As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, many organizations have adopted long-term remote work to keep their employees safe. They are going above and beyond to ensure their workers have all the resources they need to work amidst the pandemic, but virtual onboarding adds an extra layer of complexity to this process.
Especially for remote employees who will already be separated from their coworkers, a lackluster onboarding experience will make it even harder for them to adapt to your organization and its culture. Here are some tips to help you welcome and onboard your new hires in a fully remote environment:
Implement HR technology that supports both candidate and employee onboarding. This way, your new hires can complete all their onboarding paperwork online before their first day.
Send them any tools they will need in advance, such as laptops, smartphones, keyboards, and other accessories. Organize a meeting for them with IT to get everything configured before they start work.
Provide an orientation that introduces them to your organizational values and goals. This will help your new hires feel more motivated about their contributions and career growth with your business.
Organize a virtual meeting between new hires and their team members. This will help them feel welcomed and included. Virtual coffee and lunch meetings are good starting points to help them interact with their peers.
Choose a mentor for them, preferably someone who is passionate about your organization’s vision and guiding newcomers. This way, they always know who to turn to if they have any problems or questions.
Conduct surveys to assess how your new hires feel about your organization based on their onboarding experience so you can make improvements over time.
As remote work becomes a more permanent fixture at many organizations, keeping employees connected and engaged will become a top priority in HR. There are several benefits to incorporating remote work, such as better work-life balance and less commuting, but onboarding is where employee engagement is cemented for the first time. And in today’s talent market, a few impersonal training videos just won’t cut it.
Read more about how to create an excellent virtual onboarding experience for your new hires in our HR Knowledge Hive.
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