Over the last 6 months we’ve seen candidates take on new roles without stepping foot in an office or meeting their employer in-person. We’ve been amazed at the flexibility and adaptability demonstrated by both candidates and clients alike.

In our follow up conversations, we have been interested in the elements that have aided the success of a “virtual” onboarding process. How have candidate’s felt joining new teams under these circumstances? What has helped new employee’s feel part of a team? How have they built relationships and understood role expectations?

Setting up for success.

Leading into the first day it’s important to ensure your employee has all the tools to start in their role. This may take a bit more planning and liaison compared to the office environment, such as checking computer hardware, connectivity, support devices as well as providing a checklist on how to keep the home environment safe and ergonomic.

Sending a Welcome Pack with goodies that help employees feel part of the team is a great touch to help them feel “at work”. To adjust for the times, you might get innovative with items that might be helpful in a work-from-home set up – work stationary, energy boosting snacks, comforter cushion, wi-fi booster anything that can make your remoter workers’ lives easier.

Contact lists, organisational charts or any guidance around managing work at home such as expectations around dress codes in client meetings, flexibility managing home-school commitments, as well as reminders around well-being and support as work and home-life collide. 

Early Introductions.

Whether new remote employees join you for a brief training period or don’t come into the office at all, it can be difficult for them to make lasting personal connections. Give them a head start by facilitating early introductions.

Introductions can be as simple as a “Get to Know You” email with fun facts about the new employee sent out or as personal as a one-on-one lunch with a manager. The more face time a new employee gets with their teammates, the better.

Regular check-ins.

You really can’t over-communicate when integrating a new member into your team. A phone call from the CEO or MD on the first day may not have been part of the onboarding process previously, but it’s a great way to extend the welcome and encouragement within the team from the very start.

Creating a schedule of one-on-one video meetings with team members to build relationships and help explain different roles in the business and what projects are underway, helps a new team member build up relationships. Junior team members won’t gain the same learning experience that they would in an office environment – observing, listening and shadowing the team around them, so extending opportunites to sit-in on senior level video meetings or scheduling regular peer catch ups are vitally important.

If you have a group of new team members starting at the same time – creating a co-hort who can meet regularly together, share the experience and feedback any concerns or new ideas as a group is also a great idea to help them feel part of the process – as it’s new territory for everyone.

Mentors.

Mentor programs and buddy systems are another way to help guide the new employee as they start in the role. Along with more formal lines of support from line managers and HR, an internal mentor and buddy can help navigate the start of a new “virtual” role and offer a more informal, relaxed point of reference for support and guidance.

Culture.

Keep the heart-beat of office culture alive with the regular weekly drinks, trivia games, quizzes or whatever brings the team together. We’ve seen some great ideas out there: Weekly trivia sessions, ISO baking contest, celebrity dress ups, share your workspace photos, Christmas in July, team yoga classes. Be conscious of how hard it is to pick up the culture of a team outside of the office environment – create opportunities to interact in an informal and friendly way.

Think about balancing the more work-based sessions with some informal chats and fun ice-breakers. If you have employees who live near each other, they can meet in person for coffee or lunch. Or you can get food delivered to two people who can share a meal “together” over video as they get to know each other.

Language.

It might seem a minor thing, but the language you use with new employees can help them settle and feel part of the future of the business. Starting a new role, particularly in these times, can come with a level of anxiety and uncertainty about the road ahead. Positive language about your employee’s role in the future of the business can help alleviate anxiety, phrases like “next year you will be working on X project”, “When you are back in the office, your desk will be next to X” can help a team member feel more positive about the future.

Onboarding new employees remotely is as much about teaching and training for the job as it is making people feel included and sharing the culture of the business. Remember that once your team’s return to the office new employee’s may need to be on-boarded again to gain their bearings and get established in the physical office space.