9 Ways to Make Virtual Corporate Training Successful

Virtual corporate training can be challenging to do successfully, but it is possible. In this article, expert Lyndon Friesen explains the challenges of virtual corporate training and shares tips for how to ensure your session delivers the results you want to achieve within your organization.

Written by Lyndon Friesen, Lead Skill Development and Team Dynamics Trainer at Outback Team Building at Training

While many people have adjusted to the massive virtual communication uptick that’s taken place in the last few years, successfully hosting impactful virtual corporate training is challenging. With over 1000 virtual events executed, we have learned a lot about what makes them successful, and we would like to share that with you.

In this article, we’ll explore why this is the case and how you can ensure your virtual corporate training successfully delivers the results you want to achieve for your organization.

Virtual Corporate Training Challenges

One of the great things about virtual communication is that your team can dial in from anywhere. This is a huge benefit for decentralized teams, providing an opportunity to connect in real-time when you might not otherwise have been able to.

But this is also exactly what makes virtual corporate training so difficult to do well.

Albert Mehrabian drew a lot of attention when he said that 55% of meaning is communicated non-verbally through tone and body language. This means that, on average, we may be missing upward of 55% of what our teammates are saying in virtual settings because it’s almost impossible to read emotions and facial expressions, let alone body language in the shoulders, arms, and legs.

Unlike run-of-the-mill meetings, corporate training is often intended to tackle important organizational challenges. And when we can’t communicate effectively, these meaningful discussions are harder to have.

When managed in the wrong way, virtual team training ultimately ends up being individual training with the hope that someone gets the chance to apply what they have learned in a team environment.

It’s not that virtual corporate training can’t be done well. It just requires the right approach.

9 Ways to Ensure Your Virtual Corporate Training Session is a Success

In order to host a virtual corporate training session that delivers meaningful outcomes for your team or organization, there are a few essential elements that need to be considered.

1. Pick the Right Training Topics

When you’re considering virtual corporate training, you’re likely to get the best results from topics that are less emotional and more cerebral or skill-based. It can be very challenging to tackle highly emotional topics virtually.

Here are a few topics you can consider for virtual corporate training.

Clear Communication

This program focuses on enhancing communication skills within teams, helping participants to articulate their thoughts clearly and effectively.

Developing Our Resiliency

Participants learn how to build resilience in the face of challenges, developing strategies to adapt and thrive in changing environments.

Self-Discovery with Myers-Briggs

This training utilizes the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator to help individuals gain deeper self-awareness and understand their personality traits.

Coaching Fundamentals

This foundational program teaches the core principles of coaching, empowering leaders to guide and develop their teams more effectively.

Advanced Coaching

Building on basic coaching skills, this advanced course deepens participants’ ability to mentor and inspire high-performing teams.

Practical Time Management

Participants in this workshop learn practical techniques to manage their time more efficiently, prioritizing tasks for maximum productivity.

Power of Negotiation

This program enhances participants’ negotiation skills, enabling them to reach mutually beneficial agreements in any business context.

Effective Meetings

Participants learn strategies to run more efficient and productive meetings, ensuring that every session has a clear purpose and outcome.

Confident Decision Making

This program equips participants with tools to make confident, informed decisions, even in high-pressure situations.

Performance Management Fundamentals

This training covers the essential elements of performance management, helping managers effectively evaluate and enhance employee performance.

Productive Feedback and Performance Reviews

Participants learn how to provide constructive feedback and conduct performance reviews that drive improvement and engagement.

8 Productive Practices of Peak Performing People

This program introduces participants to eight key practices that can enhance productivity and help them reach their full potential.

Many organizations are proactive, wanting to invest in their group’s development. These are the scenarios that are best suited for virtual corporate training.

2. Bring Your Team Together In-Person When Possible

It’s not always feasible to gather your entire team or organization for in-person training, but, whenever possible, try to gather as many as you can.

The fewer people need to dial in remotely, the better.

3. Set Expectations Early

It’s incredibly helpful for a leader in an organization to lay out expectations for the virtual corporate training session early. This includes:

• The outcomes we’re pursuing
• How much time is available
• How the desired outcomes will be tested at the end of the session

Understanding what you want your team to get from the virtual corporate training session is vital.

Sharing a mini survey with your team ahead of the session can help determine exactly what they want to get out of the session so it can be customized and tailored to the audience.

4. Ensure Everyone Has Their Cameras On and Names Listed

In a virtual world where two-thirds of our communication cues are lost, it’s critical to ensure that every participant has their camera on during virtual corporate training. This helps create stronger communication and fosters a sense of connection between participants.

Having cameras on also helps to avoid multitasking by participants. If an attendee has other work to do, it should be acceptable to bow out. Having teammates visibly multitasking can be a massive energy suck for everyone else in the virtual corporate training session.

It’s also important to ensure all participants sign in with their names visible. These sessions need to be as personable as possible, and facilitators and participants need to know who they’re speaking to.

5. Have a Leader Present

During any virtual corporate training, it’s essential for a leader to be present and participate. The information and conversation from the session will be equally important to leaders as it is to their team members.

6. Keep Groups Small and Intimate

The most impactful virtual corporate training sessions involve 15 people or fewer. The greatest impact is not created by the facilitator talking but by the conversation between participants.

Virtual corporate training participants need to be able to speak up, have conversations, and wrestle with the content in order for it to be most effective, and this can be difficult to foster in larger group settings.

Small groups breed a higher level of engagement and contribution.

7. Ensure the Virtual Corporate Training Session is Interactive

Learning happens long-term. When people interact with the content of the virtual corporate training session, it’s more likely to stick.

That’s why virtual corporate training sessions should involve two-way dialogue rather than a one-way lecture.

8. Use the Right Video Conferencing Technology

With in-person skills training, people are often broken out into smaller groups for discussions and dialogues. This generally takes place every 15 minutes and is a core element of the session.

This should be the same with virtual corporate training.

So, choosing the right video conferencing technology is crucial. For example, the ability to create breakout rooms in your video call is essential.

9. End with Actionable Takeaways

The final note of every virtual corporate training session should be focused on actionable takeaways, including discussions of what steps need to be taken and how it will help.

Virtual corporate training can be effective, but it requires the right approach. Ensuring the session is interactive, personal, and focused on the right topics can empower meaningful, long-term positive outcomes.

Want to Learn More About Virtual Corporate Training?

For more information about virtual corporate training or team dynamics programs, reach out to our Employee Engagement Consultants.