Remote onboarding was already a trend before the current COVID-19 crisis, with stiff competition for talent, companies have been working harder and looking further to hire the best people available to them. But now, it’s more relevant than ever.
Whether your company is bricks-and-mortar or “distributed” with a fully remote workforce, and no matter what its size, these tips will help you make the most of the process of hiring from a safe distance.
You start before they start
Before you even reach out to candidates, test and troubleshoot your end of the technological setup, and create a plan for ensuring new hires have everything they need well before their first day. Technical hiccups can cost a lot of time, especially if your company relies on employees to have their own devices.
Have all company hardware set up in advance and, in general, try to eliminate as many extra steps as possible between hiring and going live with a new employee.
Make admin easy
The legal documents associated with employment can take up company time when not properly prepared, even in person, and it’s a dozen times worse when they have to be scanned, printed, or mailed. Tools like DocuSign and HelloSign can remove the hassle. Make sure your existing and new employees know how to use them.
By the time they’ve signed an official offer, your new hire should also know how the company is set up, who they should be getting in touch with for specific issues and how to get in touch with them. You can simply compile this information in a PDF and send it in an email, along with the invites for their various first-week meetings.
Send gifts and positive messages
Just because you can’t welcome new employees in person doesn’t mean you should forgo traditions like gifts or messages from the team and management. In fact, gestures that add warmth and meaning to a long-distance colleague relationship are even more important. If you’re mailing out a company laptop or other equipment, you can throw in a letter welcoming the recipient to the team, some office supplies with the company logo on them, or even a gift card or other treat.
Create an onboarding portal
An online portal is basically a single group of web pages that covers everything to do with a particular topic for your organisation. Your onboarding portal might include training modules, set-up guides, and an employee handbook. Make sure to update with each new round of hiring.
If you don’t have the resources to make a customised portal, an app such as Slack can help you mock up a basic equivalent.
Clarity and connectivity from day one
Those who have experience working from home are usually experts at managing their time, if they weren’t their careers wouldn’t have moved in this direction in the first place. But for even the most self-motivated worker, clearly communicated instructions and a sense of their personal impact on the team are essential. Get them involved early in the big picture of your company, whether that means filling the training process with hands-on tasks or encouraging them to take the lead on arranging (virtual) face-to-face time with colleagues.
Review progress regularly
One challenge of a remote setup is monitoring progress and keeping all team members on the same page. Managers should talk one-on-one with new team members especially at least once a week so that expectations are clear and priorities are aligned. Leaders should also make training new remote workers a high priority, and follow up to make certain that training is progressing well. Don’t forget them just because they’re not right in front of you!
Establish a mentoring or buddy program
Just as in traditional onboarding, pairing the new recruit with a more experienced colleague can help smooth the transition. Although it requires more initiative on both sides of the partnership to make it happen remotely, the benefits are well worth it. Encourage the mentor to utilise voice chat or video conferencing apps to check in regularly, walk the new hire through specific processes, and introduce them to the team.
And finally... embed culture fast
Details make all the difference when trying to help a new employee feel like a part of the company while working from home. Setting up for the best audio and video quality you can deliver minimises the sense of detachment some may feel when communicating via webcam. Make sure there are opportunities to connect with everybody in the department and participate in group discussions and meetings. Although a mentor can serve as a doorway, you will need to go the extra mile to integrate new remote workers into the company culture with frequent communication. If they get to know the people they’ll be working with in the first few weeks, they’ll quickly become invested in your shared goals.