Remote work has led many companies to train their workforce online. Many trainers have confirmed that virtual training is as practical as in-person training.

This article explores the steps that can help learning and development experts upskill remote employees.

10 Steps for Conducting Virtual Training

1. Use an Up-to-Date Learning Management System (LMS)

Online training initiatives fail to achieve their goals without the necessary tools and technology. For this reason, you should take some time to research the essential tools and software to achieve your organisation's objectives.

Here are some questions to help you choose the right virtual training tools:

  • What is the scope of the training?
  • Will the majority of the training be synchronous or asynchronous?
  • What tools will be used to create videos, animations, and presentations?
  • What method will be used for file sharing?
  • Do you need a dedicated training platform?
  • What interactive elements do you want to add to the training programme?
  • How do you plan to incorporate assessments into the training programme?

The online training sector has expanded significantly recently, with many companies offering training services. This places a responsibility on you to verify the service provider's credibility and review their previous work before you contract with them. The right virtual platform can simplify training procedures, content and material preparation, knowledge base creation, and other functions.

Best practices become more effective when a dynamic virtual learning platform is available. This contributes to the success of the training experience regardless of the nature of the materials and content.

2. Clarify Rules and Participant Obligations

At the beginning of the first session, you must clarify the rules of conduct and interaction and the obligations required of the training participants. The first step is to prepare a flexible work schedule, define the duration of each training phase, break times, allocated time for questions, and the rules for turning cameras on/off and muting microphones during sessions.

Virtual Training Sessions

3. Vary Your Delivery Methods

Varying the methods and media used to deliver the training helps provide a practical and visually engaging experience. Multimedia keeps participants motivated and ensures interaction with the content and materials throughout the sessions.

Here are some of the media used in delivering virtual training programmes:

  • Videos
  • Presentations
  • Simulations
  • Lectures
  • Q&A sessions
  • Infographics and charts
  • Audio elements

Try to leverage technology to make the training materials as effective and enjoyable as possible.

4. Prepare for Potential Complications

Do not expect things to go smoothly according to plan. You must anticipate potential problems and errors and develop the necessary contingency plans to deal with them. These problems could include presentation software malfunctions, internet outages, or poor audio quality. You need to have a well-thought-out backup plan to handle these issues.

Preliminary activities should be conducted before the training course begins, such as:

  • Analysing skill gaps.
  • Sending assessments and tests.
  • Gathering feedback through surveys.
  • Sharing articles related to the session's topic.
  • Sending links to resources and videos about the training topic.

These activities help create the right conditions for launching the training programme.

5. Break Down Training into Short Sessions

Training quality improves when interactive elements are added to the programme. For this reason, discussions and questions should not be postponed until the end of the session. Instead, you should allow trainees to participate actively during the session through the following activities:

  • Breakout sessions.
  • Q&A sessions.
  • Role-playing activities.
  • Quizzes.

Discussions can be conducted simply by asking open-ended questions to the group members. However, the challenge lies in noticing signs of boredom and distraction in participants during virtual training. All necessary measures must keep participants engaged and involved throughout the sessions.

6. Avoid Long Lectures

Some training experts succeed in conducting practical in-person sessions by keeping trainees' attention and being present in the same room. They also use appropriate in-person training tools to keep trainees engaged during long lectures.

However, these experts often face difficulty conducting virtual training due to the absence of the physical space and tools they rely on in in-person sessions. As a result, lectures that were once engaging and interesting become boring and monotonous in a virtual setting. This happens because long lectures are not suitable for virtual training. It is better to use tools specifically designed for online learning and to break down long content into short units.

7. Conduct a Trial Run

It is recommended that a trial run of a part of the virtual training course content be conducted to test the materials and technology used in the programme. A comprehensive test must be performed before launching the training course. This process may take some time, but it ensures the session runs smoothly and helps avoid embarrassing mistakes and setbacks.

It is best to test the training course on a dummy audience to get accurate results on the following aspects:

  • Technical glitches.
  • Activities that are too long or too short.
  • Awkward transitions between topics and activities.

Trial runs are used to get an accurate idea of the time required for the training and to inform employees of the session duration so they can organise their time and schedules accordingly.

8. Follow Up with Trainees After Each Session

Following up after the training course is intended to help trainees apply the acquired information to their work tasks, answer their questions, and identify the practical elements of the training programme.

  • Communicate with participants to gather feedback.
  • Provide additional support.
  • Obtain information about future training needs.

After the training course ends, you can send trainees information, article links, and other related content.

9. Customise Content for the Virtual Environment

You must allocate enough time to convert in-person training into virtual programmes to maintain engagement and participation during the sessions. When creating virtual training programmes, you should prepare suitable content for remote employees.

10. Collaborate with a Facilitator

You can collaborate with a facilitator and divide the tasks between you, so one of you is responsible for delivering the lecture while the other handles supervision and management tasks. These tasks include managing discussions, responding to incoming messages, troubleshooting technical issues, and preparing training materials.

Try to find a facilitator with expertise in the training course topic so you can exchange ideas and information with them, discuss the questions raised, and benefit from them in developing your skills.

Virtual Training Sessions

The Characteristics of a Proficient Virtual Trainer

Here are some of the skills and personal qualities that distinguish a proficient virtual trainer:

1. Engaging Personality

A skilled trainer uses social and presentation skills to maintain participants' interest. These skills are recommended to succeed in interacting with trainees in writing within the virtual environment. You can keep trainees engaged by using chat tools and direct messaging.

2. Situational Awareness

Are most attendees showing signs of boredom and distraction? Are trainees struggling to grasp the information presented? The virtual trainer must notice these signals to change their style and regain the audience's attention. This awareness helps to humanise the training experience and keep participants engaged, whether it requires minor adjustments or radical changes.

3. Conciseness

Conciseness is the ability to convey information in a short amount of time without adding secondary details. This ability allows the trainer to keep the session on track, especially when participants ask many questions.

4. Patience

Many problems and errors occur in the virtual environment, such as internet outages or a lack of sufficient expertise to handle the technological tools used for communication. Patience helps in dealing with unforeseen problems calmly and preventing them from affecting the training flow. A trainer who is not patient during sessions will fail to build trust with participants and help them learn.

5. Technical Expertise

You do not need to master all virtual software tools. It is enough to handle new technology and know its uses. People open to technological changes can adapt to virtual training or e-learning.

In Conclusion

The reliance on virtual training programmes is increasing as many companies transition to remote work. This article provided 10 steps that ensure the success of virtual training programmes in achieving their desired goals.