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That was the experience of one HR leader who took a new job the same month COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Liam Martin is a co-founder of Time Doctor which is software to improve productivity and help keep track and know what your team is working on, even when working from home. A checklist can indicate visible progress and help new hires ensure they don’t miss out on any task.

It’s to be expected that a remote workplace has different norms and culture as opposed to a typical in-office one. There’s more room for flexibility, which even though it is worth savoring, it can also impact the employers’ – and employees’ – ability to set clear expectations and boundaries. That’s why you should dedicate the first onboarding days to showing the culture and company norms to the new hires. Another challenge of the remote onboarding process is motivating new employees. That’s because motivation can often occur through casual interactions, which are hard to come by at the kitchen table.

Remember Training Sessions

Think of all the fun activities employees happily participated in during office days and give them a virtual spin. For example, you can have coffee or tea sessions online, brain-twisting online games where teams work together to win the hamper are some great options. Remote employee onboarding is a process where new employees are welcomed, trained, https://remotemode.net/ and brought up to speed with their new roles and responsibilities. All of this happens in a virtual environment with the help of video calls and other onboarding tools. When a remote employee starts, it’s easy to just blast out a group email to all their relevant departments and have people get in touch to schedule intro calls and training.

When you start a new job in person, equipment is typically set up for you on or before your first day. You might arrive to find a desk equipped with a fully-functional computer, monitor, keyboard, and mouse—so all you have remote onboarding best practices to do is show up and start working. Lay the foundation for accountability and productivity by clearly defining expectations, helping new hires understand their priorities, focus their efforts, and measure their progress.

What changes when onboarding remote contractors?

This can help remote hires gain insights into how your organization works. With the surge in remote work during the pandemic, businesses are noting how strategic remote onboarding can increase employee engagement and retention. Otherwise, contractors should go through the same onboarding flow to learn the culture of the company, the contents of the company handbook, and where to find necessary information.

“The buddy is the new team member’s point person throughout the onboarding process,” said Christina Ioannou, vice president of HR at Lewis. “The buddy is available for all the ‘silly’ questions, to fill them in on office happenings and add them to the office social channels.” New hires need help connecting with other employees, and this is especially true in a remote setting, said Tracy Browne, vice president of HR at Salit Steel, based in Niagara Falls, Ont. Browne said COVID-19 forced her company to adopt a remote work model, making onboarding more challenging. But replicating in-person onboarding activities helps establish those personal connections. Even if onboarding for remote employees ends up taking longer than traditional onboarding or gets disrupted, there are ways to combat that.

Implement a pre-boarding program

Successful remote onboarding must leverage technology to foster virtual engagement. Johnson advises that managers hiring remote workers use videoconferencing platforms for interactive orientation sessions, team introductions, and virtual office tours. Onboarding for remote workers isn’t identical to traditional onboarding—or at least it shouldn’t be. It requires tailoring onboarding processes and policies to align with a virtual workforce.

• Besides, you can also give them access to your training courses for self-paced anytime, anywhere learning.
• Aside from ramping up productivity, having an effective remote onboarding program can help establish a connection with your new hires and show them that your company cares.
• Regular check-ins during the onboarding phase play an important role in fostering integration and encouraging future success for new employees.
• Explain the roles and responsibilities and show how they are aligned with the company’s overall success.
• When your team members onboard with Remote, they receive a warm welcome, easy access to all their important payroll and benefits information, and a dedicated HR manager to answer any questions.

New employees want to make a great first impression, but they also want to establish a connection — both with their new coworkers and with the organisation, more generally. In remote onboarding, the active portion of onboarding (the intense elements of helping a new employee understand their role) may take two to three weeks, depending on the position. But, passive onboarding, which we will address with some specific measures later in this article, may stretch months (maybe even six months into their tenure).