceptual design.</li>
<li><em>Execution</em>. Onboarding is a unique stage of an employee’s professional lifecycle; it sets the tone for their future at the organization. From a consistency standpoint, a well-crafted blended learning onboarding program should be executed as it was designed and should be visually (look and feel) and structurally (dedicated website, onboarding app) distinct from the day-to-day job tasks of the new employee.</li>
</ul>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tips:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
Take another look at your new employees. What are their online habits? What do they respond to? Do they like to learn by watching YouTube videos or do they like to geek out over a book? How do they like to interact when online? Then take a look at your organization, its goals and long-term vision. Marry the two by developing an onboarding program that resonates with the new employees but also directly supports your business initiatives.
</li>
<li>
The conceptual design of your blended virtual onboarding program should be as granular as possible. Use classic learning methodologies (ADDIE, formulating learning objectives, etc.) to design a robust program with a variety of learning experiences which will work for your entire target audience.
</li>
<li>
Use the design of a blended virtual onboarding program as an opportunity to determine how well your existing learning assets fit with the overall design. Analyze both length (shorter and snappier is better) as well as on look and feel, and adapt both as necessary.
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Benefit #3: Ongoing Improvement</strong></p>
<p>Employing the principles of blended learning and creating a series of fairly short learning experiences to achieve your onboarding objectives serves you as a learning professional in more ways than one. One of the key benefits is the fact that it’s easier to improve relatively short learning assets as opposed to revamping a two-hour long web-based training.</p>
<p>To take full advantage of this benefit, you should:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Focus on microlearning</em>. Diminishing attention spans have contributed to the longevity of what was once a novelty in learning and development. Long-winded courses and mind-numbing seminars are no longer the strategy of choice, as it’s more widely understood that they don’t achieve much beyond ticking the “completed” box. Short format learning pieces allow your new employee more time to process and apply their new skills, with the added benefit of the learning experience being more directly integrated with the actual work. In terms of education and human development this is a great leap forward.</li>
<li><em>Allow for feedback</em>. It can be scary to ask, “How would you rate this learning experience?” particularly if you’re asking the question at the conclusion of a two-hour online page-turner. Many learning professionals don’t even dare. The generation entering today’s workforce, however, is adept at providing constructive feedback, and if you don’t provide opportunities for it they will find other avenues (something along the lines of a negative Yelp review). Formalizing the evaluation of your onboarding efforts can not only make you and your stakeholders more accountable, it will also ultimately serve the organization you represent.</li>
</ul>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<p>
<strong>Tips:</strong>
<ul>
<li>
Include a simple feedback form after each learning deliverable or learning program.
</li>
<li>
Simplify target audience feedback with a stars or thumbs up/down rating system, but make sure to provide a comment box for more detailed opinions. However it is collected, such feedback will only prove useful if the culture of your organization welcomes the provided input. Honest opinions are the most valuable form of information about your efforts; if your company is leery of receiving potentially negative reactions from new employees, consider integrating an anonymous means of providing feedback.
</li>
</ul>
</p>
</div>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>It’s essential for companies to be prepared to provide virtual onboarding programs for their new hires, at least for the foreseeable future. While it might initially seem a daunting task, designing and implementing a blended virtual onboarding program can have unexpected benefits. Taking every opportunity to integrate social elements is crucial to getting your employees off on the right foot, and to making them feel the sense of kinship that develops when working toward common objectives. A blended virtual learning program will go a long way towards achieving that goal.</p>Lubos JanoskaBlended learning is a highly effective instructional strategy. In the past, virtual learning assets (microlearning, video, etc.) were embedded as one aspect of a broader blended learning program. As we look forward, such assets will be the essential pillars of blended virtual onboarding. How will your in-house and remote workers benefit from this shift?5 Onboarding Training Challenges and 5 Opportunities Today’s Workforce Faces2021-01-27T00:00:00+00:002021-01-27T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2021/01/onboarding-training-challenges<p><em>The trend toward virtual onboarding has only increased during this period of recent global uncertainty. Virtual onboarding, though not without challenges, provides many exciting opportunities that benefit your learners as well as your organization.</em></p>
<hr />
<p>Starting a job in a new company or changing roles in your current company is one of the most exciting and stressful times in your career. Remember what that was like? You have so many questions, and at the same time, you don’t know what to ask. There is so much to figure out, from access to tools and technology to understanding how you fit in the organization. These days the trend is for onboarding—defined as the process by which new employees acquire the necessary skills and knowledge to become effective members of an organization—to occur all or in part virtually.</p>
<p>Whether your organization is transitioning to a virtual onboarding program from a face-to-face one or developing a virtual experience from scratch, virtual onboarding programs can be associated with both challenges and opportunities. There are still some common misconceptions about virtual learning, though—what it is and what it isn’t, when it can and cannot be effective—that are worth unpacking in this first article in our series about virtual learning.</p>
