The pandemic is changing training worldwide. Companies of all sizes are converting their training offerings to online formats. But what happens after Corona? A study by the Training Institute TLM shows current trends. Our spoiler in advance: both online and in-person offerings will be important for training in companies in the future.
Background on the TLM Study
You may already know the Training Institute "Team Lösungsmanagement" (TLM) from this interview: Successfully navigating the crisis with 100 online courses. TLM has now conducted a survey among its customers to investigate the impact of Corona on training in companies. And the results are exciting for trainers, coaches, and HR developers!
About 100 companies were surveyed: all are customers of TLM, ranging from international and German corporations to SMEs. We summarize the results of the survey in this article for you. One focus is on training during the pandemic, and another focus is on the future of training. The central question is: What happens for companies after Corona?
Empty offices: Training often takes place online during the pandemic.
Results: Training during Corona
What does training look like in the surveyed companies during the pandemic? In the TLM study, we see impacts on training itself and impacts on the company’s atmosphere:
Impact on Training in the Company
Training offerings need to be reduced (45% agreement)
Training takes place exclusively online (80% agreement)
Training is currently viewed as particularly valuable (70% agreement)
Impact on the Company’s Atmosphere
Cultural changes are noticeable (44% agreement)
The sense of community has worsened (27% agreement)
Stressed in the home office: Corona has a negative impact on the atmosphere.
New Topics: Content-related Corona Impacts on Training
The demand for training is also changing content-wise during the pandemic. Popular training offerings among companies currently relate to working from home or utilizing soft skills online:
Leading from the home office (70% agreement)
Efficient collaboration in the home office (70% agreement)
Confident moderation of online meetings (70% agreement)
Conducting employee discussions online (50% agreement)
Time and self-management (32% agreement)
Train the Trainer (29% agreement)
Results: Training after Corona
The pandemic will not last forever, processes will normalize – whatever that means! Because it is foreseeable that training will change in the long term due to the significant impacts. But don’t worry: change does not automatically mean change for the worse. The results of the study are hopeful – most companies are increasingly seeing the advantages of online formats and want to combine online and in-person offerings in the future.
This combination of in-person + online is called blended learning. Since TLM also considers blended learning to be an important form of learning, we find an explicit question in the study regarding: What are companies' views on blended learning?
58% of the surveyed companies are already using blended learning. 41% do not yet train in the form of blended learning but find the concept interesting. Only one surveyed company stated that it cannot imagine using blended learning.
This trend toward blended learning has already been shown by other studies, such as the Trend Monitor 2021 or a survey by seminarmarkt. The results from TLM are therefore not surprising but support our credo: The future of training is blended learning!
Conclusion: How the Pandemic Changes Training
The small study by TLM has shown that the pandemic is changing training both in the short term and long term. The atmosphere is currently often worse in many companies than before. At the same time, positive trends for the future are recognizable. Here are the key results of the survey summarized again:
Some training offerings have been reduced due to the pandemic.
The vast majority of surveyed companies are currently conducting training online.
Content-wise, many companies are currently seeking training relating to soft skills in the home office.
In the long term, both online and in-person formats are important.
What is your strategy for training during – but also after Corona? Our recommendation remains: blended learning – combine the best of both worlds!
