Tips to Improve Learning/Training Virtually for Entry-Level Accountants

6 Tactics to Engage and Educate Accountants Online

When you employ an entry-level accountant, as part of your process you will need to provide training. How you do this has probably changed. The pandemic has driven much of training online. How you present training virtually is a challenge you and your managers may not have faced previously.

The key to any good training session is to guarantee the audience is listening and grasping the information. It is important to have the opportunity to practice the skills they are learning.

Here are our top six tips to help you overcome the challenges of training entry-level accountants virtually.

1.    Deliver a Relaxed Start to Your Training Session

Being new is hard enough. Being new and having to train remotely as an entry-level accountant can be even more intimidating. When training in-person, a student can take a lead from the trainer. There will be familiar faces around.

If you are training a group of new entrants online, it is important to make them feel a part of something special in their training sessions. Welcome trainees into the virtual session a few minutes before the official start time, and allow them to chat and relax as they would in a ‘classroom setting’.

2.    Read the Virtual Room

A good trainer is typically able to read the room and assess if people are confused or bored. With online training, you don’t have the same face-to-face, in-person interactions, so it can be difficult to read the room. One way you can handle this is by encouraging the learners to have their cameras on. Facial expressions tell us a lot and it will help you be able to read the learners.

Most virtual training software offers some helpful functions like a group chat or ‘raise their hand’ function. You can also build breaks into your training sessions and encourage people to ask questions formally and informally.

3.    Help Learners to Be Prepared For Each Session

One way you can take advantage of your learners being completely online is by asking them to complete activities before coming to the session. If you are going to present something that could be recorded, record your presentation, and upload it to your training page. This way learners will be able to watch the content as much as they need and formulate questions they may have. You can then encourage them to come ready to discuss any confusion they may have during the time you would have made the presentation.

4.    Create Impactful Content and Activities

Create presentations that aren’t bland or full of words you can barely see. Use high-quality photos and different font sizes, and highlight things you’d like to emphasize. Consider ways to keep your audience engaged – such as adding some humorous memes.

Content that works for in-person training may not go as well for virtual training. Shake things up and rethink how your training will work.

5.    Provide the Notes

After the session, provide the learners with notes. Remember, they have a lot of information to take in and may quickly forget some of it. Having notes will be important so they can focus on the main points of learning that is required.

6.    Make It Fun!

Although the pandemic has moved us to being virtual, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun. You can still give your learners a great experience – especially if you let your personality shine!

Deliver Your Experience

During your virtual training sessions, you’ll want to deliver the benefit of your experience. Following these six tips will help you achieve this, keeping your entry-level accountants engaged in their learning and fast-tracking them to reach their potential.

Here at 6 Degrees, we specialize in delivering our experience to you. We understand accounting. We understand your business. And we understand which candidates will fit in best with your company. To learn more about how we match candidates to your requirements, contact 6 Degrees today.

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