Without a doubt, how well you train a new employee will go a long way to determining how successful they will be within your company. Even if this individual's resume was immaculate and the interview process flawless, it is still on you to see that your latest hire has all of the tools needed to perform at an optimal level.
As 92% of global employers recognize that adapting their digital communications strategies will be a key to survival moving forward (Twilio), it is time to consider using video calls to train new staff.
Scott Wilson, Co-Founder and CEO of the video conferencing service Banty.com, is a big believer in using virtual meeting technology to not just hire staff, but also train them.
If you are considering this method of training, Scott would like to offer you this advice:
Introduce your meeting technology: While this may seem like an obvious step, it is important to make sure your new hire understands the online meeting technology your company uses. If a person hasn't worked with it before, provide a quick tutorial and tour to build familiarity
Present your workflow process and expectations: Online meeting platforms make it easy to create informative, engaging, and interactive presentations. To help convey your internal workflow processes and productivity-related expectations, create such a presentation to share with new hires
Connect new staff with longstanding staff: As soon as possible, have the new hire participate in video calls with the longstanding staff members they will be working alongside. This will help a person's integration into the company and give them people to turn to for advice or assistance
Meet regularly to answer any questions: For the early weeks of a person's tenure, host regular one-on-one virtual meetings with them. This will serve as a forum for you to answer any pertinent questions the new team member has, as well as give you the opportunity to offer further instruction. Here, words of encouragement from you are also beneficial if you feel like the employee is struggling to find their footing
Focus on building a rapport: Yes, the primary focus of video call training should be business. However, what can help a professional relationship grow is by finding common ground on a human level. During virtual training sessions, don't be afraid to casually speak about weekend plans, the lovely weather, or an interesting article you read. Relatability never goes out of style
"With more and more companies hiring remote employees, it's important to not just embrace the idea of training staff virtually, but learn how to do it amazingly well," adds Scott. "By creating a forward-thinking, online, video-centric training process for your company, you will stand a better chance at developing talent that will stick with you for years to come."
Thanks to Yahoo! Finance for this coverage of Banty!
