Fresh Take on Onboarding in the Remote Work Era
Guidelines for Effectively Onboarding Distant Workers: Strategies for Achieving Success (Includes a Complimentary Checklist)
Welcome to the era of remote work where even onboarding processes need a facelift. Whether it's a coffee chat in the break room or a casual hall conversation, such small interactions are now missing in the world of virtual work. Here's how to reinvent these moments to welcome new team members in the digital space.
Elevating the Virtual New Hire Experience
1. Slack Your (Coffee) Breaks
It's all about making that virtual connection. Set up a specific Slack channel for new hires where they can ask anything and everything.
2. Keep it Casual
Encourage new hires to meet one person from each department for a casual chat. Let them talk about their favorite dishes, travel stories, or even pets.
3. The Onboarding Buddy System
Pair new hires with an ambassador who can help with any questions, big or small, especially during the anxious early days of remote work.
Effective Remote Onboarding Approaches
Adopting these seven strategies can set your team up for success in today's remote landscape:
1. Establishing Clear Expectations
Make it clear what's expected from your new team member, how to complete their tasks, and which tools to use. Set expectations early on and provide resources to do the work and communicate effectively.
2. Create Interactive Onboarding Steps
Onboarding should be engaging and interactive to keep remote employees engaged throughout the process. Utilize icebreakers, team-building activities, and meaningful interactions with team members and managers.
3. Make Tools Accessible
Provide access to resources and tools for your new hire to perform their job efficiently. Allow them to sign up for each tool, get assistance from IT, gain access to shared drives, and use templates for their work.
4. Collaboration and Communication
Determine the best ways for your team and company to collaborate and communicate. Encourage asynchronous workflows, create a communication manifesto, and help new hires navigate meeting schedules andfocus time.
5. Embrace Technology
Choose reliable video conferencing tools like Zoom or Google Meet for clear communication. Utilize project management tools like Hubstaff Tasks to manage workloads and track progress. Establish a cybersecurity checklist to promote secure accounts and language.
6. Video-driven Training
Turn training into a series of videos for new hires to learn at their own pace. Use video recording solutions like Wistia to create, share, and embed videos, making it easy to review specific tasks or processes.
7. Streamline Onboarding with Templates
Create an onboarding checklist template, customize it for each department, and iterate the process for future growth. This helps measure employee progress and ensures you don't miss out on crucial steps in the onboarding process.
- In the world of remote work, utilizing Hubstaff Tasks as a project management tool can assist new hires in managing their workloads and tracking progress effectively.
- For a more interactive and engaging onboarding process, consider incorporating education-and-self-development resources like video tutorials or webinars to help new hires learn about their roles and the company.
- To help nurture a sense of community and connection among new hires, you might consider organizing virtual events or demos, such as a demo of popular lifestyle apps like Netflix or Spotify, to foster camaraderie.
- To make the onboarding process smoother and more organized, create a blog post that outlines best practices, common challenges, and success stories related to remote onboarding, providing new hires with valuable insights and advice.
){kind=link}