<p><strong>Challenges</strong></p>
<p>Some of the challenges are obvious, but others you may not have considered.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/01.png" alt="Challenges" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Human Connection</strong></p>
<p>One of the goals of any onboarding program should be to integrate the new person into the organization. New employees need to connect with real people who can be genuinely helpful throughout the process. Ideally they need to connect with these individuals as well as integrating a cohort of new joiners that will serve as an ongoing network long after the initial training period. Though more challenging in a virtual environment, establishing direct human connection is not impossible and should be made a priority.</p>
<p>Consider developing a virtual buddy system or a more formal mentoring program if your organization doesn’t have one already. Leverage existing collaboration sites to create a space for new joiners to post, comment, ask questions. Even in virtual onboarding, recognize that more than 50% of the learning will be informal, and a good virtual onboarding program will provide opportunities for that.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/02.png" alt="Human Connection" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Engagement</strong></p>
<p>Another challenge with virtual learning generally and onboarding specifically is keeping it engaging. When converting from a face-to-face program to a virtual one, it’s tempting to simply convert your in-person sessions to webinars or even worse, just to record your expert presenter and distribute the video. Simple virtual instructor-led training (VILT) can be draining for both learner and instructor and is often not the most efficient way to convey your content. And video, while very effective in small doses, must be mixed with other opportunities for interaction. An active learner absorbs more new information than a passive one, so consider how you can keep your learners active. For pointers on increasing engagement in your virtual onboarding, be sure to see our article on <a href="https://elearningindustry.com/innovative-virtual-learning-design-tips-to-engage-your-remote-teams" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8 Innovative Virtual Learning Design Tips to Engage Your Remote Teams</a>.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/03.png" alt="Engagement" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Access to Technology and Content</strong></p>
<p>The new joiner is a unique population within an organization—often not yet connected to the resources afforded a full-time employee. If your organization provides laptops, tablets, or smart phones for employees to use to conduct their work, when in the hiring process are those items provided? It is often days or even weeks into employment before they can distributed. Meanwhile, the content to be conveyed in an orientation is often considered confidential and may only be accessible behind the company firewall. And what if your new employee’s internet at home is inconsistent or being shared with others? You can develop the very best virtual onboarding experience, but it will fall short if your new joiners can’t access it. Factor in that accessibility and networking infrastructure when designing and housing your onboarding.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/04.png" alt="Access to Technology and Content" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Highly Technical Hands-On Content</strong></p>
<p>One challenge that many teams are facing in the move to remote work is the delivery of highly technical hands-on skills training in effective virtual ways. Training that might once have occurred in a laboratory must now be delivered virtually. (Ask the science department at any university about this challenge!) Organizations around the world are struggling with providing such training. If your onboarding program includes highly technical hands-on training, you’ll need to explore other possibilities for successful virtual delivery. Is virtual reality (VR) an option for your audience? Is there a local lab that your new joiner could visit in order to practice? Depending on what specifically you need to teach, you may need to get creative to provide appropriate learning opportunities.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/05.png" alt="Highly Technical Hands-On Content" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Sustainability</strong></p>
<p>A final challenge to explore is the question of sustainability. As you migrate or create from scratch your virtual onboarding program, select your media with care. Those elements that are the costliest to develop—high-end eLearning, production-quality video pieces, or custom animation—should be saved for topics not likely to require updates. Content that is likely to need frequent revision can be provided in easier to maintain formats. Build in a review process for your onboarding content and review it regularly. Outdated information and broken links damage your credibility with new joiners.</p>
<p><strong>Opportunities</strong></p>
<p>Once you’ve navigated the challenges you can look toward some of the advantages. Delivering your onboarding program virtually presents so many new opportunities! Here are our top 5.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/06.png" alt="Opportunities" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Showcase Company Culture</strong></p>
<p>You can really leverage the multitude of virtual media and methods to highlight the elements that make your organization unique. How about virtual video tours of parts of the organization that new joiners rarely get to see? Or include the next company-wide town hall in your onboarding to give a real taste of how things work. Have participants “listen in” to a sales call or participate in an online collaboration session to design a new product. You can invite colleagues to introduce themselves virtually in a way that best reflects your culture—a one-slide bio or maybe a silly home movie.</p>
<p>Here is a fun example of a <a href="http://www.raptmedia.com/customers/deloitte/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">virtual learning experience</a> used by Deloitte that really showcases company culture. This one is pre-boarding rather than onboarding, but you’ll get the idea.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/07.png" alt="Company Culture Showcase" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Connect to Useful Resources</strong></p>
