How to give your new employee the best possible remote boarding experience!

The most crucial part of a remote employee’s onboarding process is the ability to connect directly with their new team and more importantly, their line manager as quickly as possible – to do that well and to execute a flawless process takes some good preparation.

Here are some key tips to building a strategy that can give your new employee the best possible experience in their new job.

BEFORE DAY 1

Set up a virtual team meeting: 

Schedule a meeting for all of the team to meet the new hire via video conferencing. The most challenging part of starting a new job remotely is feeling isolated from the rest of the team due to lack of interaction. Make it fun and interactive – Possibly create an icebreaker activity that allows everyone to participate and learn more about each other both professionally and personally.

Set up an HR Call: 

Connect your new hire to the HR contact that they can reach out to with questions or queries relating to their onboarding.

Create a checklist of needed technology: 

What will your new hire need to do their job?

• Laptop
• Power Cord
• Printer
• Additional technology

Be clear on how to use communication tools: 

Get the new hire set up on video, phone, instant messaging apps and any other tools your business uses. 

Conduct a laptop practice run: 

Schedule a time for IT support to walk your new employee through logging into their systems and make sure that there is no issues.

Map out the new hire’s first full week: 

New employee’s should be given a schedule of what they will be doing throughout their first week. Whether it is 1 on 1 meetings, training sessions or virtual job shadowing providing them with a plan is always a good idea.

DAY 1

Now that your new hire can use their systems and has met all of the team (Albeit virtually), they are ready for work. The most important step is for management to be very clear on expectations.

Set up a meeting first thing: 

This meeting will be to set expectations for the next 90 days. Your new employee should also be provided with their mapped out schedule for the first week.

Schedule 1 on 1 video meetings for each of your team members to interact individually with the new hire: 

Connections to teammates will help the new hire assimilate quickly and understand what the expectations are in their new role.

Daily meeting cadence: 

Begin and end each day with a video meeting. This time is to be used to recap the day, identify any challenges that you employee faced and to also celebrate success.

Set up training courses: 

Provide your new hire with the schedule of training that will be required and how it will be conducted.

End of day 1: 

Schedule a one-on-one video call with your new employee at the end of their first day to welcome them to the business & answer any questions they might have. At the end of the week, be sure to have a follow up call directly with them as well. These steps will help build a sense of belonging for the new hire and give you an opportunity to learn more about the person as an individual – not just as an employee.

AFTER 1ST WEEK

• Continue to meet regularly to review projects and activities
• Provide honest and clear feedback based on their results
• Don’t stop training – technology can create better learning environments to interactive sessions
• Create their personal success plan – let your new employee know what your expectations are and what success looks like

INSTILL COMPANY CULTURE

Employee’s working remotely can feel left out of meaningful team activities and impromptu meetings. Create opportunities for your new hire to develop across departmental relationships and feel connected to the entire business. Also, give the new hire the opportunity to become embedded with the team either with virtual coffee breaks or group chat.