Five tips to onboard new employees remotely

As remote working continues to be the norm for many companies and their employees,  here are ive best practices tips for them to effectively onboard new recruits virtually.

According to a survey from recruitment outsourcing company Cielo[i], two thirds of businesses successfully interviewed and onboarded new starters during the Covid-19 outbreak. Post crisis, 66% said their reliance on technology is here to stay; with two fifths (41%) saying they are happy to continue virtually onboarding new staff.

Nicolas Speeckaert, co-founder and director of skeeled says, “Onboarding new recruits has been challenging for companies since the pandemic started, since many businesses are integrating employees remotely and lack well-structured online processes. To implement an effective remote onboarding process, companies need to develop a specific onboarding programme using online collaboration tools, supported by adequate documents and materials and a great communication programme.”

Nicolas Speeckaert shares the following five tips for a good remote onboarding experience:

Start Onboarding Early

Send new joiners information about the company culture and projects they will be working on before their start date. This will give them the opportunity to analyse the information and feel more prepared on day one.

Promote Communication

Ensure new employees get their IT set up quickly so that they have access to the digital workplace (company intranet, messaging apps, video conferencing software, and other apps and tools). This is essential for them to get familiar with the flow of the team more quickly.

Create a Sense of Belonging

New remote employees can easily feel isolated and like they don’t really belong to a team. Check in with them regularly and let them know where to turn for feedback or to ask any questions. Providing them with supporting materials is also very important to encourage them to collaborate with other team members and build the team spirit. Also, promoting virtual meetups, such as online coffee breaks will help them bond. Finally, assigning them with a mentor or creating a “buddy” system will have a positive effect on their morale and their performance as well.

Provide an Individualised Onboarding Plan

New hires expect concrete goals and the opportunity to regularly interact with their manager. Providing new employees with strong support during the onboarding process helps them feel more motivated and productive. This requires continuous support and a clear, tailored plan detailing what is expected from the new employee in terms of performance goals during a certain period (first month, first quarter, etc).

Leverage Online Tools

Having digital processes is essential to keep companies working efficiently during these uncertain times. Remote work and remote onboarding require the use of online tools, whether to manage the necessary forms and documents each new hire will have to complete or to communicate on the day-today. There are online tools for every department and to execute every type of tasks. Make sure your company’s toolkit is equipped with the right tools to make your business thrive.

Nicolas Speeckaert adds, “Providing a good onboarding experience is crucial to improve employee engagement, job satisfaction, and retention rates. In the post Covid-19 world this is even more essential as businesses need to nurture talent so they can recover successfully despite the global economic downturn.”

[i] https://www.recruitment-international.co.uk/blog/2020/06/59-percent-expect-tech-and-remote-working-to-lead-to-more-effective-recruitment