How To Have An Engaging Employee Onboarding Experience When Remote

After hiring a new employee, you want that person to feel confident and ready to make a contribution to your organization. An effective on-boarding process will help them build the relationships needed to be successful and feel ready to jump in. But how do you onboard new employees that work 100% remotely? The process of on-boarding a new employee can make or break that person’s – and your team’s – success. New hires can feel disconnected at a remote first company, especially during the pandemic. This article dives into what can be done to keep employees engaged.

1. Start with pre-boarding. One way to help new hires feel welcomed and less overwhelmed is to send them a “pre” on-boarding package. This might include everything from a welcome email to some company swag. Let them know who their team members are, who they will be reporting to, and who they should reach out to if they have any questions.

2. Don’t overload people with information. The average new hire has 54 activities to complete during their on-boarding experience - which is certainly enough to overwhelm anyone. You will win your employee’s trust if you use effective digital tools to streamline the number of required tasks.

3. Have a training plan ready. Having a firm training plan ready to go can help new hires stay on task and ensure you’re not missing any important steps while on-boarding. It also helps you stay on top of expectations so both you and your new hire can make sure you’re on the right path.

4. Create a checklist with goals for the first week. Set SMART goals for your new hires. When important milestones are hit, announce it in a Slack channel with the team! Seeing the rest of the team celebrate their achievements will make remote employees feel more included.

5. Schedule check-ins with new hires. It’s easy to forget about your new hires as you go on with your busy day. Schedule some time every day or week to check in with them to ensure they have everything they need and that their questions are being answered.

6. Set up a buddy program. The use of a buddy system may accelerate the productivity of new hires and enhance job satisfaction making it easier for employers to retain individuals. Pair new hires up with seasoned vets to even the score.

For the first few weeks, it’s important to focus on human interaction and the relationship-building aspect of work – and to be there for your team now more than ever. Good luck with your remote onboarding improvements!