Exclusive Interview with Kobi Regev, Founder and CEO, The Squadron
Corporate Learning Landscape: What’s Changed And What Hasn’t Post Covid
Posted on 03-04-2021, Read Time: 6 Min
Share:
 |
Learning will always be a combination of one’s desire to improve, curiosity, and the process of overcoming the fear of failure. Post Covid-19 what has changed, though, is the setting where this learning takes place. Corporate learning will need to adapt to workplace changes, virtual learning, and social interactions. It will be a challenge as we try to find out the balance on the way to normalcy,” says Kobi Regev, Founder and CEO, The Squadron. |
Kobi, in an exclusive interaction with HR.com talks about what changed and what did not in the learning landscape over the past year, what will be the challenges in future, how can companies make the maximum use of their learning resources and learning investment, among others.
Excerpts from the interview:
Q: How did Covid-19 affect employee training in your company?
Kobi: When Covid was first declared a global pandemic, I did not think anyone really knew what that would mean for us. As more and more companies adopted a work from home approach, it became clear that corporate training could only succeed if we adapted our programs to a world where employees are unable to sit together.
Programs like The Squadron did what every successful business does. We adapted to the changing environment and reworked programming for distance learning.
In addition, we had to develop corporate training that spoke of not only about working as a team, for example, but on how to work effectively as a team when no one is sitting in the same office building.
Our program is particularly effective in that virtual environment. When you think about the flight, you have the pilot, who is in a plane, together with other pilots flying their own fighter jets. Simultaneously, there are team members on the ground, supporting the pilots with data from the ground. Everyone is in their own location and is brought together through the mission.
The flight simulation experience is very similar to that which businesses are experiencing right now with Covid-19. We want to create an experience that allows employees to experience an unfamiliar and rapidly changing reality where they learn to manage those changes while moving forward to complete the mission.
Programs like The Squadron did what every successful business does. We adapted to the changing environment and reworked programming for distance learning.
In addition, we had to develop corporate training that spoke of not only about working as a team, for example, but on how to work effectively as a team when no one is sitting in the same office building.
Our program is particularly effective in that virtual environment. When you think about the flight, you have the pilot, who is in a plane, together with other pilots flying their own fighter jets. Simultaneously, there are team members on the ground, supporting the pilots with data from the ground. Everyone is in their own location and is brought together through the mission.
The flight simulation experience is very similar to that which businesses are experiencing right now with Covid-19. We want to create an experience that allows employees to experience an unfamiliar and rapidly changing reality where they learn to manage those changes while moving forward to complete the mission.
Q: What will the future of HR and learning professionals look like?
Kobi: The future of work will be different because we have discovered that working from home is feasible, necessitating changes in the way that HR and learning professionals operate.
Recruiters are already screening candidates based on their social profiles, and I think that will increase as HR teams have less of an opportunity to get to know a candidate in person.
I believe that shift will provide companies with valuable information about the people they hire, but it will not show them how they interact and engage with others. When you think about an interview, there are so many non-verbal and physical cues about a candidate that will get lost in the distance recruiting.
As a result, corporations are going to have to increase their investment in team-building activities and training. Where they may have only invested training resources for senior-level employees, I think we are going to see lower level employees taking virtual training courses.
The key to many businesses’ success will be their ability to present a vision, maintain it, and implement it through a workforce that might barely know each other and which resides in different cities, states, and countries.
Recruiters are already screening candidates based on their social profiles, and I think that will increase as HR teams have less of an opportunity to get to know a candidate in person.
I believe that shift will provide companies with valuable information about the people they hire, but it will not show them how they interact and engage with others. When you think about an interview, there are so many non-verbal and physical cues about a candidate that will get lost in the distance recruiting.
As a result, corporations are going to have to increase their investment in team-building activities and training. Where they may have only invested training resources for senior-level employees, I think we are going to see lower level employees taking virtual training courses.
The key to many businesses’ success will be their ability to present a vision, maintain it, and implement it through a workforce that might barely know each other and which resides in different cities, states, and countries.
Q: What has changed and what has not in the learning landscape? What will be the challenges in future?
Kobi: The basics are the same. Learning will always be a combination of one’s desire to improve, curiosity, and the process of overcoming the fear of failure. In a business setting, we are always going to need to train people to work as a team toward a goal, increase optimism, manage change, and learn from past experiences.
