You can’t expect your new hires to remember everything about the company in just one sitting. Hence, they must always have access to important documents and information about the organization. Other tools to consider are video conferencing tools, e-signing tools, applicant tracking systems, helpdesk software, and more.

This will mean that both new hires and HR are prepared and equipped ready for the start date. Typically, teammates meet new team members on their first day in the office. The new hire spends a few minutes in each breakout room getting to know the small groups better. He’s also testing out meeting pods where the new hire joins two new colleagues for an informal chat. “That way there’s less pressure and more interaction,” Czar explained. “Don’t put pressure on them to attend if their schedule doesn’t allow for it.

Make e-signing more accessible

Introduce them to the collaboration software and, most importantly, introduce them to the team via shared group chatrooms and video chat spaces. That feeling of connection is essential for a strong and coordinated remote or hybrid team. Team inclusion also prevents remote team members from feeling or becoming isolated. Your online platforms are critical for both remote work and remote onboarding. Whether you have an all-remote or mixed hybrid team, everyone shares the same online platforms for paperwork, project collaboration, and communication.

Flexible working arrangements have become increasingly popular, with remote work emerging as a leading option for employees seeking greater work-life balance. This flexible working model allows employees to work some or all of their time from home or another non-traditional workspace. When you’re ready to get remote onboarding right, you can trust Click to deliver.

The genesis of remote onboarding best practices

In order to position them to be successful, share with new employees the best practices for remote work. In order to make them feel heard, frequently ask for their constructive feedback and find ways to enhance the onboarding process for future employees. For the purpose of employee satisfaction, it’s important to know firsthand what worked well and what could be improved. And, by the employer demonstrating a genuine effort to evolve based on feedback, employees are more likely to refer potential candidates in the future.

• After all, employees can’t attend in-person presentations or hand over signed forms.
• The key to efficiently onboarding remote employees is to create a detailed onboarding plan.
• Many onboarding activities can be done on a smartphone, the device most new hires already have.
• Next, ensure that the employee has received a final offer letter and signed an up-to-date contract.
• Speaking of audits, you need to consider how your remote onboarding software will hold up to audits and security regulations.
• Establish a clear line of communication with whom tech difficulties should be addressed.

I-9 auditors are very comfortable using digital tools to audit companies, and you’ll probably prefer digital tools over keeping loads of filing cabinets in a physical space. At WorkBright, we get several questions about how remote onboarding works, especially with Form I-9. The I-9 has historically been a barrier for many companies wanting to go remote. How do you verify I9 remote and get Section 2 of the I-9 signed on time? Covered in the book for example, you could use a remote authorized representative to sign Section 2 for you.

Virtual Onboarding Best Practices for Brilliant First Days

Remember, the outcome of any successful remote onboarding process should be to make the new employee feel like they are part of the team. Try incorporating the welcome video into one of the early stages of the onboarding process. Better yet, make the majority of your training done by videos via training webinars where you can release pre-recorded or live training for your remote employees. Setting your new employee up for meaningful relationships with their coworkers during remote onboarding can have a lasting impact on their entire careers. One way to be thorough about this is by encouraging new employees to schedule brief one-on-one sessions to get to know each team member personally. Remote workers will need to have the proper technology for remote onboarding.

As long as you pair a remote authorized representative with an excellent audit trail, your business should be able to withstand any audit thrown your way. For best practices in remote onboarding, be sure to incorporate live webinar training sessions to get their questions answered in real-time. It can be overwhelming for new hires to complete all the training at once.

Any new employee will and should have endless questions, and the last thing you want is having them feel uncertain about who to ask. Ideally, the onboarding liaison will proactively reach out to the new employee prior to the first day and establish themselves as the new individual’s go-to person. Use these resources for remote employee onboarding https://remotemode.net/blog/10-best-remote-onboarding-practices-to-adopt/ to set your new hires up for success and helping them to avoid feeling isolated or cut off from the team or any support. Start orientation with IT set up early on to get your new team members their passwords and access right off the bat. Remote employees have gone from being the exception to becoming a major part of the workforce.

Additionally, how you supervise them during the onboarding phase will set the tone for their future work. Independent working is fundamental for remote workers, so fostering such skills is important. Fortunately, a well-planned virtual onboarding program can address these questions and more. The increase in remote work brought by the COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to rethink their recruitment and onboarding strategies. And as the world enters post-pandemic, 71% of HR professionals still plan to use virtual onboarding for their new hires. You can do this by providing opportunities for them to bond with the rest of their co-workers.

With remote working, we can’t always keep an eye on what people are doing—and that’s okay. There has to be a real element of trust between people managers and their remote employees. Help remote team members develop routines and realistic schedules that work for both of you. When they know what’s expected, they’ll be more inclined to give themselves room to recharge. In the weeks after onboarding, check in with them frequently and ask how they’re feeling about the job and their work-life balance. It’s essential that companies don’t just fall back on traditional onboarding practices.

Experienced HR teams are well-aware of the sheer amount of new hire paperwork involved with onboarding new employees. To make it easier, many employers are shifting the onboarding process from an in-person function to a remote environment. Make sure that you provide remote employees with enough opportunities to learn from each other.

Plan a welcoming virtual happy hour

Other than these essentials, it is a great idea to send out company gifts and merchandise such as a mug, stationary, tea/coffee and snacks. Companies with a strong onboarding process improve employee retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. Company culture refers to the collective beliefs, attitudes, and values that characterize an organization. Getting new hires acquainted with your company’s culture ASAP helps them contribute to your success faster. Onboarding that emphasizes culture can help foster a feeling of belonging and avoid feelings of isolation going forward.