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14 Effective Tips For Onboarding Remote Employees

Forbes Human Resources Council

As remote work allows employers to see benefits such as greater productivity, lower absenteeism and decreased turnover, it is becoming a more widespread practice, especially after the outbreak of Covid-19. Remote workers have different needs than office workers, and this applies to their onboarding as well. They'll need the right technology, tools and resources to become familiar with the company and to get to know their co-workers and managers. If the onboarding process for remote employees isn't up to par, employers could risk losing hardworking talent.

Refining your onboarding process for the remote workforce is imperative as more and more employees are demanding work-from-home schedules. Get some tips on effectively onboarding remote employees from the members of Forbes Human Resources Council.

1. Send A Welcome Package

Consider sending a welcome package, hosting a virtual lunch during their first day and asking them what would make them optimally successful in their new role. Or, ask teammates to record welcome messages or videos and send them to the new employee’s inbox on day one. - Megan McCann, McCann Partners

2. Recreate In-Office Experiences Virtually

Think about all of the small personal touches employees would usually experience in the office and bring them to life. Setup virtual meet-and-greets without the manager. Announce them to the organization on your organization's staff calls to give them some face time. Lastly, consider giving them a peer mentor as a friend at work on day one. - Jacqlyn Nedvin, Autism Speaks Inc.


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3. Prioritize The Onboarding Basics

Focus on the basics of the onboarding experience: timely follow-ups, near-constant availability to answer questions, properly set expectations with new hires throughout the process and invest in technology that creates an immersive new hire candidate experience. This will allow the new hire to experience the company’s culture and work dynamically without having to physically be in the office. - Ed Barrientos, Brazen Technologies

4. Help New Hires Build Connections

We need to go beyond "onboarding" (which is really an admin and tech set-up) to think about an "integration process." This type of program helps new hires assimilate into the work culture and build meaningful relationships with key stakeholders. Especially in a remote world, you need to be deliberate about creating opportunities for new hires to build connections and communicate with their colleagues. - Monica Bua, Morgan Samuels

5. Host Virtual Lunches

For new hires, we organize a virtual lunch with their managers and HR. We send everyone a $20 Grubhub gift card and use this meeting to get to know each other outside of what was on the resume. We ask questions like, "If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would that be?" We may also play two truths and a lie. It makes such a difference in our onboarding! - Kayti Patterson, Xenter, Inc.

6. Don't Be Afraid To Have Fun

I'm a fan of live and interactive virtual onboarding: playing games, telling stories and mixing formality with informal chat. The first 90 days are critical for a new hire's entry into an organization and one of the most strategic program designs HR oversees. The onboarding process should not be robotic and should allow time for socializing and learning, which bridges the gap between engagement and assimilation. - Nakisha Griffin, Ripple Effect

7. Provide A List Of Key Stakeholders

Hiring managers should create a curated list of the top stakeholders the person will be working with within their new role and share relevant context with the new hire. Why is this person important to meet with? How will they work together in the future? Establishing top stakeholders from day one and encouraging (or setting up) meet and greets accelerates onboarding, remote or not. - Lindsay Putzer

8. Have Current Employees Create Introduction Videos

As part of our onboarding process, we ask employees to create introduction videos like this one to introduce themselves and share their interests and experiences with new colleagues. Hearing employees talk about their lives outside of work makes them more relatable and helps to humanize the onboarding process and foster personal connections with colleagues, even while many are still joining remotely. - Jeniffer Strub, Vyond

9. Assign A Culture Mentor

Ensure that the new hire has a team of mentors. It's especially important to designate a culture mentor. The culture mentor can help to make both spoken and unspoken aspects of organizational culture explicit to the new team member. They can also demystify and explain norms that exist within the in-person mode of work, as well as the virtual setting. - Courtney Peterson, Sidwell Friends School

10. Pair The New Hire With A Buddy

Assign buddies to help new hires navigate the culture by mentoring and coaching them in their roles. In addition, plan events that mix training, internal networking and team building. Host a welcome lunch, happy hour or team meeting for new employees. Ice breakers for sharing team inside jokes or employees' favorite part of the culture give new hires an inside scoop on their new team. - Leigh Yanocha, Knopman Marks Financial Training

11. Invest In Human Capital Management Technology

Invest in modern, smart HCM tech that helps humanize the remote onboarding experience. Particularly in a remote or hybrid model, everyone will benefit, especially the employee, since it will help them engage with the culture, connect with their team and feel supported. Also, consider recreating an in-person experience in a virtual world, like sending a coffee and muffin on their first day. - Susan Tohyama, Ceridian

12. Cater To All Learning Types

Different people learn in different ways. Some learn by seeing, some by hearing, some by reading and writing and some by doing. Whether onboarding is done in person or virtually, companies should ensure their process caters to all learning types. By doing so, employers can feel confident that their message is reaching all new hires, helping them feel welcomed and included in the company culture. - John Feldmann, Insperity

13. Build A Community

Focus on building community and fostering human connections. We do this in a number of ways, like creating Slack channels for cohorts of new hires to ask questions and get to know each other. Likewise, we offer group volunteer opportunities, helping new hires do good in their local communities while building a sense of community inside our organization. - Kristina Johnson, Okta

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