Onboarding Remote Employees: 5 Key Things To Know

Remote employees are becoming a major trend in the labor market, which has accelerated more so since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, onboarding remote employees remains a challenge. It places enormous stress on the organization because it has little control over the employees’ work conditions and environment.

Many companies make the mistake of focusing too much on paperwork and not enough on the issues related to remote work. Instead, they should spend more time on people-focused issues. It is time to turn the entire process around on its head by making it a priority to tackle employee onboarding issues the right way.

💡Technical issues

During the process of onboarding new employees to the company, the management must provide all technical documentation that would facilitate them in fixing minor issues. Give them access to the dedicated corporate database network where the instructions on basic IT practices to follow and run simple tasks on their own. It could be how to clear a MacBook cache or use emails safely. Taking care of the laptops and software at the employee’s end saves time, which ultimately adds to productive hours.

Use a powerful platform for training, upskilling, and communication purposes. This remote training tool can also be used to upload various self-help software manuals. Leveraging the digital platform makes the onboarding process seamless for both parties. The new hires will also have a strong positive impression of the employer.

Providing access to the enterprise software and setting them up with the login credentials is not enough. The company should also empower them to use it by providing them with technical onboarding assistance. Think about the technical lags that can happen. Then provide them with soft copies of instructions on how to solve them.

🗒 Start early

The process of onboarding new hires should start even before the official orientation day. This can be done by registering them to a group platform where you share company information. That way, they get familiarized with the nature of the business that the company engages in. Try sending some links and videos of the company.

Starting as early as three weeks before the start date is a good way to feel connected to the company. Simple tasks such as helping them get used to the conferencing software and messaging apps can keep them from being disillusioned. The IT setup with username, password, and email address can start right after hiring them.

Digitize all employee documentation and company information sectioned into various departments so that you are ready by the time the new employees are onboard. Many companies have a corporate history that narrates how they came to be. This handbook will also have a brief profile of the management executives.

👉 Provide mentorship

Providing onboarding buddies, also called mentors, to new company hires has outsized advantages and plays a role in the success of the onboarding experience. The mentors provide context, boost productivity, and improve overall employee satisfaction. The additional tier of support is crucial to the new employee’s success.

Mentors help new staff acclimatize faster to the company culture, making them more productive than hires with no mentors. They tend to make fewer mistakes as their mentors provide them with good advice. It also enhances their sense of belonging as they feel very much part of the company, thereby motivating them to do more.

🔥Article pick: 5 Reasons Transformational Leaders Make Great Mentors

📈 Evaluation process

Once you have done the onboarding and assigned them with mentors, it is time to set up a detailed evaluation process. This process sets expectations, outlines rewards, and warns about the consequences of not meeting the standards of the company. The idea is not to punish them but to help them progress faster in your organization.

The evaluation should be structured in a way that would keep them dedicated and accountable to the goals of the company. Typically, the evaluation is conducted every six months but depending on the nature of the business, it can even be done annually. Regular evaluation gives them an impetus to share any difficulties with the company and gives you tips on becoming a better manager.

🥳 Have fun

An interactive and live onboarding process is the hallmark of a modern and trendy organization. It exhibits a forward-thinking attitude that makes everyone feel welcome and inclusive. Do not be afraid to have fun, as it is a great way to break the ice with a bunch of strangers. Mixing formality with fun can make the onboarding less robotic.

Virtual fun can help the new hires remember the things that were discussed at the meeting. It also bridges the gap between assimilation and engagement. Use a modern, smart tech that humanizes the onboarding experience as it would make them feel engaged and supported.

Including a quiz as part of the onboarding process can be a great way to help the new hires navigate through the onboarding process. It serves the purpose of acclimation, learning, and socialization. The quiz can help reinforce things new employees need to know in an automated, interactive, and fun way.

🔥Article pick: The Influence of Company Culture On Employee Engagement

📣 How to make your onboarding easy with Holaspirit?

#1 You’re able to document the process of your onboarding 

Write every step of the onboarding process, of who is in charge, who does what, and what stage is the process at. Bring structure to your onboarding, and make it clear and transparent of what is being done, and what are the steps to be followed. 

#2 Have your onboarding projects in your Kanban board for everyone to follow, even the employee!

Document and add documents that are needed in projects/steps the employee is being onboarded. You’re able to tag the project card to a member and circle. 

#3 Make it clear with the visual chart and members directory

Your employee and onboarding process will be ten times easier, if you have the structure of your organization clear and visual. With Holaspirit you’re able to showcase all the members working at the organization, so the new employee is able to know who does what, and easy to find what they’re looking for. 

#4 Create meetings in real-time, at any time 

With so many styles of workflow nowadays – some prefer hybrid labor force, others full-office and some only remote – make sure you never miss a beat with the team and make the onboarding process easy with flowing communication. 

Holaspirit offers real-time meetings with an agenda, tensions to discuss, checklists, projects, OKRs and much more.  Discuss the most important topics with the team/employee to avoid miscommunication. 

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Contact us and tell us about your projects. Check out the pricing plans.

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Conclusion

Effective remote onboarding processes help ease the transition of new employees into an unknown company with new colleagues. The aim should be to give them the same support and camaraderie that they would have had in a physical environment. Start the right way, and the company can save money and time in the long run.

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