February 22nd, 2022
Employer Tips for Recruiting and Onboarding Remote Employees
In March 2020, we saw companies worldwide respond to government orders to switch to remote work. And as we are reaching the third year of the pandemic, virtual onboarding is no longer a novel concept. Even so, not all companies have mastered the art of running a successful onboarding program. For this reason, the team at PrideStaff has gathered ten tips for hiring and onboarding remote employees.
What Is Remote Onboarding?
Onboarding remote employees aims to get new staff accustomed to the company culture, team members, roles, and fit into the overall business goal. All this happens virtually. Remote onboarding can take a formal or informal approach. Often, it is helpful to adopt both styles.
Formal onboarding typically entails workshops, exercises, and training. In comparison, the informal process is less strict and may involve having another employee show you the ropes and impromptu coaching.
Why Is Onboarding Remote Employees Critical?
During the remote onboarding process, your new staff uses this time to observe the company’s policies and practices to gauge whether working for you is the best decision. Moreover, this remote employee will be interacting with other team members and learning about the company’s expectations.
Remember, this process is more delicate than face-to-face onboarding. For instance, informal onboarding would be much easier over team lunches or walking into a colleague’s office to express concerns or throw in “a quick question.”
If an onboarding experience doesn’t meet expectations, it might make the new hire feel left out and thereby challenging for individuals to express themselves during virtual meetings. If done correctly, onboarding remote employees will improve productivity and boost retention rates.
Ten Tips for Hiring and Onboarding Remote Employees
1. Pay greater attention to the job description
Determine the clear responsibilities for the new remote hire. Setting these expectations guides hiring managers, ensuring they pick the candidate with the relevant skillset.
2. Connect with the new hire before the actual start date
One way to make new employees feel included is to engage them before their official joining date. Send all necessary paperwork and be prepared to answer questions. It’s also an excellent idea to share the company manual to help them understand the company rules.
3. Set up equipment
Preparing the new hire’s technology setup is another way to successfully onboard employees. Arrange for a sitting with the IT team for help in using the videoconferencing platform or gain access to the company’s server.
4. Explain the big picture
It is crucial to set up an orientation session explaining the company’s culture, mission, values, and vision. Understanding how their role fits into the big picture provides a sense of purpose. It also helps your new staff achieve some quick wins, which is especially important within the first 100 days.
Even though the employee’s role might evolve over the long term, onboarding remote employees creates the needed foundation, ensuring employee success.
5. Connect new hires with existing team members
Helping the new hire connect with the other remote team members is essential for a successful onboarding experience. We recommend setting a virtual introductory meeting. Afterward, it would be helpful to have check-ins every two weeks.
6. Train them
While your new hire presents a great skillset, they might require to fill knowledge gaps. Plus, they may not be familiar with your company’s systems or tools. It’s essential to train your new remote workers and ask for feedback.
7. Help employees establish strong relationships
Remote working doesn’t build organic human connections like company events, or hallways interactions do. For this reason, you must be intentional by planning informal and formal interactions for the new hire and other members across the organization.
These formal interactions could cover company rules and business objectives. Consider having the new hire present in group discussions to build trust with other individuals.
It would also help to appoint an onboarding liaison. Remember, the new hire won’t have people around the office to ask questions. This onboarding liaison will help the new employee open up better.
8. Cater to different learning types
Team leaders must remember that everyone takes in information differently, listening while others watch. Your onboarding program must bear this in mind to cater to the various learning types. Doing so guarantees the new employees feel included and take in the message.
9. “Humanize” the onboarding program
Some companies like Vyond request employees to create introductory videos to share their interests with the new team members. For Vyond, this approach has helped “humanize” the onboarding program by making staff more relatable, thereby boosting connections.
10. Inform them about key stakeholders
Building a broad network is excellent. Establishing a relationship with key stakeholders is even better. We recommend providing your new hire with a list of top stakeholders, highlighting their importance, and facilitating one-on-ones.
Successful Remote Hiring and Onboarding With the Help of PrideStaff
Remote hiring and onboarding aren’t as straightforward as the face-to-face process. To succeed, you must be willing to update your onboarding process to cater to the remote environment. Also, note that your internal hiring managers might not always be conversant with remote work hiring trends and onboarding. Therefore, partnering with an experienced employment agency can make all the difference.
Leading a remote workforce can be challenging. It would be best if a team of professionals trained your new employees to ensure successful work-from-home. PrideStaff staffing agency has helped companies adopt remote working best practices that have led to better productivity.
We also provide call center, along with administrative and clerical staffing services. Let us help you run a successful remote team. Contact us at 754.800.2850 to book a free consultation today.