As many employees found themselves facing a new normal at work, a host of training gaps revealed themselves.

Many who were sent home to telework were woefully unprepared to deal with the related technology, sources previously told HR Dive; others exhibited a perhaps related drop in productivity.

Meanwhile, essential workers were tapped to enforce mask and social distancing mandates for co-workers and customers. And managers overseeing both those at home and those still at the worksite face a new challenge, too, one organization said: little instruction on guiding workers through stressful times.

The answer to all of those needs, of course, is training, experts said. But training has to be coupled with compassion and a sense of belonging, Arran Stewart, chief visionary officer of job-matching company Job.com, said. Also key are empathy and clear communication that health and safety are a top priority, according to Vicki Salemi, career expert at Monster, and Mike Bokina, vice president and head of HR at Siemens USA, respectively.

The stories below detail both those needs and the nitty-gritty of such training.