10 best practices and checklist for remote onboarding

And yet, when the Human Capital Institute analysed companies’ onboarding processes, they found that more than half focus on paperwork and processes, rather than the people. What’s more, a third of respondents described their onboarding process as informal, inconsistent, or reactive. In particular, if you manage a team, ask each team member to organize a video call with the new remote employee.

The completion of onboarding provides plenty of reasons to celebrate. If you’ve met all your goals, new remote employees will know tons of people, understand multiple aspects of your company, and have a wealth of important projects under their belts. Encourage Collaborative Learning – During the onboarding process, assign new employees to work in a group to complete a case study or other project. remote onboarding best practices This type of collaborative learning introduces them to other team members and forges bonds. A buddy program is a great way to assimilate new employees into the company. Having a peer mentor that can answer questions and provide informal training on the role is vital for remote new joiners. It has been proven that collaborative learning is one of the best ways to absorb new information.

Training Industry

This way, your new hires don’t have to worry about device specifications during onboarding. You can also provide asynchronous options so that they can follow the process at their own pace. 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. A unified onboarding platform can make virtual onboarding less daunting for new employees by simplifying the experience. Addressing any challenges that come up can quickly become time-consuming for both employees and the organization.

• Consider using e-signature tools like HelloSign to let remote employees receive and sign legal documentation in a simple, secure and trackable database.
• As they become more familiar using these , you may experience fewer hiccups when they actually start.
• When you start the onboarding process before their first day, new employees can effectively familiarize themselves with the tool and other project management or communication software.
• Video calls and words of recognition do wonders, but the tangible qualities of a nice gift help bring remote workers into the fold.
• Any content or literature articulating your company’s mission, vision and values.
• New hires also wish to have as many basic tasks as they can handle to understand the processes involved in real work.

Refining your onboarding process for the remote workforce is imperative as more and more employees are demanding work-from-home schedules. Get some tips on effectively onboarding remote employees from the members of Forbes Human Resources Council. Smart companies have changed the way they orient new employees by working together with remote employees to find out what they need.

Remote onboarding is here to stay

Now, more than ever, remote employees have gone from being the exception to becoming a major part of the workforce. Onboarding plays a critical role in a new hire’s success and happiness. And onboarding remote employees is especially important, since they don’t have as many opportunities to organically integrate into the company processes and culture. Let’s look at some best practices for onboarding remote employees. The virtual employee onboarding process can feel very impersonal otherwise, and it’s important for new hires to put a face on the numerous remote employees they are meeting. Remote onboarding is, as the name suggests, the remote version of employee onboarding.

Then, explain who on IT can support technical issues or provide them with troubleshooting resources. Send your remote hires company swag to make them feel welcome and excited to join the team. Assure them that they are part of your community no matter where they are. These activities ensure that remote hires integrate fully into the organization and its processes. Your new employee might be grappling with a wholly new work environment. While working remotely in itself can be seen as a perk, you don’t want to treat your new hire any differently from your other employees.

Tips On Transition To Remote Work Successfully

Independent working is fundamental for remote workers, so fostering such skills is important. New hires will be learning multiple things on the go during the onboarding process, and it’s good practice to give them some leeway early on. This is a key element of remote work positions as employees usually need to register and access a host of different communication, productivity, and other workplace tools. A hiring manager can ease employees into the position by sending across any company swag and addressing all IT needs a few days in advance, including software and security logins.

• Keep in mind that every employee has unique experiences and abilities.
• Roll out a comprehensive program that includes various elements of this onboarding checklist with Zenefits.
• Send a personalized greeting card signed by the CEO , give them a company T-shirt, a hat, some stickers — make them feel welcomed and noticed.
• So, it’s helpful to understand how to most effectively onboard new employees remotely.
• They need to keep your employees connected, no matter their geographical locations.