Onboarding — not even ‘remotely’ problematic
I’ve recently joined Farewill, and though (like most people) I’ve been working remotely for the past 12+ months, the idea of onboarding remotely was still slightly daunting. Starting at a new company is all about interacting with others and usually involves a lot of leaning across the desk to ask your new colleagues questions. In the past year I’ve got used to not having colleagues “across the desk” and have instead jumped into slack, but that has been with people I already knew, not those I’m building new relationships with. So I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much I’ve enjoyed onboarding remotely. I’ve not just thought it’s “ok”, but there are actually things which I think I would have missed if I’d gone into the office! They include the following….
Everyone is wearing digital name badges
It’s difficult to learn everyone’s names when you are being given a lot of new information and meeting new people all the time. So it’s not unusual to have those awkward moments of “is that Billie or Millie?” and spend the meeting trying awkwardly to not use their name yet still be polite! Remote onboarding solves this, as names are clearly visible so it’s just a quick hover over a profile picture or video box to give the reminder you need and save the awkwardness!
You can wear comfy slippers!
Ok, so this isn’t just about slippers and jogging bottoms but more about the fear of what to wear. Picking an outfit for your first day at a new job is daunting and time consuming. If I’d been going into the office then I probably would have spent half of the Sunday trying on everything I own, becoming increasingly worried and frustrated only to declare “I have nothing to wear!”. I’m not saying I didn’t give my first day’s outfit any thought or that I didn’t put on slightly more makeup than usual for working from home, but there’s certainly less stress when you’re only going to be seen from the waist up and not in high definition!
There’s no commute worry
We all want to be on time (ideally a little early) for our first day, and not to be hot and bothered or panicky from getting lost because you got off at the wrong bus stop or missed the office entrance. Well, there is no fear of that when your first day is from home — I’d struggle to get lost in the couple of metres between my bedroom and the spare room where my desk is!
It also meant I got a decent night’s sleep, as I wasn’t worried about missing my alarm and then missing the train etc… Farewill does a 10 am start in your first week, so I took the opportunity to go to the gym or walk the dogs each morning, which cleared my head and gave me a nice vitamin D boost. It’s something I’m trying to build a habit of, it will mean I’ll have to get up earlier (as the 10 am starts don’t last forever, though flexible working hours give me plenty of options) but I’ve found it so beneficial.
Privacy if you need it
Although building relationships and spending time with people is important in a new job, having some privacy is also important if you want to get away from things a little. I’m definitely not suggesting that if you’re struggling you should put a brave face on and pretend you are fine — but more that if you do have just a small moment of panic or feel slightly overwhelmed that you can appreciate the privacy that being at home affords you. I’ve certainly found home comforts (being able to go and cuddle my dogs for instance!) a real perk if I need 10 minutes to clear my head. I can do so without prying eyes or anyone getting concerned about me like they might if I were in the office and had a slightly confused look on my face.
These are just a few things I’ve enjoyed about onboarding remotely. I’m sure there have been others — the remote social events and budget for lunch at the fortnightly Passion Talks spring to mind, but they are more Farewill specific!
Remote onboarding post-pandemic
We all know by now that remote working is very effective, and the plans that most businesses are aiming for post-pandemic is ‘hybrid’ working, where people are given the choice as to how much time they spend in the office. But a trap I think some companies might fall into is that when someone is onboarding they will be asked to be in the office more, and might not get remote privileges until later.
I’d always thought (pre-pandemic) that those who were joining as remote workers should spend the first fortnight fully in the office, as that was the best way for them to onboard. Back then that might well have been the correct decision, but given how remote working has matured and how much more inclusive it now is, I advise against that insistence and encourage that the hybrid (or fully remote) working options should be given to all employees, in onboarding or not.
You might be thinking, but surely it makes more sense on day 1 to go into the office to get your laptop? But why? We’ve been shipping laptops for the last year, what’s to stop us from keeping doing so. Or at least offering people the option. “Would you rather do day 1 in the office or at home where you can wear your slippers?”……I know which I would choose!
