The New World Of Work

Are employers and employees ready?

Training can help prepare workers to succeed in today’s increasingly virtual workplaces.

About one-third of the world’s population experienced some sort of lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. With some areas easing restrictions just as others are forced to resume partial shutdowns to curb more waves of the virus, many workers are looking forward to returning to the workplace — or to work, in the case of those who were laid off or furloughed  — as a way to gain some sense of normalcy back in their lives.

But for many companies, the road back to “normal” will be a long one — if they can get there at all. For now, it’s the “new normal” that businesses are focused on. 
 

Companies that weather the crisis relatively well may choose to continue with measures like mandatory work-from-home policies even after their cities are officially re-opened for good. Brick-and-mortar businesses, like those in the hard-hit restaurant and retail industries, will need to reconfigure their layouts to comply with social distancing guidelines. Those that closed or reduced their workforces are considering how, when or if they can bring back workers amid uncertain customer demand and concerns over the rise in cases after the first attempts to reopen.

The common thread in all these cases is that things will look a lot different post-pandemic. So what can employers do to prepare their teams to adapt and thrive in this new world of work?

Employees returning to work or continuing to work virtually already know how to do their jobs. What they may not know, however, is how to work in environments where they’re at least six feet away from their coworkers or being an employee, parent and teacher all at the same time. That means there will be a lot of learning necessary to get employees working at pre-pandemic productivity levels, and even more for those in new roles. 

But to thrive in this new world of work, employees will need far more than technical know-how. “Soft skills” like communication, resilience, adaptability, and stress management are critical in times like these and should be prioritized during the recovery. 

Distance learning isn’t an issue limited to schools. With traditional in-person settings no longer feasible due to social distancing, companies are also rethinking how they can continue providing employee training now and in the long term.  

For many, eLearning offers the best way to quickly and scalably educate their workforces regardless of physical location. Companies that already had eLearning programs and learning management systems (LMSs) in place, were able to pivot to fully digital learning relatively easily, provided they have access to a robust and diverse catalog of courses. Company-specific training that can’t be licensed from a third-party training vendor can be taken online using live or recorded webinars or other video conferencing tools.

We’ll be feeling the effects of the COVID-19 crisis for a long time, and most likely in ways we’re not yet aware of. We are sure to feel the impacts of coronavirus on the world of work for years to come, and possibly in ways we haven’t even considered yet. Taking steps now to ensure employees have the right support and training in place before they return to work will help ensure they can do so safely and successfully.

As the CEO, Don Spear leads OpenSesame to help its customers develop the world’s most productive and admired workforces. Prior to OpenSesame, Don founded BlueVolt.com, held executive leadership positions at Banfield The Pet Hospital and PetSmart, and served as a submarine officer aboard the USS Tunny (SSN 682). Visit www.opensesame.com  Connect Don Spear