<p>One of the most frustrating things about being new is tracking down key information that everyone else seems to know intuitively how to access. If your onboarding is exclusively virtual, that makes it easy to curate the best resources in one place. Create a webpage, portal (see this <a href="/projects/sales-team-onboarding-portal/">sales example</a>), repository, or (if your time and resources are limited) a simple list of important links on a slide or in an email. Onboarding programs should of course leverage existing information whenever possible.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/08.png" alt="Connect to Useful Resources" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/09.png" alt="Key Information Resources" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Convey Consistent Messaging</strong></p>
<p>A huge advantage of virtual onboarding is consistency in messaging. If you’re using eLearning or video components, you can be sure that all participants are getting the same information every time. When considering media and formats for different elements of your onboarding program, you should reflect on which content, like safety or policies, might require consistent messaging. Those can be developed in stable formats. Yes, it requires time and effort up front to create new eLearning elements, but such high-quality learning assets can be re-used again and again.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/10.png" alt="Convey Consistent Messaging" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Manage Cognitive Overload</strong></p>
<p>Remember what it felt like to start a new job? Maybe you went through a traditional multi-day face-to-face training program or maybe you were just expected to learn on the job. Either way, do you recall how overwhelming it felt at times? There was so much to learn! Another great opportunity with a virtual onboarding is managing the cognitive overload by spreading the learning out over time. Adults learn best with short bursts of new information followed by breaks and time to process and integrate. We also need repetition, review, reinforcement, and feedback to really internalize the new information. Incorporating self-paced as well as synchronous learning elements in your virtual onboarding will give participants more control over when and how they learn.</p>
<p>By the same token, this will alleviate the workload of the handful of facilitators within the organization, thus better distributing the burden of support for your new joiners.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2021-01-27/11.png" alt="Manage Cognitive Overload" class="mx-auto d-block" style="max-width:320px" /></p>
<p><strong>Personalize the Learning</strong></p>
<p>Perhaps the best opportunity that virtual onboarding provides is the possibility to individualize and personalize the training. Not every new joiner needs exactly the same information. Interactive learning maps or even simple role-based checklists can guide new joiners to the information they need for their specific role. Assessments like simple skills tests or peer observation may be used to determine which parts of an onboarding curricula are needed for any specific individual. One of the big complaints about general and generic onboarding programs is providing information that isn’t specific or relevant to the audience; this objection can be overcome with a highly modularized onboarding program.</p>
<p><strong>Conclusion</strong></p>
<p>Compared to traditional instructor-led onboarding programs, virtual programs not only reduce travel costs and facilitator time, but they have many other key benefits that organizations can appreciate. Yes, they take some work to develop and are associated with some inherent challenges, but if the program is well-designed, the pros definitely outweigh the cons.</p>
<p>What once was perceived as an impossibility (the process of orienting new employees without their stepping foot in a brick and mortar building) is now the norm. Many organizations no longer even have a shared physical workspace at all!</p>
<p>Watch for our continuing series on this important learning trend as we provide insights, tips, and practical advice about virtual onboarding of new and returning (reboarding) employees.</p>Shannon HartThe trend toward virtual onboarding has only increased during this period of recent global uncertainty. Virtual onboarding, though not without challenges, provides many exciting opportunities that benefit your learners as well as your organization.How To Train Remote Employees In A Virtual Learning Environment2020-10-07T00:00:00+00:002020-10-07T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2020/10/how-to-train-remote-employees-in-virtual-learning-environment<p><strong>Through the prism of the 10 Principles of Customer Strategy, this article examines the question of how to train remote employees in a virtual learning environment.</strong></p>
<hr />
<h2 id="training-your-employees-remotely">Training Your Employees Remotely</h2>
<p>This article was drafted in July 2020, in the middle of what appears to be the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The scale and impact of this event may never be fully appreciated, but from our view as learning and development professionals one thing is clear: for some time to come there will be limited in-person training, coaching and mentoring and more online, virtual, digital training, coaching and mentoring.</p>
<p>We are witness to the rise and falls of new tools, new training environments, new technologies. We are all searching for creative ways to convey the material previously delivered in front of class full of engaged (or not so engaged) employees. Nothing seems permanent right now but change. Rather than focusing on a specific tool that risks being obsolete within months or sharing a few nifty tricks, let’s take a more strategic look at how to train remote employees in a virtual learning environment.</p>
<p>Let’s imagine that our experienced employees, new employees, interns, and students are our customers, the implication being that we want them to like and enjoy our product, say nice things about our product, and truly benefit from our product. Taking it a step further, why don’t we also follow the <em>modus operandi</em> of most smart businesses, and invite our clients to help improve or perhaps even redesign our product?</p>
