Remote Onboarding 101
If your regular onboarding process has been wrecked by COVID, you need this guide. Remote onboarding matters. It’ll motivate new recruits to “buy in” and increase engagement and retention. It’ll get them up to full productivity faster, and it’ll boost your employer brand.
What is good remote onboarding?
Good remote onboarding is whatever gives your newcomer a great experience. That means making them feel valued, connected, and informed, and giving them the support they need to do their job well (and safely!)
This is a team effort, so the newcomer’s colleagues and line manager need to work together with HR and IT to make it happen. Here are the priorities:
- Communication: that means the right tech and the right people
- Connection: shared strategy and structure keep everyone connected and reduce loneliness.
- Clarity: make sure your newbie understands the role, expectations, and culture.
- Support: make sure they know where to find information and how to contact HR and IT.
Remote onboarding: what to do when
- Before their first day
- Send a welcome email. Have their line manager and team contact them too.
- Send a welcome pack with company swag and info on what to expect.
- Make sure they have the right tech and full instructions on how to use it.
- Pair them with a mentor or buddy.
- Link them to some online welcome videos, including a virtual office tour and chats with key personnel and recent recruits.
- Get any formalities over with (use digital signatures).
- Their first day
- Set up informal video chats with their line manager, their new team, and their mentor or buddy.
- Give them time to sort out any remaining formalities and get to grips with the tech.
- Set clear expectations around the role, hours, accountability and workload.
- If they’re going to get training, give them the login and timetable for it.
- Their second day and beyond
- Schedule regular 1:1s with them. Consider a regular team social time too.
- Give them a clear roadmap of tasks to help them get up to speed.
- Get feedback from them about the onboarding process and use it to improve.