Training Your Remote & Geographically Dispersed Workforce

More than 14% of the American workforce is working remotely or virtually - outside the traditional office - according to an article by Douglas Gantenbein, featured on Microsoft.com. In fact, a recent survey by OfficeTeam indicates that 69% of polled executives said it was common for their companies' employees to work off-site. What is perhaps more telling is that 82% of these managers said they expect the number of employees who work remotely to increase in the next five years. With ever-increasing technology and communication tools, and the rising costs of travel, working remotely is becoming a fast-growing trend in companies around the world. With more employees geographically dispersed and working from home, we need to ensure that our organizations are providing quality training and development for organizational growth in today's non-traditional work environment. Here are three elements for providing a high-quality and engaging distance learning experience.

1. e-Learning
e-Learning is a rather broad, umbrella term encompassing many different virtual learning experiences. With the right content, e-learning can be a highly engaging and enriching experience for learners. e-Learning is certainly a natural fit for the self-paced, self-motivated remote employee. With e-learning, discussion threads and chat groups assist facilitators and managers with maintaining the team element that often evades e-learning activities. With e-learning management software, remote employees can easily access their training cu'iculums, and it can be easily managed by managers and administrators - no matter where they're located.

2. Streaming Video
Streaming video allows remote employees to access entertaining, engaging course content via the Internet. This type of content used to only be available in either an instructor-led classroom setting, or with timely delays and costs due to shipping and the administrative tracking of videos sent to multiple office locations. With streaming video, remote employees can immediately access training and development videos - and employees dispersed geographically can have the exact same learning experience. This is great for dispersed work teams!

3. Virtual Classroom
With virtual classrooms, the moderator or facilitator and learners are geographically dispersed, and come together virtually, or online, to participate in learning activities. There are a number of course management and multimedia web-based applications available in which you can deploy, manage and report on your training and development activities... virtually! Most virtual classroom experiences utilize word-processing documents, such as PowerPoint templates, so that learners logging in to the course can follow the learning and talking points with a visual guide. With most virtual interfaces, learners can download classroom materials and interact with the class via web-conferencing. What's great about the virtual classroom is its interactivity. It mimics the traditional classroom experience, with immediate instructor feedback.

About Russell Associates
Russell Associates is an Authorized Business Partner of Business Training Library providing affordable training solutions for small and mid-sized organizations nationwide. Unlike other training solutions built and priced for large organizations, its e-learning system was designed specifically to meet the needs of smaller businesses. The solution includes a state-of-the-art Learning Management System, over 4,000 world-class online business and computer training courses, custom course development, as well as services to assist its clients in the marketing and implementation of its e-learning program. Russell Associates offers high quality e learning that is cost-effective, easy to use, and results-oriented. Learn more at http://www.intratrain.com/Products/TotalTrain.asp, Sales@intratrain.com, or by calling 800-593-6266.