One of the things we’ve lost with remote work is in-person onboarding. Adjusting to virtual onboarding can be a challenge for any HR department. You want to make new employees feel welcome and understand their roles, but you have no one-on-one meetings to do this.
To combat this, read our guide on the ten strategies that any company can use to improve its virtual onboarding process.
1. Start with Strong Communication
The most important step in any virtual onboarding process is getting communication right. As soon as you accept new hires, start the onboarding process straight away. This begins with a clear and open line of communication.
Communicate regularly with the new hire. Before the new employee even starts their first day, make sure they know exactly what is required of them. Try to set the new team member up with their email address and provide access to any important information they need before they start working.
Make sure you are available for any pre-start questions they may have.
By establishing a clear line of communication from the start, remote onboarding becomes a lot easier.
2. Spread the Virtual Onboarding Process Out
You may want to get the onboarding process finished as soon as possible, but don’t try to cram it all into a day or two. Instead, spread remote onboarding out over a week or two. This helps the new hire digest information more easily.
A longer onboarding process is generally more effective in the long run. It allows remote employees to settle into their new routine, connect with other team members, and work at their own pace.
Introducing a longer onboarding process also benefits hiring managers. It becomes easier for them to identify any issues and make improvements if something isn’t working.
3. Include Cultural Immersion Activities
An important part of onboarding new employees is introducing them to the company culture. When it comes to virtual onboarding best practices, try to focus on getting the new employee involved with their new team members. This isn’t just to prepare them for work, but also to help them understand the overall culture of the company.
Virtual meetings for team lunches, video meet-and-greets, virtual coffee breaks, office tours, and social calls are all important. This makes remote workers feel more included in the business.
4. Make Sure New Team Members Have the Right Technology
Many companies equip employees with new equipment for remote work. If this is the case, make sure to provide this technology before the new hire’s first week starts.
Any virtual environment relies on technology. This includes hardware and software. Without this, you can’t start the virtual onboarding process and get the new hires actively involved in their role.
Ideally, the new hire should be able to just hop online and be all set up to start their first day. To make this happen, set them up with the right technology and software credentials early on. Also, make sure that your company’s IT/support team is readily available and known to the new hire.
5. Leverage Instructional Videos
Video is one of the most powerful tools in virtual onboarding. Instructional videos make it easier for new employees to understand practices. Sending videos also saves managers plenty of time during virtual onboarding.
Short instructional videos allow new employees to learn at their own pace. These videos can show employees how to do certain tasks, how business tools work, or even what the company does and how it operates. Using a free tool like Loom makes this easy.
6. Use the Buddy System
A great strategy for successful onboarding is setting the new virtual employee up with a buddy. Find another experienced employee, preferably within the new hire’s team, and make them readily available to the new hire.
The buddy is there to answer any questions, give advice on daily situations, and help new remote employees settle in. As a new employee, it’s important to have one person you can easily contact whenever you have a question.
7. Over-Communicate
Over-communicating during virtual onboarding may seem overwhelming, but it can actually put the new hire at ease. During virtual onboarding programs, make it clear what is needed from the new employee.
Over-engage with them to ensure they have the right tools and let them know that guidance is always there.
This makes new hires feel more confident and at ease. Checking in with new hires every day is important as it’s easy for them to quickly grow distant and feel isolated in a remote work environment.
8. Maintain the Human Connection
Even though you’re working remotely, it doesn’t mean you need to lose the human connection. Try to maintain a friendly, human connection during virtual onboarding. This can include things like virtual meetings to introduce the new hire to the team or a welcome email signed by all of the team members.
There may not be any in-office meet and greets, but this doesn’t mean you have to lose the human connection.
9. Use the Right Collaboration Tools
This is essential in any remote work environment. Effective project management software and communication tools make remote work easy to manage. Without them, new employees could get lost in their responsibilities and tasks very quickly.
Collaboration tools help employees understand their daily tasks and know who they work with. Some popular options include Asana or Monday.com.
10. Ask for Feedback
Onboarding employees virtually might take some time to get right. HR leaders should send out feedback surveys or questionnaires, asking employees how their onboarding process went and if they have any feedback. Use this information to improve and fine-tune onboarding with each new hire.
Conclusion
The first few weeks are often the most challenging for a new employee. This doesn’t have to be the case with the right onboarding tactics in place.
Follow these virtual onboarding strategies, and you will be able to welcome new employees and make them feel more comfortable.
With better onboarding comes more productivity and job satisfaction, which is essential for any successful recruitment process.
