COVID-19 has pushed companies to shift at least part of their workforce to work remotely. So, what happens when there is a new joiner? Also, what if the new joiner is a remote employee? Face-to-face methods to onboard will not be effective in this case as not everyone is present in the same environment. To overcome this limitation, organizations are looking into remote onboarding as a strategy moving forward.
Making Remote Onboarding Successful
Pre-Boarding
The day before the first day of work is usually quite daunting for many of us. With remote onboarding, some of the physical environment aspects of uncertainties can be removed, but the emotional element is still relatively similar.
So, one way to help new hires feel less overwhelmed would be to send a pre-boarding package. It can include information they should know prior to the first day or things that they can expect to go through when they onboard. The package can include company merchandise to make them feel more welcome to the team.
Onboarding
Remote Employee Check List
- A remote employee checklist can help to keep track and ensure the new hire is fully onboarded and can start work properly. It can be in terms of providing equipment, training, completing paperwork, or setting goals.
Training
- For remote work, one of the most important training to provide is for employees to know and understand how to use the company communication tools. It can be a company email, group messaging tool, or video conference software.
Sharing of Important Documents and Information
- Prepare virtual versions of onboarding documents, such as employee handbooks, company systems, etc. Having these ready can help your new hire to better understand the company and what is expected of them. By getting them familiarized with the team and business, they would feel more connected to the work they are doing, something that may be challenging during the first few days working remotely.
Welcome them to the team
- Schedule an online meet-the-team session for the new employee. This gives the new hire a chance to get to know the team and the role of each person to facilitate collaborative work moving forward. You could also assign a mentor to the new hire to help them through the first few weeks.
Post-Onboarding
An e-survey can be sent to the new hire to evaluate the effectiveness of the onboarding program to see how the process can be further improved.
Onboarding is a very important step regardless whether is it remote or not.
Kingfisher Recruitment Group is a global provider of total recruitment solutions. We help clients design people strategies, attract, and develop talents worldwide across industries with a focus in Healthcare & Life Sciences, Professional Services & Technology, Retail & FMCG, Industrial & Manufacturing. Our functional scope includes Data Science & Analytics, Market Research & Strategy, Digital & Technology, Accounting & Finance, Human Resources, Corporate IT, and Supply Chain.
