4 Best Practices for Onboarding Remote Employees

The goal is to set them up for success by providing everything they need to hit the ground running and make sure you’re both on the same page once their onboarding plan is complete. One way to help your new employee feel welcome is to assign them a buddy. This should be someone who’s been with the company for a while and knows the ropes. They can answer your new employee’s questions and help them feel comfortable in their new role. If you’re working with a project management tool, ensure that their accounts are already set up in advanced and they’ll have access from day one.

Getting off to a fast start to give your new colleague early comfort and confidence — making him or her feel welcome.

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“We send offer letters out through our HRIS system, which, once e-signed, triggers the onboarding and background check process.” While this does take a bit of extra work, it will pay off in both the long and short term. Your new employees will feel confident, eager, and comfortable to begin working with your team. You’ll also make them feel welcome and included, which is often challenging when working remotely.

  • Stay up-to-date on Pilot’s latest features and learn industry news on international hiring and remote work.
  • Hiring in cohorts or groups helps new remote hires feel more comfortable from day one, as they know that at least one other person is also new to the company.
  • In most cases, it would be a given that an on-site employee has all the equipment they need from the get-go.
  • Employees are most open to absorbing new ideas and information during the onboarding process.

Creating both a strong core network and a broader network across the organization will allow the executive to be more successful long-term. To do this, create a blended series of informal and formal experiences that aim to create community and build in touchpoints. 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. Instead, think of it as an opportunity to be more deliberate about things you may have taken for granted in co-located workplaces.

Best Practices for Successfully Onboarding Remote Employees

If you’ve had remote onboarding best practices onboarding a remote employee who feels disconnected or overwhelmed with new information, have no fear. We have the perfect tips for creating a positive remote onboarding experience that will seamlessly integrate new employees into the organization and get them started on the right note. All of that is likely disrupted if your company has recently moved to a work-from-home or hybrid model, which means you need to focus on creating a positive remote onboarding experience — and fast. Virtual onboarding should begin with human resources or key team leaders covering the company culture, values, mission, organizational chart, and products and services. The first step is ensuring everyone understands what’s expected of them during the remote onboarding process.

sense of belonging

Buddies should volunteer for the role, have a thorough understanding of the company and its processes and have a good reputation within the company. Learn more about how to make the onboarding experience better for remote workers. Ask the new hire for feedback about the onboarding experience to help you continuously improve your process over time. Send out a survey or hop on a video call to discuss the onboarding program’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Of employees believe that making friends is the best way to get used to a new job. Make sure your new hire understands the company’s bigger picture and how their work aligns with it. While one-on-one introductory calls are great, fitting the whole team into the first day could be exhausting. Of candidates say technology wasn’t properly configured when they started their new job.

onboarding program

Making the most of preboarding helps you focus on higher-value aspects of onboarding on the employee’s first day. Addressing any challenges that come up can quickly become time-consuming for both employees and the organization. However, good organization and strategic use of technologies, such as robotic process automation and autofill forms, can trim down the time needed to complete the steps. Have both parties check in on a set schedule and adopt an asynchronous communication style. Along with sending swag, we also recommend that you put together an agenda in your welcome packet that contains a schedule of how your new hire’s onboarding and first two weeks will go.