How to Upskill Remote Employees for Better Productivity

You have a great remote workforce, but how can you be certain you are getting the most out of everyone?

The answer is to ensure that all employees have the skills and knowledge necessary to do their jobs well.

This article will reveal insights on why it is necessary to upskill your remote workforce and the various ways you can implement to improve their skills.

Let's get started.

Why do remote workplaces need to focus on learning culture?

When it comes to remote work, the learning culture is one of the most important factors. It's not just about ensuring employees have all the tools they need to be effective; it's also about creating an environment where they can learn from each other and grow as professionals.

Here are some benefits of establishing a strong learning culture.

Helps in employee retention

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A learning culture encourages employees to develop and improve their skills, capabilities, and competencies, which helps them perform better in their jobs and grow professionally. A strong culture inspires employees to seek new skills and knowledge, which can help them stay engaged with their work.

Drive competitive advantages

A learning culture can help companies stay ahead by providing a competitive advantage, allowing them to retain their top talent and adapt quickly to new market demands. To be one step ahead of the competition, companies need an environment where employees feel empowered and supported in their professional development. 

By focusing on learning culture, organizations can take advantage of the best practices and strategies that support employee growth while developing sustainable business results.

Improve productivity

Learning culture is an important part of employee productivity because it can help create an environment where people are encouraged to take the initiative, new ideas are valued, and employees are inspired to grow and develop themselves. 

The result is a more productive workforce that performs better in the long run.

Flexible and adaptable mindset

Learning culture helps companies become more adaptive and flexible because it allows employees to make decisions based on their experience rather than following rigid rules or instructions. It can help companies respond quickly to changes in the marketplace and avoid being stuck in outdated ways of thinking.

Build a leadership and promotion pipeline

A learning culture isn't just about improving employee performance; it's about ensuring you have the right people in place to seize opportunities when they arise—and respond quickly when things go wrong.

When companies have a learning culture, they have an opportunity to build a leadership pipeline, which can help them attract and retain talent. A strong leadership pipeline allows organizations to grow their workforce by developing leaders from their current employee pool rather than hiring people from outside the company.

9 ways to upskill your remote employees

In business, learning is important as it helps improve the organization's and its employee's performance. There are several ways in which you can enhance the skills of your employees remotely.

Set goals for your employees

Setting goals is an essential part of any learning process. When you set goals, you're allowing employees to take ownership of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. You're also making it clear to others that this work is important and needs to be done.

It's easy for remote workers to get caught up in the daily grind of answering emails and responding to customer inquiries. But things can quickly get out of control if they don't take time to think about the next steps.

That's why setting goals for your remote workers can be so beneficial. It helps them focus on what they need to do next and gives them a sense of purpose each day.

Create a company culture that fosters learning

Remote workers are often highly motivated individuals who want to learn and grow as much as possible. They also need to be able to experiment with different ways of working and learning so that they can find the best fit for their team.

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A good way to create a learning culture is by giving people ownership of their development. You can encourage employees to take charge on their own time, outside office hours, or limit virtual meetings to be more productive. This could mean setting aside time each week for each employee to use it as they see fit.

You can also encourage peer-to-peer learning by setting up study groups or mentoring programs where your team members can teach each other new skills and strategies for success.

In addition to their day-to-day work duties, motivate your remote workers to spend time educating themselves with new technologies or skills that will help them develop their careers further.

Give employees a comfortable working environment

When working from home, it's easy to get distracted by the TV or internet. However, if you want your employees to be productive and learn new skills, you must create an environment conducive to learning.

Tips for creating a remote learning environment for your team‍

1. Create opportunities for them to talk about their work with other people.
2. Provide incentives that keep them motivated to improve their skills.
3. Give them the tools they need to succeed.
4. Provide regular feedback on their performance.
5. Make yourself available to help them with any questions or problems.

When remote workers feel like they're growing, it boosts productivity and makes them more likely to stay at your company.

Encourage and reward learning

The most successful remote workers are those who take the initiative to set goals, learn new skills, and push themselves to grow. Here are some tips for encouraging learning when managing hybrid employees or remote teams.

Celebrate accomplishments

When you celebrate your remote workers' successes, it's a message that you're paying attention and value their work. It also encourages them to keep learning and achieving.

Ask for input

Ask your employees what they want to learn or do next. Give them opportunities to suggest new projects or areas of focus for the team, which will help them feel more invested in their work. It can also give you insight into what skills they need to improve so you can identify training resources for them later.

Create opportunities for new experiences

Remote workers often have fewer chances for informal interactions with coworkers than in-office employees because they're not physically located near each other all day. You can encourage interactions by sending virtual gifts or small rewards when someone goes above and beyond their job description or completes a critical project successfully. This is especially effective if it's something they didn't expect (like a handwritten card). 

