The New Guide to Onboarding: 4 Tips to Engage and Retain New Hires Remotely
By Kate Williams, Consultant and Claire Jones, SVP
The global COVID-19 pandemic may have pressed “pause” on a number of business activities, but the movement of employees to new roles is still taking place, with many companies adopting remote working practices and encouraging those who have the ability to work virtually to do so. How can employers rethink and codify the way they deliver the new starter onboarding experience in this “new normal,” so that the people joining their organizations remotely feel welcome and can quickly become effective, without the usual environment and infrastructure to hand?
Whether joining from a new company or changing roles within their existing company to meet changing demands, new starters want to make a good impression, hit the ground running and prove their value. Line managers want to show the new team member that they have made the right choice, help them navigate the organization or their new role and make them feel welcome, settled and ready to contribute.
An employee’s induction is critical: it sets the tone for the overall employee experience, it’s key to forming new relationships and establishing connections, and it’s the most critical time to inspire and ensure alignment on vision, values and culture.
So how can managers of those who are able to shift to a virtual working environment, successfully onboard new starters when two of the most important factors in a traditional induction — a physical environment and meeting colleagues face-to-face — are absent?
Here are four simple steps you can follow that will help make the transition smooth not only for your new starter, but for your organization.
1. Start the dialogue early. Being a new starter always comes with a variety of fears, not least whether the role will be what they thought it would and whether they will get on well with their team. But there’s now additional fears: whether the permanent role they were offered is really going to be “permanent” and whether they will be able to feel part of a new team without face-to-face interaction. To assuage these fears and set the tone, start the dialogue as soon as you can: an employee’s experience starts before they even walk through the (virtual) door. By creating a communication flow between you and your new starter in the weeks before they’re due to join you can let them know what’s going on in your company and keep them informed on their upcoming role. There’s no such thing as overcommunicating during this time. Schedule a virtual coffee video call with yourself or HR, or even just send an email, to provide reassurance where you can, acknowledge the challenges and provide an opportunity for them to ask questions. This is a great chance to share your own experience of how your, or your teams’, work has had to flex and to create a safe environment for your new team member to raise concerns.
2. Streamline tech. Imagine this scenario: it’s your first day of work, but your laptop is still being prepared by IT, your mobile’s not due to arrive for 10 days, and you don’t even have a login yet. For some new starters, this is a typical day one. The only thing worse than arriving at the office to find that your technology isn’t ready, is starting your new job from home without the technology you need! Whilst remote working offers a wealth of opportunities, without the technology in place these are likely to be limited. As early as possible consider what your new starter will need, and partner with IT to set it up: equipment, software, VPN access and any necessary log-ins or accounts. Reach out to others in the organization who may already work with remote teams and draw on their insights. Talk to your new starter about their home environment: do they have space for the equipment you’re sending? Are they comfortable with inviting video-conferenced colleagues into their home? Schedule the delivery in good time and being considerate of your new starter’s schedule, and set up a tech onboarding session with IT — you don’t want their first day (or worse, first week) to be a non-event!
3. Help them feel part of the team — quickly. Meeting new colleagues and starting to build a network is one of the most important aspects of swiftly feeling part of a new team and organization. Hopefully your organization will already have video conferencing applications in use, or there are multiple, easy alternatives available. Some of the most important areas to focus on for a new starter are:
- Buddy-up: A buddy system is another great way to help a new starter feel settled, and this shouldn’t be limited to an office environment. Choose someone who they might have something in common with, and to whom they can ask the questions they might not want to ask their manager.
- Expand their network: As soon as they begin set them up with virtual meetings with everyone in their team and wider teams, those they might interact with and those you think they might get on with. Send the schedule to them before they start and explain who they are going to talk to and why, and make sure that your colleagues know too!
- Spread the word: There’s nothing worse than joining a call full of people you don’t know, only to find that they don’t know who you are or why you’re there. Make sure that all the relevant people are made aware that someone new is joining, and how they will be working with them.
- Be prepared: Whether it’s simply for the software that your company uses or more extensive inductions, all new starters will need training before they can begin to excel in their role. Compile a list of necessary and optional trainings and recommended readings so that they can fill any free moments productively from day one.
- Welcome party: Find opportunities to introduce your new starter to colleagues — at team meetings, by email, and even better if you can arrange a virtual “welcome party” to help make them feel that you’re excited to have them on board. Feel free to raise a glass as a team to toast the new starter or take a new team photo of your video call, if that fits your culture!
- Welcome gift: Giving your new starter a small gesture on their first day is a great way to make them feel welcome. In lieu of having something waiting for them on their desk, consider a gift package that could turn up on their door: a stationery set, a bunch of flowers or even a voucher sent by email can set the tone for their onboarding experience.
4. Be thorough. Working remotely means that new starters won’t have the benefit of being able to pick up on the little things or reach people as easily. Similarly, you can’t rely on visual cues to realise when they need your help. Make sure you give them all the resources they need to get their job done and give them enough of your time to walk them through it and answer questions. Rather than having one long meeting, space these out with touchpoints every day for at least a week. Having an induction meeting or two in the diary for each day will help add structure and connection in those early weeks. Let them know that you are there to answer questions and help them in any way that you can.
The induction process requires effort in order to be successful: and with remote workers, the effort is greater for line managers and for colleagues. Making time to ensure your new starter has a great experience, and being clear with your other team members on your expectations of their help and support, will ease the process for everyone. With the advancements of technology that we have at our fingertips, it has never been easier to welcome new employees into our organizations. But during these uncertain times, managers have a responsibility to ensure that their new starters can put their best foot forward and that they feel even more a part of the team than they would if they were starting in the office.
Of course, this crisis is affecting all workers, not just those who are able to work virtually. Ensuring a smooth onboarding process for essential and key workers who do have to be on site is equally critical during this time and involves a different set of considerations.
If you’d like to talk through your onboarding experience — for virtual or on-site workers — with the United Minds team, get in touch at contactus@unitedmindsglobal.com!
