A new online training portal has been launched in a bid to help employers thrive in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.

Recruitment firm Hays has launched the free portal, designed to help teams grow the skills they need to function effectively.

Available to businesses of all sizes, the Hays Thrive platform offers businesses three course areas that cover remote working, wellbeing, as well as health and safety.

According to Hays, the remote working courses are designed to help improve worker efficiency and assist with planning days when working remotely. The wellbeing courses help improve physical and mental wellbeing, while the health and safety courses inform staff on best practice health and hygiene.

The courses are designed to be completed as part of a busy schedule, with a learning management system included to help employers assign training, track team completions and create personalised training programmes.

“In the midst of the current crisis, Hays Thrive will help power the world of work as it changes daily by supporting employers and their staff to manage their workloads and productivity while working remotely,” explains Adam Shapley, managing director of Hays in New Zealand.

“The training also helps people manage the stresses of working remotely and gives teams the tools they need to get through this challenging time," he says.

“Along with the remote working and health and safety courses, it was vital to us to include a course dedicated to wellbeing to help employers put their staff's mental health first, something we all need to be aware of during these uncertain times," says Shapley.

Shapley says Hays will be adding new courses over time to help organisations upskill their staff regularly in response to changing market conditions and trends.

“What's great about this training is that it's more than just theory. It also includes quizzes, videos and tools to make courses interactive, engaging and memorable," he adds.

“By offering online training courses for free, we hope to help businesses find new ways of working and support their workers through the crisis.

Hays created Hays Thrive in partnership with GO1, a specialist in learning and education.

To get set up with the free online training, an organisation needs to register their details via www.hayslearning.net.nz. Once set up, an organisation can then assign training to their employees. There are no limitations to the number of staff an organisation or manager can add to the training platform.