You could also offer paid time off as an incentive, such as allowing people to take a long weekend if they complete a specific project or sell a certain number of products.

If you want your employees to be successful, they need to feel like they're constantly growing as professionals in their field. You must ensure they're continually learning new skills, whether through formal virtual training or by participating in informal learning opportunities.

Provide learning resources

People who work from home are often more productive and have higher job satisfaction. 

But there's a catch. 

Remote workers also have a more challenging time keeping up with training, leading to slower growth and employee morale.

That's why employers need to give their remote staff access to the same learning management system and training material as those in the office.

Here are some ways in which you can provide continuous learning resources for remote workers.

Provide training materials online

You can use online training tools such as video tutorials, courses, certifications, and podcasts to create a virtual classroom for remote workers. It will help them learn about various topics related to their work or career development without leaving their homes or offices.

Set up an online library

Create an online library where you can store documents related to your business so that remote workers can access them whenever necessary. You may also assign specific topics for each week to automatically add new additions to their training program when they become available. It helps ensure that all employees stay updated with your organization's latest news and developments.

Give access to an online learning platform

Provide access to online learning platforms such as Coursera, Udemy, or LinkedIn Learning with Lynda. Or you can offer in-house training on various topics, from accounting to programming.

Create a knowledge base

This is where you can store articles and blog posts related to your industry. This training method will help remote workers stay updated with the latest news and developments in their field.

If you want remote team members to continue working for you rather than moving on to another company, keeping them interested in what they do and investing in training remote employees is important.

Schedule video-based coaching

Video-based coaching is a great way for managers and mentors to provide feedback on how remote workers are doing on the job. But it's also a powerful way for these leaders to quickly help remote workers improve their skills and knowledge.

It is an excellent way to deliver remote training because it's convenient and easy to use. Technology has improved considerably in the past few years, making it possible for companies with limited budgets to offer this type of training without breaking the bank.

Video-based coaching allows employees to work at their own pace, which can be especially helpful if they have a busy schedule. They can stop to take notes, rewind if they missed something important, and watch videos repeatedly as many times as necessary.

Coaching videos are also a good way to keep employees engaged and motivated over time. Many people get bored by reading long manuals or attending lengthy virtual classroom sessions, but they can stay interested in video coaching that keeps moving forward. 

So, try video-based coaching if you want to increase employee engagement and save money on training.

Ensure learning and development are part of your company's DNA

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Learning and development programs for remote workers are essential to creating a thriving company. If you want your employees to do their jobs more effectively, ensure that they have all the necessary knowledge and skill sets needed to do so.

Receiving formalized virtual training is also a great way for companies to show their employees how much they value them as individuals. It proves that the company cares about their professional growth and success, which can help inspire loyalty from both sides.

In addition, learning and development programs help with employee retention by keeping them engaged in their work at all times. They can also improve employee satisfaction because people want to feel like they're growing professionally within their organization, primarily if they work remotely.

As a manager, it's your job to ensure that your remote team is getting the training they need to do their jobs well. Learning and development programs can help you do that.

Create paths to promotion

Employees are often flattered by promotions and can feel more motivated to go above and beyond at work when they are given a new role.

Giving employees opportunities for advancement is a great way to keep them engaged with their jobs and encourage them to upskill.

Promotions can help employees feel valued and appreciated, motivating them to give more effort at work. It increases productivity and makes your business more profitable.

Promotions also help encourage cross-training within a company so that employees can take on multiple roles if needed without hiring new people or training someone from scratch. It reduces costs while increasing efficiency in your business processes.

Soft skills every remote worker should develop

Remote working is a great way to maximize productivity and efficiency, but it comes with challenges. Here are some essential soft skills that will help your time thrive in a remote work environment.

Communication

Communication is one of the most critical soft skills in any workplace—it's the key to collaboration. But working remotely, virtual communication goes to an entirely new level. It's no longer about having face-to-face conversations with your colleagues; it's about using technology to communicate effectively across different time zones and cultures.

With strong written communication, team members can clearly and concisely convey their ideas, allowing others to understand what they mean without having to go back and forth on questions or requests.

Therefore, it's essential to focus on three things when writing: clarity, conciseness, and enthusiasm. 

If you find yourself struggling with any of these three things, try Copy.ai. It's a robust AI-powered copywriting tool that will help you convey your message.

You can use it to write emails, blog posts, social media updates, and more. The platform also provides you with a library of pre-written templates to help you save time.

Conflict management skills

When your team is spread across different locations or time zones, there will inevitably be some conflicts that arise between them—especially when multiple time zones are involved! It can make conflict resolution even more difficult than usual, so everyone must have conflict management skills to know how best to handle these situations when they arise.