<p>In 2016 a team of researchers and advisors from the customer strategy practice at <a href="https://www.strategyand.pwc.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Strategy&, PwC’s strategy consulting group</a>, conducted a global survey of 161 executives which resulted in the creation of the 10 Principles of Customer Strategy (read about the study <a href="https://www.strategy-business.com/article/10-Principles-of-Customer-Strategy?gko=534a0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>). According to the study:</p>
<blockquote class="ml-4 mr-4"><em>A well-designed customer strategy will coordinate many different functions, skills and practices. For example, it should encompass data analytics; go-to-market and channel choices; and the delivery of products, services and experiences. Ten principles are at the heart of any effective customer strategy. These principles are universally applicable, regardless of what industry a company operates in, whether it focuses on a business or consumer clientele, where it does business, or what products and services it offers.</em></blockquote>
<p>Now let’s bring our customers (learners) back into the equation. Through the prism of these ten principles, let’s examine the question of how to train remote employees in a virtual learning environment.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2020-10-07/ebook-graphics.jpg" alt="Virtual Learning eBook Graphics - 10 Principles of Customer Strategy" /></p>
<h3 id="1-master-the-art-of-the-possible">1. Master the Art of the Possible</h3>
<p>From the learning and development perspective this point has a lot to do with your imagination. There are several components:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><em>Technologies</em>. What digital tools are available at your company? (Microsoft Teams? SharePoint?) Do you have a robust LMS? Are your training assets scattered somewhere on a public drive? Understand what you currently have and think about creative ways to use those technologies for seamless virtual delivery. Don’t focus on the lack of a particular tool or technology—with very few exceptions you can probably make it happen with what you’ve got.</p>
</li>
<li>
<p><em>Learning design</em>. Once technologies are nailed down, put your creative skills to use to update the design of an already existing course, workshop, or learning program. <em>Imagine the narrative</em>. Put this into practice for all types of learning: virtual learning programs (a blended learning approach to a set of distinct, self-standing digital assets which synchronistic create a unique learning experience with specific goals and outcomes); one-time learning events such as virtual workshops; or perhaps freestanding eLearning modules. Identify the specific components of the learning experience and think about the tools and how you can use them to deliver and curate the learning. Things you should consider integrating into your learning design include:</p>
</li>
<li>
<ul>
<li>Deliver virtual instructor-led training (VILT) using meeting software such as <a href="https://zoom.us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zoom</a>.</li>
<li>Share relevant resources or eLearning components through file-sharing sites such as <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/sharepoint/collaboration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">SharePoint</a>.</li>
<li>Integrate elements of social learning, reinforcement, and discussion using any of the widely available social media platforms.</li>
<li>Use free online tools to create quick <a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/mp/online-polls/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">surveys</a> and polls.</li>
<li>Allow participants to collaborate using virtual <a href="https://awwapp.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">whiteboard</a>s.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><em>Self-awareness.</em> As trainers, facilitators, teachers, we all have our personal style, built on our individual strengths. The key consideration here is to maintain those strengths despite the introduction of the virtual element. If you’ve previously relied on visual cues such as eye contact and “reading a room”, you’re going to have to pivot and discover new ways of creating and maintaining connection with your learners. Acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses, and take them into account. Allow yourself the freedom to explore creative ways of integrating your teaching style into a virtual environment.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="2-know-your-customers-learners-at-a-granular-level">2. Know Your Customers (Learners) at a Granular Level</h3>
<p>This applies to any learning experience, be it in person or virtual. The distinction that comes into play for virtual learning is the knowledge of your target audience through the lens of the technology they use, the technology they like (and don’t like), and their online habits (the good and the bad). You can get as granular as designing learning assets for different age groups or skill levels. Knowing your learner will allow you to create a learning environment that will not only serve as a library of learning assets, but can also evolve into a vibrant virtual learning ecosystem.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tips</strong>
<ul>
<li>Email a survey to a test group or a department in your company. Get a sense of their digital habits and preferences *before* you embark on creating virtual learning assets or entire programs.</li>
<li>At a very basic level, gain awareness of your <a href="http://www.educationplanner.org/students/self-assessments/learning-styles-quiz.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">learners’ learning style</a>s as this also can inform the design and execution of the virtual learning experience.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<h3 id="3-link-your-companys-customer-strategy-to-its-overall-identity">3. Link Your Company’s Customer Strategy to Its Overall Identity</h3>
<p>Translation: Link your company’s identity and strategy to your learning efforts. Conveying the critical drivers is all too often overlooked. Why is this training important? What’s at stake? What’s in it for the learner? What’s in it for the team, the department, the company? What are the business and safety rationales? If expressed openly and confidently, the answers to these questions can shift learners’ attitudes from apathetic to engaged.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tip</strong>
<p>
Create a short learning video (<a href="/projects/contract-management/">example</a>) or presentation which explains the rationale behind the learning effort. Always consider the impact on and potential benefits for the learner. Be honest and up front.
