In 2019, almost 6% of Americans did full-time remote work, working from home, per the 2019 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey. Due to the pandemic in 2020, almost any position that was possible to do remotely became remote work overnight. 35% of the workforce reported they worked from home at a point in 2020 due to COVID-19. There have been successes in remote work, and it seems that there may be a need to reimage how and where corporations and businesses get the work done.
Onboarding is an employee’s first day and introduction to the company; it set’s the tone. People are starting jobs without physically having met anyone during the hiring process. The onboarding experience will allow a new employee will learn about a company’s mission and values. With this large population working remotely, companies must strategize effective virtual onboarding to set criteria and identify tools for communication, set clear expectations, build community, and reduce turnover.
Employers need to create a structured, informative, and dynamic virtual onboarding experience. In my research of best practices for remote onboarding, the impact of a positive onboarding means that the employees feel welcomed and valued at its core. Operationally, a good experience will provide appropriate tools, information, and resources. On the flip side, a negative onboarding experience can lead a stressed and disconnected employee to pursue another opportunity. Below is a highlight of best practices for welcoming a new employee through a screen:
Digital Handbook:
Providing a digital handbook with information about the company, its employees, and documentation of the culture and work is a significant reference point for a new employee.
Welcome Buddy or Mentor:
Establish personal connections by providing direct support on the very first day. The welcome buddy is identified as someone of a similar rank and can help guide and offer advice as the new employee navigates the company. Alternatively, a Mentor could be assigned to be a foundational support to help new employees define a career path at the company.
Company-Critical Tools:
Help the new employee meet you and the rest of the company where you are. Create a package of your teams’ essential tech tools like Slack, Teams, or Basecamp. Give them a tour of how you use it and provide etiquette information so the employer is in step with the rest of the team.
Check-ins:
An essential part of maintaining the culture and relationships within the company is communication. Create a regular schedule, weekly or daily, for interaction and dialogue. Provide a channel for updates on project status, opportunities for employers to identify blocks or connections so that an employee does not feel isolated.
Encourage Collaboration:
Placing new employees with seasoned team members to work on a project early in onboarding can build bonds and take their first steps into the community.
Above all, when virtually onboarding, create a remote-friendly culture. Ensure that all team members feel included regardless of where they work. The remote environment is where the communication of the important workforce of a company is taking place, invest in making it a positive, comfortable place to be, even if it is a screen.
Resources:
Virtual onboarding: How to welcome new hires while fully remote via The Enterprisers Project
14 Important Steps To Improve Virtual Onboarding Procedures via Forbes