Even if there's no immediate crisis, good conflict management skills help prevent future problems, saving companies time and money in the long run.

Ability to work independently‍

The ability to work independently is an essential skill for any job, particularly for those who work remotely. It is the ability to self-motivate, take the initiative, and use your judgment to accomplish tasks without direct supervision.

When you're not physically present with your colleagues or manager, there's no one around to assign tasks or provide support. The need for self-motivation and independence becomes even more apparent when you consider how much time may pass between communication with your manager or colleagues.

Employees must cope with this lack of interaction by managing their workload effectively, without having someone else there to help them out if they get stuck or need advice on how best to approach something.

Being tech-savvy

A tech-savvy person knows how to use technology proficiently and efficiently. They can easily use the internet, smartphones, and other modern gadgets.

Being tech-savvy means using different software and tools to complete your daily tasks, such as email, video conferencing, file sharing, and document editing. Remote workers need to use these technologies efficiently and effectively to make their jobs easier.

As a remote worker, you must know how to troubleshoot problems when they come up—whether they are technical or just routine issues like receiving an email with an attachment that won't open or sending an email that didn't go through as expected.

Ability to do deep work

Deep work is time focused on a task that requires your full attention and concentration. The idea is that you can let go of distractions and fully immerse yourself in what you're doing so that you can get more done in less time.

As a remote worker, having the ability to do deep work is crucial to your success. It allows you to accomplish more in less time, making it easier to balance life and work when you're remote.

Deep work will increase your creativity, productivity, and overall quality of work life.

Discipline and consistency‍

Discipline and consistency are essential qualities to have as a remote worker. They allow you to accomplish more in less time, reduce stress, and help you feel more in control of your life. When you're disciplined and steady with your work, achieving your goals and getting where you want to be is easier.

Discipline helps you stay on track with the things that matter most. When you stay disciplined, it's easier to prioritize what activities you should do and when—and which ones you should avoid altogether.

Consistency helps your clients and managers know what to expect from you. If they see that they can count on you working online every day at 2 pm while completing tasks, they’re less likely to check in on your progress before deadlines. It will allow them to focus on other parts of their business while they wait for your report.

With discipline and consistency, you have more control over your time and schedule than if you do not have these qualities. You can plan ahead for meetings and appointments with clients or managers so that there are no interruptions or delays in getting work done for them or yourself.

Adaptability

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Adjusting your schedule is crucial for remote workers working with people in different time zones.

Adaptability is also important because it helps you adjust to different environments. If you work at home, in an office, or on the road, you need to be able to adapt your work style so that it fits with the environment around you.

Adaptable remote workers can respond quickly and efficiently to changes in their flexible work environment or schedule without feeling stressed out or overwhelmed by the change. Adaptability allows them to adjust rapidly to get back on track with their tasks and projects without disrupting their lives.

Time management

Time management is how we plan and organize our activities and schedule to become more productive and effective.

If your business relies on remote workers and virtual collaboration, then these workers must be aware of the importance of time management. They should know how to plan and complete their work within the required deadline.

If you have an employee who starts to miss deadlines or seems overwhelmed with their work, you need to help teach them how to better manage their time and prioritize tasks so they can figure out what inefficiencies are causing them to fall behind. 

Doing so will lead to upskilling those employees in not only time management, but task prioritization, communication, and project management as well.

Asynchronous communication

‍Asynchronous communication is any form of communication that doesn't take place in real-time.

While many people think asynchronous communication is only for writing, it encompasses all types of communication that don't require real-time responses. It can include emailing, texting, using chat tools like Slack or HipChat, or even phone calls.

Asynchronous communication allows remote employees to work at their own pace and schedule and makes it easy for them to have virtual collaboration with coworkers and bosses without being constantly connected.

Cybersecurity awareness

With the rise of remote work, it's more important than ever for businesses to ensure their remote workers and contractors have cybersecurity awareness training, usually from IT and human resource teams.

Remote employees often use public Wi-Fi hotspots and are more likely to click on phishing email links or download malware without proper training. They are also less likely to follow best practices around software updates, password management, and other cybersecurity measures. 

Therefore, you must ensure that your virtual workers get remote training in protecting themselves from cyber threats.

Final thoughts on upskilling employees in  your remote workforce

Having a strong, well-trained, and diverse remote workforce is critical to achieving your business goals. The best way to accomplish this is by ensuring that your remote workers are equipped with the skills and tools they need to succeed.

If you're worried about losing valuable skills if an employee leaves, consider offering them the chance to teach others what they know through a remote training session. It keeps your staff engaged in their jobs and helps them feel valued by their colleagues and employers.

We hope the tips above help with upskilling employees on your remote teams and ensure that they are working most effectively.

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