If yours is like many companies, COVID-19 ushered in remote work situations you weren’t expecting. And if your company is fully equipped to run with remote workers, you may still offer work-at-home options for your employees—or a hybrid work model if you returned to the office.
As people struggle with comfort levels even now, many companies continue to allow remote work, and are even hiring new employees as remote workers. This also includes the need to onboard employees remotely. For this process to go successfully, it helps to follow a few key tips.
Remote onboarding tips
You want all employees to be able to thrive in your company, and thorough onboarding is the way to start. This way, employees will have a welcoming introduction to the job, their coworkers and the company culture for a “soft” transfer that lessens the culture shock as much as possible. Follow these tips for success:
- Put together a handbook. This should include a schedule of what onboarding will entail, company policies and procedures, important information, resources and contact information.
- Start onboarding early. Don’t wait for the employee’s first day to get started. Instead, provide them the onboarding handbook before their start date so they have time to look it over and can begin their first day with confidence (and can also come armed with questions!).
- Assign a buddy. This is someone who can help “show the ropes” to the new employee, get all questions answered, help them feel welcome and be there if they need guidance. Plus, assigning a buddy helps the “new kid” feel a lot less lonely on their first few weeks of work.
- Hold virtual training calls. Set up calls with key team members who can explain roles and responsibilities to the new employee. These can be by phone or video. Take advantage of document sharing software, such as Microsoft Teams or WebEx.
- Introduce them to the team. Have a team call on video so everyone gets a chance to meet the new employee. Prepare them with a few easy and fun questions they can answer to introduce themselves.
- Start with easy tasks. These help new employees feel good as they ease into the new position. This can be as simple as filling in forms for HR, reviewing learning materials or completing a straightforward task related to their new job.
Thorough onboarding helps prevent turnover
New employees can become overwhelmed without the right training, and this can lead them to look for something else. It’s just one risk you can reduce with proper onboarding techniques.
If you’re looking to reduce other risks, you’ve come to the right place. Reach out to Odell Studner today to get started with a risk assessment and learn ways to manage the risks faced by your company.
