Top 5 Tips for Onboarding Remote Workers

Remote work has become one of the more popular work methods since the pandemic and many companies have kept their remote working policy to allow employees more flexibility, as well as a better work life balance. Remote employees do need a little more work when it comes to the onboarding process, as they often require technology and other resources to get going in their new role! When an organization hasn't updated their onboarding process for remote employees, it can cause different types of challenges during the onboarding process.

When a new employee starts, it's crucial that they feel like they have everything they need to succeed and can get comfortable with their coworkers and leadership team from the start. In our newest edition of Scion Insights, we look at the top five tips for onboarding remote workers and how you can get your remote onboarding process set up for success!

The importance of onboarding remote workers

For people who are just starting out as a remote worker, the onboarding process is a crucial part of making them feel comfortable in their new work environment. Creating a strong onboarding process for these employees helps them feel more included and is a perfect time to showcase of the type of culture and work environment that they are getting into. Remote employees offer a very different situation from in-person orientations that many human resources professionals are used to. HR specialists must be able to utilize different tools and training techniques to create the best process for new remote hires.?

Top Tips for Effectively Onboarding Remote Workers

In this section, we will break down the top five tips on creating an effective onboarding process for remote workers. Utilize these tips for your own process!

1. Make new hires feel welcome before they start!

One of the best tips for onboarding remote workers is to make sure they feel comfortable and welcome to their new organization before they even start their new role! Many companies will send a care package to the employee before they start that includes company swag or nice small gifts to show their appreciation for their new team member. Working remotely removes the feeling of working in an office with other people and can contribute to feelings of isolation, but that doesn't mean that camaraderie can't be built without a physical office presence. In the care package, think about including other items with the company swag like a nice note from other members of their team or department welcoming them to the organization or a small gift from other employees or leadership!

2. Create an onboarding checklist.

Before you get to the remote onboarding experience, making a checklist that thoroughly outlines the topics you want to cover in the process can help your human resources team stay organized throughout the communication with the new employees. Creating an onboarding checklist for virtual employees can also help ensure that no important information is missed in your onboarding program. Include subjects like job expectations, important company policies, the organization's remote work policy, the core values of the organization, personal professional goals of the employee, as well as goals of the company and other important information!

Additionally, include things that the new employee will need for their virtual environment outside of their required technology. For example, if there's a specific remote work software or system that the employee will be utilizing, it would be helpful to include a tutorial or training session for them in the virtual onboarding process.

3. Set up meetings with people outside of their own team.

When a new employee starts a remote role, they will likely have to interact with more people within the organization outside of their own team or department. Setting up video meetings with people outside of their team or department can help them learn more about the people they work with, as well as other perspectives of the company's core values and culture. These virtual meetings can add the feeling of being included and they will feel more comfortable reaching out to other team members and company leaders when they need help.

4. Create a "Welcome" video for new hires.

Companies who create a healthy work culture often find success in building strong teams across departments. For new remote workers, seeing the reality of their company culture is so valuable. Having your teams create an introduction video can help them feel like they are more than just a part of a remote team of individuals. This also offers other employees the opportunity to create a more welcoming remote environment for their future coworkers and can be a way to increase employee engagement. Additionally, if leadership creates onboarding videos for the hiring process, it gives them a chance to go over key goals of the organization. It is an easy way to involve company leadership in the hiring process and in the remote onboarding plan.

5. Ask for feedback about the virtual employee onboarding process.

Asking remote employees for honest feedback about the remote onboarding process is one of the best ways to keep improving your processes. This can be a great way to ask the new employee if they have any additional questions or opinions about the entire onboarding process. Their feedback can be extremely valuable and helpful to help human resources determine what areas of the process need improvement. Creating a strong orientation for remote workers and future hires is the ultimate goal, so getting honest feedback about the process is crucial.

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