A lot of companies are promising to stay remote even after the lockdowns have been lifted, or introduce a hybrid work-from-home plan that allows employees to come into the office just a few days a week. It’s important to check in with your new remote workers about their onboarding experience. Seeking employee feedback can help you understand how the onboarding process is helping them, what’s working, and what isn’t. To combat this loneliness, some employers add all new employees to a Slack channel where they provide new hire instructional materials and then encourage collaboration amongst new hires to complete the tasks. Others assign either a mentor or a peer “orientation buddy” who they can go to with any questions and grow and learn together.

Depending on the role, you can consider pairing your new hire with mentors or buddies. That way experienced team members can provide guidance, answer questions, and offer more in-depth insights into the company dynamics. As a leader, you’re the new hire’s role model, so you’ll need to be prepared with the steps to follow before welcoming them. Once the new hire is confirmed, https://remotemode.net/ make sure to build a welcome package containing the essential documents, company policies, and overview of the company culture. This will ensure that new hires have all the information they need from the start. Lastly, while company handbooks have always been a staple of the onboarding process, their digital counterparts are becoming increasingly important.

Essential Elements of a Remote Onboarding Program

Creating a warm and inclusive environment is essential even in a virtual setting. You should start the day by extending a warm welcome to your new hire through a personalized email or video message from the team. In remote onboarding, the active portion of onboarding (the intense elements of helping a new employee understand their role) may take two to three weeks, depending on the position.

This can enable remote employees to establish foundational relationships based on trust. Prior to the pandemic, most employee onboarding happened in the office (even when the employee was remote), but with the rise of remote work came the rise of remote onboarding. With an established remote onboarding process, companies can find that it’s easier to bring someone aboard virtually.

Share important documents and information

Moreover, the businesses may also face issue with the hiring if they are new to it. About one-third of the private sector operates remotely, especially after the pandemic a few years back. Today, the corporate world has moved from in-person traditional routes to more flexible remote onboarding best practices and adjustable workplace options. Of employees knew whetner they would stay at their company long-term after being on the job for one week or less. The following template will walk you through the tasks you should complete during the six phases of employee onboarding.

• While there might be a lot of company-wide policies and documents to share, you want the training process to be as specific to the individual’s new job as possible.
• Clear and specific metrics measure effectiveness in results – especially in your remote onboarding first weeks.
• Once you’ve optimized your onboarding process for remote employees, your HR team will be better prepared for every new hire, and employees will be singing your praises on Glassdoor.
• As we mentioned in the set clear expectations part, it’s essential to emphasize expected working hours and talking about clear boundaries about response times for a healthy work-life balance.
• It involves introducing new hires to their roles, team members, company policies, and procedures, all while facilitating a smooth transition into their new work environment.
• Mention the tasks and the tools employees should learn about once they start.

An onboarding program usually includes an orientation event, but it isn’t limited to it. In the next section, we’ll answer three frequently asked questions (FAQs) about virtual onboarding. Talent scarcity and a high employee turnover rate are some of the biggest challenges businesses face today.

Set Clear and Realistic Expectations From Day One

Ideally, someone on their immediate team should lead this, so the new hire can learn how the tools they will use apply to their specific role. For example, a new hire on your marketing team can be a part of orientation with other new hires joining your organization. But the onboarding program for the new marketing team member can last for several months and is tailored to their marketer job role.

• When important onboarding steps happen automatically, all that reduced admin time frees you up to support your new hires one-on-one.
• A quick video call with the CEO or another top leader also helps drive home the feeling of inclusion and the importance of the work.
• A checklist can indicate visible progress and help new hires ensure they don’t miss out on any task.
• Remote onboarding can be complicated, especially if you do not have the right skills, devices, and professionals ready to help you.