Corporate training programs mean well. Large companies and enterprises will go to great lengths to construct training centers outfitted with the latest equipment. But if you ignore practical training options like remote or hybrid classes, you risk sacrificing employee productivity.
Insisting on in-person training upsets production schedules. It also takes a significant cost investment to build a training facility, fly employees there, and house them for several days. Modern learning tools offer a better solution without compromising what trainees will learn.
For instance, interactive whiteboards and other digital devices enable companies to offer effective corporate training programs in a hybrid setting. More importantly, they keep production up while ensuring workers learn the skills they need to do their jobs effectively.
How Companies Still Mess Up Corporate Training
It makes sense that enterprises want a healthy return on investment (ROI) on the behemoth training centers they built. Despite the availability of less costly and more efficient training programs, human resources still have to fill the training classrooms with warm bodies.
We all know the hidden costs of flying trainees in to attend a weeklong seminar at corporate headquarters. Even if travel and lodging costs are safely within budget, pulling employees out of their daily routines can cost more in the long run.
For instance, bringing a sales manager in from the field for a few days of training might seem like a small price to pay. But you leave the manager’s sales team in the cold. Without their coach, leads may grow stagnant and problems may go unsolved. By changing the dynamic of your sales team—even for a short time—you risk impacting relationships and revenue.
Another issue with traditional corporate training programs is that attendees tend to forget information that doesn’t apply to them and their jobs directly. Why should your internal IT team learn how to better deal with customer calls? What’s more, you risk creating a gap between employees that receive training and those that don’t. This can affect teamwork and morale.
Fostering Hybrid Training Programs Within Your Business
The COVID-19 pandemic proved that modern communication technology is mature enough to handle business affairs remotely. This includes client meetings, project management huddles, and corporate training. Even after the pandemic, the convenience and cost-efficiency of online training made it hard for corporations to return fully to the traditional, in-person mode of learning.
But what about their earlier investments in training centers filled with state-of-the-art equipment? Hybrid training solutions let corporate trainers enjoy the best of both worlds.
Employees who already work at corporate headquarters can still attend training sessions without losing valuable work time due to travel. Meanwhile, employees who live in other parts of the world can simply log in to a training program and learn from the convenience of their laptops. Instead of going away for a few days, they only need to attend sessions for a few hours daily.
Setting up a Hybrid Training System: What Do You Need?
The best part of setting up a hybrid training system is that most corporations already have what they need. During the pandemic, companies spent billions to set up remote networks so employees could stay home to work. Even as the world returned to normal and workers returned to the office, remote systems remained a great alternative to in-person meetings.
Hybrid learning gives in-person and remote trainees equal access to training. So, your equipment should offer the same opportunities. For instance, a standard office whiteboard won’t promote engagement for online members of the class.