</p>
</div>
<h3 id="4-target-customers-with-whom-you-have-the-right-to-win">4. Target Customers With Whom You Have the Right to Win</h3>
<p>Right about now you’re probably thinking that you don’t have much choice when it comes to targeting who to train. While that may be true, you can take Principle #2 (Know Your Learners at a Granular Level) a step further so as to target your audience based on experience, proficiency, skill levels, or comfort levels with a medium or technology. The power of targeting the right learner with the right virtual learning asset is that you will likely reduce the amount of training necessary hence creating a more enjoyable, applicable, and practical learning experience. For example, advanced learners can skip the fundamental levels of a training program, but can refer to it for information and reference if desired.</p>
<p>Creating a robust and granular virtual learning curriculum has the additional advantage of blurring the boundary between training and performance support. Fragmenting the training into “bite sized” <a href="/projects/field-safety-training/">microlearnings</a> which can be consumed not only during the training but also <em>after</em> the training at the point of need gives you a two-for-one that can only benefit your learners.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tip</strong>
<p>
When you design a learning program or an individual learning event (web-based training, learning video, workshop) always think of the learning bottom line: What is it that my learner needs to walk away with in order for this training to be successful? If you’re teaching a process, ask this question after each step; if you’re teaching a concept, ask this question after each element. Create a digital quick reference guide for future reinforcement or as performance support.
</p>
</div>
<h3 id="5-treat-your-customers-learners-as-assets-that-will-grow-in-value">5. Treat Your Customers (Learners) as Assets That Will Grow in Value</h3>
<p>Any talented human resources professional would agree with this statement. Organizations obviously expect new hires to grow and improve. Corporate learning, education, and development are the tools through which this process is enhanced, accelerated, and facilitated. However, if the quality of most corporate learning is any indication, organizations don’t always view their learners as assets with potential.</p>
<p>Operating on the assumption that the more you value something, the better you treat it, and then applying that assumption to corporate learning, this principle is often sorely neglected. Look critically at the quality, quantity, design, distribution and delivery of your current learning portfolio. Could it be improved? Could it be made more fun? Could it become more social? Factor in the additional feelings of isolation that the current pandemic might have generated. Learning and HR professionals must pay heightened attention to the careful design, creation, and delivery of all virtual learning deliverables to take these considerations into account.</p>
<h3 id="6-leverage-your-ecosystem">6. Leverage Your Ecosystem</h3>
<p>This point is closely related to Principle #1 (Master the art of the possible.), specifically the technology aspect. Your learners, particularly the seasoned employees, are set in their ways. They know how they receive information about the training they need to attend. They know where to log in. They know what to expect from a two-hour-long web-based training at your organization. They know whether they’ll be asked if they enjoyed the learning experience. They are aware of the follow-up and potential reinforcement activities. Build on this knowledge and awareness, <em>don’t</em> fundamentally change it. Use the currently existing technology and be creative.</p>
<h3 id="7-ensure-a-seamless-omnichannel-experience">7. Ensure a Seamless Omnichannel Experience</h3>
<p>Despite all appearances, this is not in contradiction with Principle #6. Most (if not all) of the tools and technologies you’re currently using to create, facilitate, or distribute your virtual learning programs, assets, or deliverables have a mobile component. The focus here is on design and execution, rather than technology. If your target audience requires on the job learning support (microlearnings, infographics, electronic checklists…) it needs to be designed and created for mobile delivery.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tip</strong>
<p>
This applies to contemporary adult learning and development in general. Adults read less and less, and currently up to 70% of learners are visual learners (which explains the popularity of learning videos). Creating visually heavy and text light learning (slides, infographics, animations, videos, documents, checklists…) is no longer simply good practice—it’s necessity. Use graphs, charts, photographs, videos, and animations. Structure slides into infographics which will facilitate robust discussion. Provide details via digital reference documents.
