05 Jul Companies See Remote Onboarding as Crucial in Integrating New Remote Employees

In today’s evolving workplace, companies are increasingly adopting remote work, not only as a temporary solution but as a long-term strategy. Effective onboarding is crucial for integrating new remote employees, ensuring they feel welcomed, confident, and excited about their new roles. This process, while sharing similarities with traditional in-office onboarding, also has unique challenges and best practices that must be considered by global mobility prodessionals. 

Effective communication of a company’s vision and mission is essential during remote onboarding. Global mobility professionals play a pivotal role in this process.  

Leverage Technology

Effective remote onboarding begins with the right technology. Tools such as Zoom and Microsoft Teams allow for virtual meetings and training sessions. Platforms like TalentLMS can facilitate structured e-learning, ensuring that complex training materials are easily accessible. Communication tools like Slack help new hires quickly connect with their colleagues, fostering a sense of belonging even from a distance.

Develop a Structured Onboarding Plan

A well-structured onboarding plan is crucial. A global mobility specialist shares how his company uses a 30/60/90-day framework to guide new hires through their initial months. This plan includes specific tasks and meetings tailored to each role, ensuring a consistent and comprehensive onboarding experience. Flexibility within this structure allows for adjustments as needed, accommodating additional meetings or changes in priorities.

Manage Logistics Efficiently

Providing new hires with the necessary equipment is a logistical challenge in remote onboarding. Nick recounts the difficulties his team faced during the lockdown in sourcing and delivering laptops quickly. A solid logistics plan, developed in partnership with reliable vendors, is essential for ensuring that new employees have the tools they need to start their roles effectively.

• Consult teams and discuss roles. Engage with your Knowledge and Learning, People Operations, and Onboarding teams to define a smooth process. Discuss the timing, tasks, role-specific training, and involvement of other team members.
• Welcome new hires ahead of time. Send new hires a digital welcome package that includes a personalized message, the employee handbook, company social media handles, an invitation to a casual video call with peers, and an organizational chart. 
• Provide early access to tech tools. Set up work email addresses and invite new hires to join all necessary platforms a week before their start date. Include video tutorials for each tool to help them get started.
• Schedule waterfall check-in meetings. Implement a front-loaded check-in schedule that gradually decreases in frequency, starting with daily check-ins during the first week and moving to bi-weekly check-ins over time.
• Involve team members in training. Allow team members to lead training sessions and introduction meetings, helping new hires find their place in the company more easily. Share a personalized onboarding plan. Provide a detailed plan that includes tasks, training, and meetings for each day of the onboarding process. 
• Survey current employees. Gather feedback from current employees about their onboarding experiences to continuously improve the process. Use a mix of sliding scales, multiple-choice questions, and open-ended questions.
• Mix self-led learning with interactive activities. Combine self-led learning with videos, audio interviews, and interactive activities to keep onboarding engaging. 
• Use the buddy system. Pair new hires with both another new hire and a senior employee to provide guidance and support.
• Clearly communicate culture and expectations. Set clear expectations for behavior, communication, and culture through verbal and written documentation. Actively demonstrate these expectations throughout the onboarding process.

Conclusion

Remote onboarding, while challenging, is a critical component of modern work environments. By leveraging technology, developing structured plans, and actively communicating culture and expectations, companies can create a welcoming and effective onboarding experience for remote employees. Embracing these best practices will not only help new hires feel integrated and valued but also contribute to the overall success and retention of remote teams.