What has changed, though, is the setting where this learning takes place. We all understand the importance of a medium. A radio broadcast and TV broadcast covering the same event are fundamentally different because they occur through different mediums. In the same way, corporate learning will need to adapt to workplace changes, virtual learning, and social interactions. It will be a challenge as we try to find out the balance on the way to normalcy.
What has changed, though, is the setting where this learning takes place. We all understand the importance of a medium. A radio broadcast and TV broadcast covering the same event are fundamentally different because they occur through different mediums. In the same way, corporate learning will need to adapt to workplace changes, virtual learning, and social interactions. It will be a challenge as we try to find out the balance on the way to normalcy.
Q: How can companies make the maximum use of their learning resources and learning investment?
Kobi: It is important that they get more efficient, delivering the right type of training to the individual and organization. In the past, we have seen some companies try cross-organizational training that does not really make sense for everyone. We are going to see organizations take a targeted approach to training, delivering the right amount of training to the right personnel. The key here is delivering value in every session.
I also think we will see more virtual training programs, where employees watch a video or go through some type of online program. This will be especially true for training relating to corporate policies, regulatory requirements, and other areas where it is important to share the same information with large groups of people.
I also think we will see more virtual training programs, where employees watch a video or go through some type of online program. This will be especially true for training relating to corporate policies, regulatory requirements, and other areas where it is important to share the same information with large groups of people.
Q: How important is the role of talent and learning teams in the success of the DE&I program? Why?
Kobi: Learning programs can contribute significantly to the effectiveness of a company’s diversity, equality, and inclusion program. We have seen that failure to deal with structural racism or sexism decreases opportunities for people of color, women, and other minority groups.
Talent and learning teams can drive messages of inclusiveness and opportunity throughout the organization. I think just about everyone would agree that businesses are stronger when they have different voices at the table. By developing these types of learning programs, we will see an improvement in diversity and inclusion hiring and promotions.
Talent and learning teams can drive messages of inclusiveness and opportunity throughout the organization. I think just about everyone would agree that businesses are stronger when they have different voices at the table. By developing these types of learning programs, we will see an improvement in diversity and inclusion hiring and promotions.
Q: How has the remote working model impacted the learning landscape?
Kobi: Before remote working, training sessions frequently took place in a conference room, or in our case, at our flight simulation center. Now that employees are working from home, the learning landscape has changed.
First, an employee in an office is usually there from 9-5 or longer, but an employee working from home might schedule their day where they work from 10-4, and then jump back online to finish working from 8-10 at night, so we are going to see more flexibility in training programs.
Second, the virtual nature of work means that a lot of programs will run remotely. In The Squadron’s online workshops, for example, we ship a controller to all program participants so that they have the tools they need to fly our fighter jet. Other programs, I expect, are also finding new ways to adapt their programs to virtual landscapes.
First, an employee in an office is usually there from 9-5 or longer, but an employee working from home might schedule their day where they work from 10-4, and then jump back online to finish working from 8-10 at night, so we are going to see more flexibility in training programs.
Second, the virtual nature of work means that a lot of programs will run remotely. In The Squadron’s online workshops, for example, we ship a controller to all program participants so that they have the tools they need to fly our fighter jet. Other programs, I expect, are also finding new ways to adapt their programs to virtual landscapes.
Q: What will be the future of online learning?
Kobi: I expect that we will see a lot more distance learning, with a heavier focus on teaching hard skills. Distance learning will rely on video conference tools and find ways to ensure that participants are actually in the session rather than just turning the session on and the volume off.
I also think we are going to see more learning companies introducing physical elements into their training, similar to the controller that we send out to program participants. That will help increase the perception of value in the course or program, and it might take different forms.
I think it is going to be exciting.
I also think we are going to see more learning companies introducing physical elements into their training, similar to the controller that we send out to program participants. That will help increase the perception of value in the course or program, and it might take different forms.
I think it is going to be exciting.
Q: How can companies build an impactful learning culture and strategy?
Kobi: There are a number of things companies can do to show the value they place in learning. From making learning a core value where they actually provide the resources employees need to create personalized learning plans, businesses can do lots of things to stress the importance of learning.
Companies that want to create this culture need to incentivize their learning programs and make the right online environment and learning platform. They also need to create a meaningful training program, which helps employees see long-term career paths.
Companies that want to create this culture need to incentivize their learning programs and make the right online environment and learning platform. They also need to create a meaningful training program, which helps employees see long-term career paths.
Error: No such template "/CustomCode/topleader/category"!
