For example, if you’re using productivity tools, such as Slack, Trello, and Google Drive, you need to ensure they have the correct login details or user accounts. Use the group sessions to introduce them to other employees as well as provide your work structure and methods of communication. Effective HR managers use check-ins to understand how new hires are progressing, what’s working for them, and what needs to be changed. If you already have an in-house culture statement, you can still use it for your remote team with just a few updates. You’ll have to eliminate phrases and terminologies related to physical spaces, such as office pets and game rooms.
Successful remote onboarding strategies combine technology, human connection and comprehensive training. Having a secure remote access and support solution is key to ensuring new employees can access necessary files, applications, company systems and training materials in just a few clicks. Organizations should implement comprehensive assistance programs that include virtual mentorship and remote technical support. Before your new hire’s first day, it’s crucial to set clear expectations and provide them with the necessary resources.
Clarity and Expectations
Webonboarding is designed to provide a more efficient, faster onboarding process. Pairing new hires with existing employees also gives you someone to check in with to see how the new hire is doing. Even if you don’t have time to monitor their progress as closely as you’d like, you can still keep an eye on things by communicating with the mentor. Host virtual happy hours or team lunches so people can chat and get to know each other in a more relaxed environment. You can also create Slack channels or group chats dedicated to casual “water cooler” conversations. Remote employees can’t just walk down the hall to the IT department and ask for something they’re missing.
- A study by HBR found that new hires with a buddy were 23% happier after their first week.
- Anisur Jahin is a productivity enthusiast who loves discovering and sharing effective workplace strategies.
- While it may not be the same as a physical gathering, it is important nonetheless.
- Most importantly, remote tools allow for proper management of new hires by the in-house teams.
- Essential onboarding materials—guides, policies, training documents, and company resources—should be stored in a single, easily accessible location to streamline the process.
Maintaining company culture
Technology infrastructure can become tricky in remote work environments. Inadequate tools frustrate team members and make it harder to contribute to the team. Ensuring everyone has access to necessary hardware, software, and internet connectivity presents logistical challenges, especially for global teams. As remote work becomes a lasting part of how modern teams operate, it’s impacting how companies find and support talent.
Onboarding software can make the virtual onboarding process more accessible and effective. To save your new remote employees from feeling overwhelmed, start them out with small, low-stakes projects. Show your remote employees that you genuinely care about connection by jumping into the group chats or virtual lunch breaks yourself. They’ll be starting their jobs at the same time as several others, which means they’ll automatically know of people going through the same experience. Do your remote employees need certain types of equipment to do their jobs? If so, make sure they have everything they need before they start working.
However, those with in-person work arrangement also consider remote onboarding because it has several benefits, such as time-saving aspects, being more cost-effective, and being highly flexible. Cultivating a virtual connection with new hires is essential for them to integrate easily with the rest of the team. While mentoring remote workers is somewhat different, it helps deliver positive and powerful effects for new employees.
Organizations can build connections with remote employees during onboarding through virtual introductions, team-building activities, and mentorship programs. Technology setup is essential for a successful remote onboarding experience. Getting off to a poor start breaks a new employee’s confidence and leads the organization to question the wisdom of the hire.
Create guidelines, policies, and expectations
With the right strategies and tools, you can create an effective and engaging remote onboarding experience. In the following sections, we will delve into practical solutions to overcome these obstacles and set your remote employees up for success. One of the toughest times for most employees are the initial days in a new organization. Understanding the new culture, stepping lightly around managers, and familiarising oneself with new colleagues can all be very daunting, especially when the process has been ‘remote onboarding’.
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As remote work and working from home is becoming more common, effective onboarding processes is key to help new employees feel welcomed. Unlike traditional onboarding of new hires, the remote onboarding program for a remote team through video call, email and onboarding software is very different from in-person onboarding. Whether your company’s onboarding process lasts three weeks or three months, ensure new remote employees receive ongoing support. Before hiring for each position, have team leaders create videos that walk through processes step by step and have your new hires watch them as part of their training.
Welcome buddies are usually existing employees who understand your processes well. Remote onboarding may mean your new starter gets up to speed more quickly and be a contributing employee sooner than if they’re asked to come on site. A 2018 survey by FlexJobs found that 65% of people believed they’d be more productive at home than in the office. That’s because there would be fewer distractions (75%) and interruptions from colleagues (74%), plus less stress from commuting (71%) and minimal office politics (65%).
- The documentation process is one of the most important processes in remote onboarding.
- Your remote employees will have questions as they settle into their roles, and they need to know where to go to find answers.
- That’s why remote onboarding must be intentional, proactive, documented, and time-bound.
- HR software facilitates virtual orientations and training programs by integrating video conferencing tools and providing access to learning resources.
Onboarding Remote Employees: 10 Best Tips for Managers
Recent findings from a study on remote newcomers, found that short but frequent one-on-one meetings throughout the week had significant benefits beyond just skill-building. These interactions increased employees’ confidence, provided much-needed clarity on uncertainties, and strengthened their sense of connection with the company. By focusing on these elements, companies can create a seamless onboarding experience that enhances engagement, integration, and productivity. However, a thorough analysis of existing onboarding frameworks is essential to identify gaps and make necessary improvements.
Many organizations rely on organic ways of communicating shared history and norms. Don’t leave new employees remote onboarding best practices to guess at these issues; doing so can create ambiguity and stress. Spend more time than you generally would in a face-to-face environment talking about what is typical and atypical across various cultural dimensions. Create the space for your new colleagues to ask about the way things are done as well. The future of work is flexible—and organizations that excel at remote management are better positioned to attract, engage, and retain top talent. Tackling remote work challenges with thoughtful, people-first strategies helps create teams that are not only functional but also connected, motivated, and high-performing.
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. Self-service tools can provide employees access to corporate policies, guides and FAQs, he said, in addition to the employee’s work schedule and introductory training materials. While many teams have shifted towards working from home, companies have found themselves interviewing and hiring new employees remotely. Regular WhatsApp chats, short team sessions, and weekly supervisor check-ins further help alleviate initial employee fears. During the pandemic, studies found that many new hires struggled to connect with organizational culture due to a lack of informal interactions. Virtual shadowing is not a passive process—it is a two-way, collaborative mechanism.