Worker Coaching For Returning To The Office
Security is the name of the game
The concept of work from home (WFH) is slowly starting to relax as some companies cautiously reopen the doors to their premises. The risks remain, however, as COVID-19 is still a major threat even at this late stage in the pandemic.
Things to Consider Before Deciding to Return to Work
If it is more convenient for your business, then you should definitely continue with WFH. However, if you plan to return to your office safely, you will be expected to ensure that your employees have been trained to return to work in accordance with the CDC’s compliance guidelines. More importantly, you need to reassure your employees that their safety and health is your number one concern.
There is a simple fact that you need to make your employees aware of: going back to work is not the same as going back to normal. In 2021, “business as usual” is still a long way off. Over 70% of executives expect to return to the office before the end of this year. However, due to staggered work shifts, not all employees will return to work. Most organizations choose a hybrid version of the remote worker model and the on-site worker model.
Planning a return to work
Some executives take special online courses to learn how to plan and organize an orderly return to a socially distant workplace. Worrying, however, is that over 60% of executives don’t even have a solid plan right now, despite their employees having been ordered to return to the office soon. Your return to work needs to be carefully planned in collaboration with your legal, human resources, IT and health and safety teams. Don’t keep your L&D out of the loop vertically; it plays a crucial role here.
What are the new workplace rules?
The main goal of the new workplace regulations is to minimize or prevent the spread of COVID-19. This means introducing safety precautions such as vigilant hygiene, changing shifts, social distancing, mask requirements, disinfection stations, thermometers and mandatory tests into your employees’ daily work schedule. You must rely on basic security knowledge directly from the CDC website.
Let’s say you’ve planned your team back to work. Now you need a reliable way of communicating your newly revised HR policy to them. This is where eLearning comes in. Comprehensive online training on “safe return to work” can prepare your employees for the new challenges in their new workplace.
eLearning as a solution for employee orientation
You need to develop a new set of online learning resources and modules that are more interactive. Because interactivity turns knowledge into experience. And experiential learning is hard to forget. It is important that you inform and orientate your team with some just-in-time training or bite-sized online job aids with practical advice and tips. The online course format is perfect for guiding your employees through the information they need to stay safe at work. Courses can be designed to show exactly what to expect on their first day at work. Big changes can be difficult to handle, but a well-informed employee is a well-prepared employee.
Why is eLearning perfect for return to work training?
In this case, ironically, instructor-led training would defeat the point of social distancing. Instead, rely on web-based training courses that use short videos to convey information in a fun and engaging way. If you hire the right people, you can even develop a well-researched speed learning course that doesn’t sacrifice its interactive elements in favor of rapid development. The planning phase must be guided by direct input from OSH professionals.
Your eLearning course can easily be updated as necessary (you may need to make revisions based on the latest updates to CDC guidelines). The online learning format can be used to dispel COVID-19 myths, raise basic awareness of PPE and highlight the importance of the new hygiene rules. You can even include online tests and assessments to help clarify the point of this particular training program.
An affordable training solution
Online courses are by nature self-paced. Learning at your own pace reduces the need for your staff to contact the help desk when in doubt. All they have to do is reach into their pockets and access your information module on their phone. This saves everyone’s time and helps you avoid productivity losses.
The power of storytelling as a teaching tool
You should develop scenario-based online training anchored by assignable characters and stories that are specific to your company’s work environment. Employees are expected to apply this knowledge on a daily basis, so present saved workplace scenarios to help them understand the new workplace rules from all angles. Instead of simply presenting your team with a list of forgetful do’s and don’ts, use modern teaching methods to enliven them and turn that simple list into highly engaging learning content.
Behavioral and Social Learning
The principles of behavioral learning can be used during the design phase of your new online course. This makes it easier for you to teach your employees new health-conscious skills. After all, you want to change the way you think and increase your belief in the new workplace rules.
It is known that behavioral learning combined with modern social learning works wonders in influencing the behavior of learners. You can integrate social learning in the form of a learning app that your employees install on their phones. Nudge-based training works by sending regular reminders in the form of phone notifications (i.e., reminding your staff to sanitize their hands, reminding your staff to check the staffing of the room they are in, etc.)
graduation
Adopt online learning and keep your workplace COVID safe by establishing a new daily routine in your employees’ lives!
Emmersive Infotech
Emmersive Infotech: We develop tailor-made knowledge solutions for the new millennial workforce using state-of-the-art technologies such as AI and virtual reality