</p>
</div>
<h3 id="8-excel-at-delivery">8. Excel at Delivery</h3>
<p>This principle doesn’t require much clarification, but from our perspective there are three components of perceived excellent delivery:</p>
<ul>
<li><em>Technology and connection speed</em>. With virtual learning programs, particularly live workshops, this point depends not only on the technology provided by your organization but also the bandwidth of the participants. Delivery speeds can vary, widely especially if you’re targeting a multinational audience. In some countries video and animation streaming is simply not practical, and training might be limited to the audio component. This should be a key consideration for all eLearning materials.</li>
<li><em>Ease of user experience</em>. Consider that with most virtual learning programs, there may be no facilitator or trainer to answer questions from the audience. User-friendliness, intuitive layout, and clear rules and expectations are imperative when it comes to excellent delivery. The frustration that comes with not knowing where to go, what to do, and what to do next can sour the most elaborate virtual learning experience.</li>
<li><em>Narrative</em>. Provide you virtual audience with a sense of story or adventure. Explain why they are being asked to do what they are being asked to do. Seek and allow for constant feedback; communicate and respond. Show the learner how each component of your workshop, eLearning course, or full blown virtual learning program work together and how they can best benefit from each element.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="9-reorganize-around-the-customer-learner">9. Reorganize Around the Customer (Learner)</h3>
<p>We began with the suggestion that you should use existing infrastructure, technologies, and learning assets, and that there is no need to run out and buy the latest piece of collaborative technology. While true, this doesn’t mean that you can neglect to seek feedback from your target audience and act upon it. Listen and learn from your learners. Provide channels for a frank, constructive feedback loop. Involve management; show them the impact of their decisions (or lack thereof). Make the learner the centerpiece—<em>make the learner the customer</em>.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tip</strong>
<p>
Invite your supervisor or someone from operations (in a related field) to your virtual learning class or ask them to play in the sandbox of your virtual learning program. They will be able to help you identify the weak points and improve the efficiency of the learning experience.
</p>
</div>
<h3 id="10-match-your-culture-with-your-customer-digital-learning-strategy">10. Match Your Culture With Your Customer (Digital Learning) Strategy</h3>
<p>Do you or your coworkers miss the quarterly workshops, regular town halls, or annual learning conferences? Are employees fed up with spotty Wi-Fi or constant freezing of screens during your training?</p>
<p>Believe me, we feel your pain. But the reality is that in-person gatherings may not be possible for quite some time, and there’s not much you can do about the Wi-Fi. The point is that prolonged disconnect, if left untended, can influence the learning and even the corporate culture of your organization. Take that into account. Involve your learners and employees. Create an outlet not only for frustrations but also for celebrations—as much or as little as it suits the culture of your organization.</p>
<div class="alert alert-info">
<strong>Tip</strong>
<p>
Organize a learning happy hour. Offer a casual (virtual) meeting environment for your department or team to talk about their learning needs, gather feedback on your current efforts, or just collect ideas for improvement. This can also be done through social media or the use of channels in online management tools or in an LMS. If possible (and culturally feasible) motivate participants through competition, games, or rewards.
</p>
</div>
<p><a href="/">Obsidian Learning</a> has been creating virtual learning deliverables for over 20 years, and though not articulated as such, has been integrating the principles outlined here in all aspects of our work. Applying the 10 Principles of Customer Strategy will help you create effective virtual programs to support your employees in the most valuable and relevant way possible—by sharing the information they need to make them, you, and your organization successful in times when in-person education just isn’t an option</p>Lubos JanoskaThrough the prism of the 10 Principles of Customer Strategy, this article examines the question of how to train remote employees in a virtual learning environment.8 Innovative Virtual Learning Design Tips To Engage Your Remote Teams2020-09-25T00:00:00+00:002020-09-25T00:00:00+00:00https://www.obsidianlearning.com/blog/2020/09/eight-innovative-virtual-learning-tips-for-remote-teams<p><strong>Virtual learning is an essential component in the learning and development toolkit, and it is widely used for training and educational purposes. It is not, however, always high quality or effective. Here are some design tips from the instructional and visual perspectives to give your virtual learning a real boost.</strong></p>
<hr />
<h2 id="design-your-virtual-learning-assets-for-success">Design Your Virtual Learning Assets for Success</h2>
<p>The definition virtual learning and its usefulness in meeting employees’ learning and development needs have long been under discussion. Particularly in today’s unpredictable environment, organizations are leaning on various forms of virtual learning more than ever. To be truly effective, however, virtual learning must be well-designed. While our tolerance for less-than-perfect video may have increased with the rise of YouTube and TikTok, the same cannot be said for boring, page-turner courses. With more employees working remotely than ever before, it is crucial that we create learning assets that really engage. Let’s talk about two aspects of design that are equally important if you want to provide virtual learning that really gets results—instructional design and visual design.</p>
