In 2020, the world witnessed a significant shift towards remote work and virtual training due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With employees working from home, businesses and organizations had to adapt quickly to the new normal and provide online training to their workforce to stay competitive in the market. Here are the top 10 most popular training topics in 2020:
- Remote Workforce Management: With remote work becoming the norm, managers had to learn how to manage their teams remotely. This included understanding how to set expectations, communicate effectively, and maintain team morale and motivation.
- Cybersecurity: With the increased use of digital tools and remote work, cybersecurity became a top priority for organizations. Training topics included password management, phishing scams, data protection, and security best practices.
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Following the global protests against racial injustice, organizations began to prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion training. Topics included unconscious bias, cultural competence, and creating inclusive work environments.
- Emotional Intelligence: With the stress of the pandemic and remote work, emotional intelligence training became essential for employees to maintain positive relationships with colleagues and customers. Topics included self-awareness, empathy, and effective communication.
- Time Management: With the blurring of work and personal boundaries, time management training became critical to help employees manage their workload effectively. Topics included prioritization, time-blocking, and goal setting.
- Customer Service: With the rise of virtual customer interactions, customer service training became essential to maintain customer satisfaction. Topics included effective communication, active listening, and problem-solving.
- Sales Training: With the shift to remote sales, sales training had to adapt to teach sales reps how to sell in a virtual environment. Topics included building rapport, creating compelling presentations, and closing deals remotely.
- Leadership: With the uncertainty of the pandemic, strong leadership became essential to steer organizations through the crisis. Training topics included decision-making, communication, and managing remote teams.
- Data Analytics: With the increased use of digital tools and data, data analytics training became essential for employees to understand how to use data to drive business decisions. Topics included data visualization, statistical analysis, and data interpretation.
- Project Management: With the remote work environment, project management training became essential to ensure projects were completed on time and within budget. Topics included project planning, risk management, and communication.
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on training topics in 2020, with remote work and virtual training becoming the norm. With the shift towards online learning, organizations had to adapt quickly to provide training that would help their workforce stay competitive in the market. These top 10 training topics reflect the changing landscape of work and the skills needed for employees to succeed in the digital age.