Regularly touch base to gauge their transition into the new role and to address any questions they may have. Inform them that you’re available to assist in any capacity as they acclimate to the typical day-to-day tasks. Be prepared to adapt the process according to the individual circumstances and requirements of each employee. Some may prefer more face time, while others may want less hand-holding.
By fostering a sense of belonging and inclusion, introducing remote employees to their team sets the stage for effective collaboration and a smoother transition into the organization’s culture and workflow. Best practices encourage role-specific training and continuous learning, fostering career growth opportunities for remote employees. Organize virtual team-building activities or icebreakers to create opportunities for your new remote hires to bond with their colleagues in a relaxed, non-work setting.
Set clear expectations
One of the biggest challenges that remote employees will face during the onboarding process and, in some cases, during their tenure at the company is a feeling of isolation. Any successful remote onboarding program should address this issue and work to create a sense of belonging as soon as possible. The onboarding phase is a critical time that can make or break a new employee’s impression of the company and heavily influence their decision to stay long term. So, how do you optimize your company’s virtual onboarding process to ensure that remote employees get up and running as smoothly as possible?
List down the interests and values you expect from employees and explain how the company supports those values. Like other employee resources, you should also ensure the statement is accessible to remote teams. As such, this post will cover the remote onboarding best practices you can use to virtually onboard new hires. When thoughtfully implemented, these strategies can deliver optimal results for HR teams and ensure employees settle into their new jobs. Remote onboarding best practices can be a challenge to navigate when hiring new employees you never meet in-person. Employee onboarding is just as important as the hiring process and even more so when onboarding virtually.
Best practice #1: Develop an onboarding plan with clear milestones
” Thinkific is a great tool to use to get your new remote team member up to speed in all things onboarding and training. Our platform allows you to create engaging courses and content that sets the tone https://remotemode.net/ and pace for your new employee’s first few months with your company. The onboarding process sets the tone for your employees’ success and experience at your company, so you want to get this right.
Training could focus on behaviors, tools, products, compliance, and security. This three-month period is about guiding the new employees as they take on projects and settle in. During their first month, the new hire will ease into their role by diving into their first project and meeting more of their peers. “Make sure you are explaining culture, proper communication, and expected behavior as much as you are explaining tools and procedures,” says Danica. “Ask your current hires for feedback on how to improve the onboarding,” recommends Danica.
Share a personalized onboarding plan
Consider the following tips when providing the necessary equipment for remote hires. Providing all necessary equipment demonstrates the company’s commitment remote onboarding best practices to the remote workforce. The action fosters a sense of professionalism and creates an environment that encourages optimal performance and collaboration.
As an HR manager, regular check-ins are essential to know the issues that employees are experiencing and what they’re working on. You have to help them solve problems as they occur without waiting for quarterly or annual performance reviews. 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.
At this point, the employee should be focusing on completing the necessary training and onboarding materials while getting used to their new environment. Deel’s global experts provide the best world-class experience for your global team of employees and contractors. If your culture is social, schedule introduction calls, happy hours, or lunch-and-learns with new hires and employees from across departments. A waterfall check-in schedule is front-loaded with meetings between the new hire and their manager. As each week passes, the frequency of meetings gradually decreases until you reach your standard check-in schedule. Onboarding is usually considered separate from training – it is the initial process of introducing new employees to management and the rest of the team.
- This establishes a relationship between the new remote employee and the manager from the beginning.
- The ability to adapt to changing circumstances is a competitive advantage.
- Doing so allows you to easily, securely, and quickly distribute credentials to new employees without compromising the security of your remote working infrastructure.
- These introductions are a key way to communicate team structure, create shared goals, and increase overall enthusiasm.
- Kelly Main is staff writer at Forbes Advisor, specializing in testing and reviewing marketing software with a focus on CRM solutions, payment processing solutions, and web design software.