<h2 id="instructional-design">Instructional Design</h2>
<p>The first set of design tips comes from the viewpoint of instructional design—how you organize your content to maximize information transfer.</p>
<h3 id="tip-1-keep-it-short">Tip #1: Keep It Short</h3>
<p>We’ve talked about this in several other places, but adult learners are busy people constantly bombarded with information. Their attention spans and ability to absorb new information is shorter and shorter. If you have enough content to create a robust 30-minute course, consider creating a series of 2-5-minute microlearnings easily deployed to a smart phone instead. And always allow for the chance to pause and jump back in as needed. Learn more about <a href="/blog/2019/11/vital-elements-of-engaging-microcontent.html" target="_blank">developing microcontent here</a>.</p>
<p>The challenge with lots of little nuggets is keeping them organized and easy to access in the correct order. You may need to spend as much time on you’re the structure of your learning portal as you do on course development. No one has time to hunt for the next lesson.</p>
<h3 id="tip-2-keep-it-interactiveeven-fun">Tip #2: Keep It Interactive—Even Fun!</h3>
<p>Training team managers, encourage your designers to appropriately leverage the various options for interactivity in your development software. Add those interactive elements <em>throughout</em> the course, giving learners a way to discover the content, not just review or be quizzed on it.</p>
<p>Include elements of gamification. Can you develop a meaningful point or badge system? Can you include a few fun surprise elements to further entice active participation?</p>
<p>Remember that not every feature will function that same way on a phone or tablet interface as it does on a lap- or desktop. Be sure to test your courses before implementation to avoid frustration on the part of your users. Whenever possible, develop virtual learning that works effectively over the widest range of devices to give your learners maximum flexibility. Not convinced? Learn more about <a href="/blog/2019/06/seven-mobile-learning-facts.html" target="_blank">developing mobile learning.</a></p>
<p>If your virtual learning program includes elements of virtual instructor-led training (VILT), encourage your presenters to use their video cameras as they present. It’s tempting to turn off the camera and just rely on your visuals, but human connection encourages engagement.</p>
<p>Not sure what works for your remote team? Ask for their feedback and input. Likely you will get a wide variety of answers—every learner is different and their tolerances and preferences in terms of processing information remotely will likely vary, too.</p>
<h3 id="tip-3-keep-it-simple">Tip #3: Keep It Simple</h3>
<p>This applies to both the interface as well as the content. Stick to need-to-know information. It’s great to include graphics and visuals, as learners take in a great deal of information visually, but only add them where they support a key message, not just because they look nice. Be conscious of reducing rather than increasing cognitive load. While learners appreciate variety in terms of content delivery, they also need a consistent and predictable interface. Your virtual learning elements should be easy to use and simple to navigate.</p>
<h3 id="tip-4-make-it-real-world">Tip #4: Make It Real World</h3>
<p>Balance fun and gamification with real-world applicability. Yes, virtual learning should be interactive, but to be effective with adults, the application must be obvious. If you have users shooting aliens in a negotiations skills virtual learning, it better be obvious how that activity applies in the learner’s life. Also be sure your learning objectives are clear and linked to the business goals so the tangible benefits a learner will get out of completing this virtual learning are apparent. Use real-world scenarios and examples whenever possible. Read on to learn some tips for improving the “real-world” elements in your virtual learning.</p>
<h2 id="visual-design">Visual Design</h2>
<p>Now let’s talk about the other element of design—the visual element. We talked with top eLearning developer and Senior Motion Designer, Tim Spencer, to get some additional tips.</p>
<h3 id="tip-5-make-your-simulated-situations-more-immersive">Tip #5: Make Your Simulated Situations More Immersive</h3>
<p>The best-case scenario in learning would be to work through real-life examples in the real world. The smells, colors, textures, and sounds all help to bring a bigger picture to the learning experience. Such elements draw focus to the context of the information being presented. All too often virtual learning falls a bit short as compared to reality. Integrating art direction and illustration techniques, sound effects, and user experience design, can transform a bland page turner into a much more immersive event. With a rich, contextual environment, such detailed scenarios will deepen the learning experience and increase the likelihood of knowledge transfer.</p>
<h3 id="tip-6-have-a-strategy-for-visual-continuity-and-revitalization">Tip #6: Have a Strategy for Visual Continuity and Revitalization</h3>
<p>When working across an array of platforms, your well-thought-out learning strategy can quickly seem disjointed. A clear and consistent vision for imagery, illustration, colors, and fonts can snap that continuity back into place. Following company brand standards is a pretty obvious first step, but what happens when you have specific learning deliverables that aren’t addressed in those standards? Or perhaps you want a deliverable that stands out visually from the “company blue” on a white background. Give careful thought to this step and develop a holistic look and feel for your entire program—not just this course.</p>
