While COVID-19 did lead to widespread layoffs in many industries, not all businesses had to shrink their workforces. For some organizations, hiring is even necessary, ensuring they can remain productive by cultivating a robust remote team.
As a result, many companies had to adjust their hiring processes to ensure they could be completed online. This includes onboarding, which is usually highly personalized and designed to acclimate incoming hires to their new environment.
Luckily, remote onboarding doesn’t have to be a challenge. If you want to make sure your new hire is set up for success, here are some onboarding tips.
Make an Official Introduction
Managers serve as bridges between the new hire and the rest of the company. To help your incoming team member make valuable connections, make sure to introduce them officially through the proper channels.
In some cases, you may want to handle the introductions via email. You can craft a welcome message and share some details about the new hire’s background and the position they are filling.
If you have collaboration software, a message there can work as well. This approach may be best for team introductions, as it can spur conversations and socialization, something that can help them bond with their new coworkers.
Embrace Video Calls
Putting a face to a name is incredibly beneficial when you are bringing in a new hire. Often, being able to see their manager and colleagues leads to stronger connections. At the least, it will make the new hire more comfortable, as the people they are working with will seem less like ambiguous entities and more like genuine people.
Plus, video calls can boost the quality of conversations. Everyone can read facial cues and a degree of body language, which can be helpful, especially when everyone is getting to know one another.
Offer Tech Training
Even if your new hire has worked remotely elsewhere before, it’s wise to do some tech training when you bring them onboard. That way, you can make sure they can access critical applications, know how to use the VPN, and understand the communication channels that are available to them.
Additionally, this serves as an opportunity to discuss any security matters. Since cyber threats increased due to COVID-19, a quick refresher is a smart move, mainly if there is anything unique about your requirements or systems.
Set Clear Expectations
As with all onboarding experiences, outlining your expectations is a must. Since the new hire is working remotely, consider creating an online calendar or checklist that shows what you want them to handle when. This can take all the guesswork out of the equation. Plus, you can schedule check-in calls and include them in the list, ensuring they won’t get overlooked during this critical phase.
Ultimately, remote onboarding is a bit challenging, but with the tips above, you can handle it properly. If you’d like to know more about how you can enhance the new hire experience, the team at The Squires Group can help. Contact us today.
