Training in a Remote Environment from a Young Professional's Perspective

10/18/2021 - By Maria Thompkins

As companies continue to transition to remote and hybrid work environments, there are a couple of things to consider when onboarding and training new hires. Every company seeks to have smooth transitions, efficient and effective training processes, and a welcoming work environment. Personally, I started my career out of college right during the pandemic. As CDC guidelines encouraged companies to shift to a virtual environment to minimize the spread of COVID-19, a lot of companies had to react quickly.

So, what are some things that new hires look for?

Every individual learns differently, so it is important to communicate with your new hire how they best retain information, whether that be visual, hands-on, or step-by-step instructions. It may be efficient to share training videos that walk through a procedure or a practice module, but this should also be paired with having a peer or coach who is available for any questions after the training videos or module.

The following list includes a few more helpful tips for giving your new hire the best training experience.

Utilize technology – Zoom/Microsoft Teams screen share functions, recorded videos, and screenshots for step-by-step instructions. If you have any IT questions on how to support remote integration, feel free to contact our IT department! It is important to have an IT team set up all technology tools and systems before the employee begins to minimize technological complications.
Interact in video chats with your new hire - Seeing faces is important to make new hires feel more connected, as “76% of individuals use video collaboration to work remotely, and 75% of those experienced increased productivity and an enhanced work-life balance." (1. Wolfe, E.)
Record trainings for on-demand access - This can improve training retention and help the trainees reference the training again as they continue to learn your companies’ processes.

Remote work benefits include building independence, flexible schedules, workspace control, and commute savings such as time and gas. However, with remote work, there is no face-to-face interaction which can lead to lost information richness. It can also be difficult to maintain culture and camaraderie and offers less Q&A availability due to differing schedules. To mitigate these cons, it is beneficial for managers to incorporate virtual office hours to ask questions as well as virtual happy hours or virtual game shows for team bonding.

Saltmarsh has a great process for integrating new hires into the firm, and truly brings people into the family culture! If you are interested in joining the firm, head to our Careers page for more information!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR | Maria Thompkins

Maria is a staff auditor in the Audit & Assurance Services Department of Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund. Her primary areas of expertise include providing audit, single audit, and assurance services for the firm’s non-profit and 401(k) clients. Prior to joining Saltmarsh, Maria worked in accounts payable in the accounting department of a local university and a mortgage firm in Atlanta.