<h3 id="tip-7-develop-or-select-charactersavatars-with-intention">Tip #7: Develop or Select Characters/Avatars With Intention</h3>
<p>There are a host of considerations that need to be taken into account when depicting individuals. Perhaps the most important of these are: What is the tone of your content and how will your content be perceived? If your topic is a serious one, you may want to avoid characteristics that lend to a more playful or cartoon-like vibe. Body proportions can generate a lot of subconscious reactions. For example, large heads are characteristic of infants and can be perceived as indicating immaturity.</p>
<p>Are your characters diverse and inclusive? There is a fine line to walk when making decisions about features like hair, eyes, and noses. On the one hand, we want to illustrate diversity, including a wide range of characteristics that communicate racial and regional differences. On the other hand, are your characters subsequently reinforcing conscious or unconscious stereotypes? If your program is global, how best can you represent all learners? These questions require careful thought.</p>
<p>Another consideration is skin color. This is a common area of concern. Will you choose to incorporate a variety of skin tones to represent the diversity of your potential audience, or choose to have everyone a color that does not exist in real life (i.e., blue)?</p>
<p>Here is an example of an early phase of character development that was meant to help drive a targeted conversation with a client:</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2020-09-25/graphic-01.jpg" alt="Character Development" class="mx-auto my-5 d-block" style="width:80%;" /></p>
<h3 id="tip-8-create-an-engaging-color-palette">Tip #8: Create an Engaging Color Palette</h3>
<p>Creating and implementing new color palettes can be a lengthy process; here are a few tips and tricks to help push your project in the right direction.</p>
<p><strong>Color Language Defined</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Hue</em>. Refers to the actual color you see: red, green, blue, etc.</li>
<li><em>Saturation</em>. Refers to the vibrancy of a color. A very saturated color can look almost neon while a desaturated color is grey.</li>
<li><em>Value</em>. The lightness or darkness of a color. The lighter shift of a hue (adding white) is described as a tint. The darker value (adding black) is described as a shade.</li>
</ul>
<p>So how do you build an effective color palette for your project? Start by determining your primary color. This color will be the predominant color used and will anchor the continuity of your design. For our example we’re choosing a rich blue. Then choose two variations of this color, one darker and one lighter. This ensures legibility whether we need dark text on a light background or dark text on a light background. Of course we need a white, but just for fun we’ll add a little bit of a hue to it. Our secondary color will be a complementary color (across the color wheel)—yellow, and our two accent colors are red and pink.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2020-09-25/graphic-02.jpg" alt="Color Language Defined" class="mx-auto my-5 d-block" style="width:80%;" /></p>
<p>So we’ve determined our colors, now let’s look at how to use them for maximum effect.</p>
<p>The ratio of colors that should be used for any given composition is 60:30:10. This means that for any particular layout (or screen in your course), if you consider the surface area 100%, you know about how much of a color to display.</p>
<p>It isn’t a hard and fast rule, but it’s a great starting place. You can play around with the ratios a little and maybe add another accent color in, making your ratio more along the lines of 60:30:5:5.</p>
<p><img src="/assets/img/blog/2020-09-15/graphic-03.jpg" alt="Quick Color Tips" class="mx-auto my-5 d-block" style="width:80%;" /></p>
<p><strong>Quick Color Tips</strong></p>
<ul>
<li><em>Limit the number of colors</em>. You don’t need to use all the spices on the rack</li>
<li><em>Don’t over saturate</em>. For every saturated color, you need a counterpart. It’s hard to notice how bright something is without also seeing something dark.</li>
<li><em>Contrast is key</em>. Contrast creates clarity. If there’s not enough contrast between values, then it’s hard to know where to look. A quick trick to check on your contrast is to desaturate your composition and see if the focal point is still clear.</li>
</ul>
<p>For more great tips from Tim, check out <a href="/blog/2020/03/5-vital-steps-to-create-appealing-corporate-training-videos.htmll" target="_blank">5 Vital Steps to Create Appealing Corporate Training Videos</a>.</p>
<h2 id="conclusion">Conclusion</h2>
<p>Whether you are a training or HR manager or even a small business leader, you are no doubt grappling with the new reality of remote teams. (Check out our article <a href="/blog/2020/03/working-from-home-obsidian-guide.html" target="_blank">Working from Home: Our Guide to Thrive</a>.) Remote employees must continue to learn and develop, but how best to meet this challenge? Well-designed virtual learning is possible and can be a highly effective means of meeting your organization’s learning and development needs. Applying these instructional and visual design tips can be the first steps toward improving your virtual training strategy.</p>Shannon HartVirtual learning is an essential component in the learning and development toolkit, and it is widely used for training and educational purposes. It is not, however, always high quality or effective. Here are some design tips from the instructional and visual perspectives to give your virtual learning a real boost.