Over the last two and a half years, whole offices, businesses, and sectors have figured out how to work from home. Since 2019, the number of predominantly remote workers has nearly quadrupled. But, before new employees begin working entirely remotely, has your organization devised a strategy for onboarding remote workers? Could that strategy be improved? What works well and what doesn’t?
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 epidemic, Conscious Foundation has had to change the way it onboards remote personnel. This post will provide you with top 5 recommendations for successfully transforming your onboarding process for remote employees.
Remote onboarding refers to the process of onboarding new workers that operate entirely from a place other than your main office. Some businesses solely operate remotely, while others have hybrid employment models, and yet others need work to be done in the office/workplace 100% of the time.
Remote onboarding can be difficult for some businesses, especially if recruiting remote personnel has only recently become necessary. It does not, however, have to be hard or depart much from your typical onboarding experience!
All firms should prioritize employee onboarding. Onboarding acquires new workers with job duties, responsibilities, corporate rules, processes, and other details. This can take a few weeks to six months or more, depending on how fast a person learns their function and how they perform at your company.
Onboarding remote employees has grown more critical in recent years, and there may be additional hurdles to overcome when working with people in their new position who aren’t present in the office. Creating a strategy for remote employee onboarding will ensure that your new employee gets all the knowledge they need to execute their job correctly and feel like a team member.
All workers must understand their roles and where they stand when working for your firm. You want them to feel welcome and valued, so they never need to quietly resign or look for another job because they need to figure out what to do. This begins before their first official day and continues throughout their tenure with the organization.
Onboarding is an essential component of every organization. Because remote employees may not have access to the same resources as in-office employees, the procedure may change slightly. However, you want to ensure that staff have as much access to such resources as feasible.
When onboarding remote workers, it’s critical to make it a priority rather than an afterthought. Let’s review top 5 recommendations for remote onboarding staff to help you with this endeavor.
Remote onboarding is not the same as onboarding in-person personnel. You don’t have the luxury of taking new employees to their desks or introducing them to other team members around the office. Instead, you must guarantee that your remote onboarding process covers all of the critical aspects before the first day. This procedure should begin as soon as the candidate accepts the job offer, which should be weeks before they begin.
Maintain constant communication with remote employees, even if they have not formally begun. This involves providing your new employee with relevant onboarding papers, such as an employee handbook, orientation films, the company’s goals and values, and any additional documentation. They’ll also require a business laptop, phone, monitors, cables, and other technical assets to complete their work. You may even send them a welcome gift!
Once you’ve sent everything off, double-check that they arrived safely and in good shape. It would be best if you had personnel ready to answer any queries they may have. You may ensure that your new employee has everything they need to execute their job by doing so.
One of the most excellent aspects of onboarding remote employees is that you can assist them in connecting with current team members from all across the world.
Schedule regular check-ins with your new employee’s supervisor and team members for the first few weeks to ensure they understand how the business and team function. Encourage team members to hold virtual lunches and happy hours with the new employee so that they feel included.
One of the essential components of remote work is ensuring that all team members feel connected. This is especially true for new workers, and you can ensure that these bonds are developed during the onboarding process.
It is critical to foster mentorship from executives when remote onboarding staff. As new workers learn about their function within the organization and how it affects the more significant business, they will feel more at ease and confident.
One of the most crucial things you can do throughout the onboarding process is to ensure that the new employee understands their role within the firm. It will help individuals feel connected to their work, especially remotely.
It is critical to be available for your new hire’s queries throughout onboarding. Respond to all emails, texts, phone calls, and other messages as quickly as possible to avoid delays in onboarding due to your unavailability. Furthermore, if customers want assistance with anything as simple as setting up their computer or entering into a system, ensure that someone from IT (or another department) can assist them.
Encourage your new employee to contact you if they need assistance or clarification on their job. You may even offer them early access to any messaging services you use, like Teams or Slack, so they can quickly contact the staff if they have questions.
Onboarding remote employees continue even after your new hire begins their first day. It continues after the first several weeks. Even after they’ve settled into their new employment, you should continue to engage with them and give feedback, especially during the first several months.
You want new workers to feel at ease, accepted, and well-informed in their new position. A solid onboarding procedure helps reduce general employee turnover. This is especially true for individuals who do not work in an office. You can ensure a smooth onboarding process and beyond for your new remote employee by following the tips mentioned above.