4 Ways To Improve Remote Onboarding Processes

Nailing those first few weeks with a new hire could ultimately set the tone for long-term employee performance. And nowadays, it all starts with the remote onboarding process. Here are four of the best ways to make sure your new hires have a positive onboarding experience! 

1. Appoint a coworker who can act as a mentor to new employees

The first day on a new job can be tough; however, it can be especially challenging to begin a new job remotely. Human interaction plays a critical role in helping to make sure people feel comfortable and accepted in any new environment. This is also true when it comes to forming a bond with new coworkers.

To help ease the transition to a remote environment, appoint a warm, welcoming coworker to act as a liaison throughout the onboarding process. Having a point of contact there to answer questions about the organization, reaffirm the company’s culture, and provide comfort during onboarding can make a big difference in the employee’s experience and longevity with the company. 

2. Connect before the first day on the job

Put yourself in the new hire’s shoes. The days leading up to the start date at a new job are often filled with anxiety and what-ifs. What if the company culture isn’t a good fit? What if I oversleep? What if virtual training isn’t my strong suit?

All of these unnecessary stresses can be minimized by simply reaching out before an employee’s first day. Let new hires know they are seen by emphasizing how excited you are to welcome them to the team. Go one step further by ensuring their work-from-home station is set up with everything they need to succeed. This source states that Reckitt, the global consumer products company, sends a care package to new employees’ homes before their start date. 

It’s the little things you do for your employees that speak volumes about company culture. 

3. Tackle the tech set-up before day one

Technical difficulties are every new hire’s worst nightmare when it comes to virtual onboarding. To alleviate first-day anxiety and inefficient bumps in the onboarding process, aim to tackle the tech set-up before each employee’s first day on the job. 

Offer to set up new employees with the IT department or office tech expert to get the rundown on the technology used on a daily basis. This meeting can include the video conferencing platform, communication tools, and other company-specific systems the employee may need to access. Not only will this allow the employee to be fully present during their first day, but it will also introduce them to another member of the team. 

4. Encourage informal conversations throughout the workplace

Virtual settings don’t allow for lunch chats and hallway catch-ups to happen as organically as they have in the past. That is why it’s a good idea to encourage informal conversations at the beginning of meetings or 1:1 through a communication platform, like Slack. Video conferencing already puts up a barrier between new hires and your team, so make an effort to provide a space for bonds to form. 

Consider setting up each new hire on a video call with different departments to grasp internal team dynamics, or pair them with an employee with common interests. The stronger the bonds are throughout your team, the longer your employees will be motivated to stick around. 

Ultimately, the amount of effort you put into remote onboarding will pay off. Your employees are your organization so it’s critical to establish a strong foundation for their ongoing success from day one. And, if you’re considering a partnership with an experienced recruiting agency, make sure they have a process in place to help create a pleasant onboarding experience for you and the candidate!

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