Onboarding Remote Employees

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Since the pandemic, the shift in working from home has become the new normal across many businesses. However, As the world recovers from the pandemic the option for remote or hybrid work has stayed attractive to workers. Remote work allows employees to work from anywhere on their own time while still creating a healthy work life balance for themselves. The hiring process has also largely shifted to becoming digital which poses new challenges for employers. How do you successfully onboard new team members without any face-to-face interaction?

The initial means of integrating new team members into an organization sets the tone for their work at the company. After the recruiting process, hiring process, and background check, your new employee is undoubtedly eager to start. It is the first time they are introduced to the processes and overall culture. So, you should guide them properly for smooth joining with their respective teams. For this purpose, you can also rely on employee monitoring software tools to ensure that there are no roadblocks for them.

No one is expected to hit the ground running on the first day, so onboarding should be set up to make new employees feel confident and welcome in their role. No matter the role, be it an appointment setter or the COO, onboarding is also important for introducing the new employee to the company’s mission, vision, values, and goals. In this blog we will discuss a few tips on successfully onboarding new employees to set them up for long term success with the company. 

Connect Before the First Day 

Anyone who has ever started a new job knows the nerves that come along with showing up on the first day. Although it may not be in person, the first day can still be a bit uncomfortable. A great way to make your new team member feel at ease on the first day is by sending them a care package to their home before they start. It can be filled with company products, snacks, or a welcome letter to make them feel like part of the family before ever starting. Ensuring your new employee has everything they need for their at home office space will also make for a more seamless onboarding process. 

Clearly Outline Logistics and Expectations 

One of the most important steps in creating a seamless onboarding process is having a clear outline of job responsibilities and expectations. New hires should have a clear vision of what success looks like not only in their role, but within the company. Understanding how their specific role fits into the success of the organization is also helpful in understanding overall logistics and expectations. For remote work, this can be done through documents, video trainings, and/or virtual meetings. Having a clear understanding of this is crucial in helping a new hire prioritize work and create a strong foundation of success moving forward. 

Buddy System 

A huge challenge that new employees face when joining a new organization is who to ask for help with the inevitable technical questions. It is important that this person is different from the new employees manager so they feel comfortable asking questions big or small. Assigning an onboarding buddy on the first day will not only make the new team member feel welcomed by their peers but give them the confidence to ask questions freely as they come up. Starting a new job can be nerve wracking with all new coworkers, systems, and expectations. The onboarding buddy can also help introduce the new member to other employees and shed light onto the culture of the organization. 

Talk About Cultural Norms 

New employees need to learn about the company’s culture from the onset. It can be a bit harder to define from a virtual standpoint without a physical office space and seeing how other coworkers conduct themselves in the work setting. For this reason, part of the  onboarding process should discuss what is typical and atypical across different dimensions of the company culture. Most companies have specific and unique unspoken norms that should be explicitly talked about with your new team member. It will make their transition into the company culture less of a guessing game. 

Relationship Building 

Without being in office it can be harder to have spontaneous conversations with people in your organization, especially those in other departments. This type of communication is key in building relationships. Have a system in place that makes it easy for your new hire to communicate candidly in a mix of formal and informal conversations over slack channels or virtual coffee chats. Encourage new hires and currently employees to set up meetings to help build deep relationships through the onboarding process. 

Although a remote onboarding process comes with its challenges, there are so many ways to create a welcome environment for your new team member. Whether it is in person or remote the initial introduction to the company can have lasting impacts on the employees long term success. After all, you want the person you spent time carefully choosing to be as satisfied with the company as you are with them. Taking a few extra steps to create a great onboarding process for your remote employee will be both beneficial for you and them!Â