Onboarding Remote Employees: 7 Tips for Creating a Virtual Onboarding Plan
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Remote onboarding is the process of familiarizing new hires with the organization, its people, and its culture. It differs from traditional employee onboarding because, as the term suggests, it takes place fully remotely. A new hire should have a clear picture of what success looks like for the first 100 days and beyond. New hires should recognize how their responsibilities fit into the overall success of the company.
Simplify your training.
However, it can be difficult for some managers to create an onboarding plan whilst having a heavy workload, especially if they’ve never done it before. Remote onboarding may be the new norm, but conveying all of what you used to do in person through a screen can still be challenging. At Charlie, we do hybrid working since 2020, and that’s why we’d like to share how we do remote onboarding and what we learned from it. A solid onboarding program can foster employee engagement early on and consolidate it for the long haul. When new hires are made aware of the importance of their role remote onboarding best practices in the team, they’re far more likely to develop an engaged and committed attitude towards their work. The employee onboarding phase is a critical component of any company-wide strategy to encourage employees to stay for the long haul.
Don’t leave new employees to guess at these issues; doing so can create ambiguity and stress. Offering each new employee a session with IT to show him or her how the videoconferencing platform, communication channels, and other company systems work can alleviate first-day anxiety. Doing this before the start date minimizes technical issues and allows new employees to be fully present and more comfortable on day one.
BONUS TIP: Create a remote-friendly culture
- If it’s through virtual meetings, be sure these conversations are already on the new employee’s schedule and that there’s an agenda attached.
- Engaged employees are passionate about their role within the organization and know that their contributions are valued.
- Doing so allows you to easily, securely, and quickly distribute credentials to new employees without compromising the security of your remote working infrastructure.
- Having all this configured beforehand can help lighten the load when new employees are likely to have plenty of job-specific information to digest.
But you may also need to schedule orientations suited to the new hire’s department or project team so the employee is well introduced to their job functions. Include specific steps or milestones they’ll need to meet and any other pertinent details and timelines. “New hire paperwork should be launched the moment the employee signs the offer,” she said. “We send offer letters out through our HRIS system, which, once e-signed, triggers the onboarding and background check process.” Request and track real-time feedback on meetings, recent projects, and performance.
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Yes, you should have a detailed onboarding plan, and it should include milestones, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be complicated. We’ve talked about having a detailed onboarding plan above, and we’re going to reiterate here that the plan you create should have structure and milestones. Milestones like going on the first sales call or making a first sale will give your remote employees something to strive for. Successfully onboarding remote employees is critical for any employer looking to retain talented team members long-term. Turnover is costly and disruptive, and nearly 20% of employee turnover happens within the first 45 days of employment. The virtual onboarding process only poses more challenges for your new remote workers, making the first month that much more important.
Instead, allow each individual to introduce themselves by name, cite some interests, and state their job title. With any luck, the new hire will feel included and more likely to ask for help when they need it. A new employee should know what to expect on their first day, or first few days, of onboarding. HR managers should provide remote hires with a structured onboarding schedule so they feel prepared before their first day. For example, explaining company tone and formality, virtual etiquette (camera on or off?), messaging norms, work hours, and more will help your employees assimilate faster. You can also assign a culture buddy – a mentor whose job is to help debrief remote team members on company culture and norms.
Make introductions to the immediate supervisor, other members of the new hire’s working group and likely collaborators in other departments. A quick video call with the CEO or another top leader also helps drive home the feeling of inclusion and the importance of the work. “Further, having their direct supervisor and HR representative periodically reach out to provide advice and to address any concerns will help new employees feel supported throughout their employment,” Williams said.