Last week we covered the basics of remote interviewing: how to get set up, find the right tools, and respond quickly to your candidates. Now that we have a handle on that process, let’s move to something a little more challenging. 

Onboarding is the process of integrating a new employee into the team, informing them of policy and procedure, and making sure they have open lines of communication in case of questions. Per Miro.com: “companies that have effective onboarding processes in place achieve 2.5 times more revenue growth and 1.9 times the profit margin compared to organizations with poor onboarding strategies”.  

Remote onboarding is the same process, but accomplished entirely online. Some of the challenges are very similar, if not the same, as in-person onboarding, while some are very different and require novel approaches. Let’s take a look at the basic steps involved in providing a fantastic onboarding experience for your new remote team member. 

Prepare

Preparation is key to providing a good first few days for your new hire. If they have to wait idly while you scramble to get documents ready, schedule their meet and greets, and provide their software logins, they are going to be bored and dissatisfied – a terrible way to start their new position.  

Instead, make sure that all documents are not only electronic and compiled in one place, but ready to be electronically signed by the employee, if necessary. Ensure login information is in one place, correct, and accessible. Create a schedule for your new employee that involves appropriate amounts of introductions to their new team members, any necessary training, and down time to get used to their new hardware and software and log in to email, Slack, etc. Most importantly, make sure they have an accessible line of communication with the person they will be relying on to guide them through their first few days. 

Welcome Them 

Send the new employee some company swag, make sure they have multiple people from their new team popping online to say hello, and make sure they are okay voicing any concerns or complications. The last thing you want is for your newest team member to feel isolated, anxious, or lonely. 

Involvement 

Different people require differing levels of involvement in the onboarding and/or learning process and one of the perks of being remote is flexibility for those needs. Someone who has never worked remotely before may need a bit more guidance than someone who is accustomed to the process and has used many of the tools already. Understand where your new hire is on this spectrum and step up to the needed level of support. 

Provide Projects 

New team members often feel like they are doing nothing productive the first few days except waiting for Zoom calls, mostly because there isn’t much of anything to do. The are not yet involved with customers, active in groups, or working on projects.

Give your new hire something to do by including them in existing projects, or even giving them a solo project to work on, besides filling out health insurance paperwork. Even if they don’t understand 100% of what they’re working on, it’s a great opportunity for them to learn and ask questions.  

Feedback 

Lastly, you need to know how you, and the rest of the onboarding team, did with the process. Ask your new hire(s) to go into detail on their experience – both the good and the bad! It’s imperative they are able to do so with no judgment or retaliation from the rest of the team, so the answers should be documented for future improvements, but not directly attributed to that specific employee. 

Onboarding a new employee remotely takes a little more preparation and organization than doing so in-person. You can’t give this newly hired person a tour of the office, or do walk-by introductions, so meetings have to be scheduled in advance and accommodate for others’ schedules. Supplies need to be mailed in advance of the start date, and logins and paperwork must be electronic and all in one place. 

When in doubt, ask the new employee what they would like to learn or do next, or ask how you can improve their experience. They know better than anyone! 

Managing a remote team requires a huge amount of trust that you’ve hired the right person for the job – something that should not be taken lightly. If you’re experiencing challenges sourcing, interviewing, or onboarding people for your remote positions, Skywalk Group can help! Contact us for more information.  

By Jessica Palmer