Published in: Blog

A 5 step Guide to Ensure a Smooth Onboarding Experience for Remote Employees

Author Rishfa Rumaiz

Published on: October 26, 2021

A research done by Glassdoor found that companies with a detailed onboarding process improve employee retention by 82% and increase employee productivity levels by over 70%.

Today in the post covid world, companies are hiring and onboarding almost all of their new
employees remotely. Among them are also the Generation Z, the new cohort to join any
organization, a generation that is born with a device in their hands and a screen in front of their
faces. They are comfortable with integrating both virtual and offline experiences and have high
onboarding expectations. This means that HR departments are faced with the challenge of
having to deliver an exceptional onboarding experience now more than ever.

Hence here is a quick 5 step guide that will help HR departments ace their onboarding game in the virtual world.

1. Great pre-onboarding for a great start

Great pre-onboarding ensures that new employees have a strong start, a smooth first day and are less likely to be anxious about what’s going on and what to expect in the new workplace. Unfortunately, this is something that most organisations fail to nail. Companies often ghost their new hires once they have been offered with the job until their first day at work.

Here are a few pre-onboarding steps that can set the stage for the newbies which companies put behind and execute either on the first day or the first week instead.

Send employees a personalized welcome kit with the company branding along with an employee handbook highlighting company values, code of conduct, policies etc.
Ensure that the new employees receive their laptop with the required software and tools installed beforehand to avoid any hassle later on.
Provide employees with all necessary credentials to access their email and other relevant portals.

2. First impression matters!

First days can go a long way in creating a lasting impression in the minds of new employees. Especially when they are having a remote first day at work, the HR needs to step up and deliver an energetic, engaging and seamless experience since there won’t be any physical meet or
greets.

Below are a few things companies can do to ensure that their new employees are comfortable and happy at the end of their first day at work.

Sending a personalized welcome email with a positive tone while requesting the new employee to share a self-introduction to introduce them to the entire organisation.
Providing a very clear and detailed employee orientation for remote employees to understand the organization’s culture, employee benefits etc.
Providing a virtual office tour in the form of videos, pictures or slideshows so that the new employees feel included.
Assigning a buddy for initial handholding and to keep the new employee’s anxiety levels on check.
Providing new hires with a detailed plan of action and task list for the first few weeks with a resource sheet that includes training videos, product presentations, links to refer etc.

3. It is okay to take baby steps

The first few weeks should be dedicated to familiarize the employee to the new job and to complete all initial product training. During this time the employee can start with small projects and non-crucial tasks while shadowing co-workers which will help him/her pick up things at a steady rate.

Also scheduling regular check in calls between the manager and the new employee will help ease out the initial discomfort and help fasten the onboarding process.

4. Crystal clear communication

While employees learn and adapt to the organisation in the first few weeks, it is imperative that managers set clear expectations for them. This could be done after having a discussion with the employee on what the organisation expects from them and understanding what they expect in return. It is recommended that organisations set a remote work policy that sets clear expectations from remote employees from the beginning itself.

Further, discussing appraisals and growth opportunities that employees have within the organisation will increase employee retention and nudge employees in the right direction while helping them stay focused.

5. Ongoing support for a smooth transition

Since remote onboarding is an ongoing process, companies should look for ways to provide their new employees with ongoing training. HR departments should do regular check-ins at 30- 60-90 day intervals to understand if employees have settled in with their new roles and if not to identify and provide the kind of support that they require.

HR departments should also collect constructive feedback from employees on their onboarding program and strategies to bridge any gaps identified in the future.

While remote work has its perks, it also comes with challenges like feelings of isolation especially when one is new to the organization. Therefore, it is important that organisations plan their remote onboarding strategy with the right tools and training that stretches beyond the first week in order to ensure that employees are happy and start feeling like they are part of the organisation sooner than later.