Make introductions to the immediate supervisor, other members of the new hire’s working group and likely collaborators in other departments. 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. Consistency is key during this time, and making sure new employees have access to company tools, protocols and resources places them in a position for success, she said. E-signing helps streamline onboarding, whether remote or in person, but it’s especially important for remote onboarding as a way to cut digital fatigue. A negative onboarding experience makes it twice as likely that a new hire will soon look for another job, according to a report from Deloitte.
However, you want to find a balance between efficiently checking in with your new hire and avoiding micromanaging. If it seems like they’re doing well and you can do with fewer check-ins, tone them back. Finally, make sure to add them to any email chains, mailing lists, or other communication channels so they never miss an important message.
List of virtual onboarding ideas
One of the more personal new employee orientation ideas is to send new hire survival kits during the first weeks. You can curate customized care packages with contributions from the rest of the team and mail the package. To create the library, collect helpful resources like employee manuals, style guides, contact lists, organizational charts, and a glossary of company terms in a folder in Google Docs or Dropbox. This period is designed to further acclimate the team member to the work processes of the company, increase their social connections, and help them become successful.
Bringing on new team members when your entire organization isn’t in the office can pose some risks. It’s just not possible to follow the same steps as you would for onboarding a new hire in person. However, that doesn’t mean that remote onboarding is not possible or can’t be done effectively. But checking in with your new hire after a few weeks is a good way to show continuous support—and get feedback on the onboarding process.
What is remote employee onboarding?
HR onboarding should be one of the pillars of your remote onboarding process. Give your newbies insights into the company culture, especially things like internal communication. For example, explain what the specific Slack channels are used for and what communication styles are usually used. Should the new hires expect a business tone, formal style, or are the conversations more casual? You can go through the chats together and show examples of how your teams communicate.
In 2021, 42% of employees said that they didn’t feel supported in their first week of work, when surveyed by Talmundo. That’s a pretty shocking statistic, but your organization doesn’t have to fall into it. Clear and specific metrics remote onboarding best practices measure effectiveness in results – especially in your remote onboarding first weeks. Lastly, while company handbooks have always been a staple of the onboarding process, their digital counterparts are becoming increasingly important.