Remote Onboarding: Best Practices for Successfully Integrating Remote Hires

Remote work or onboarding was almost alien in most countries before the pandemic. There are mixed responses from employees when questioned about their preference for remote work. Some feel very productive, while others do not like working remotely. But here is what a Forbes survey uncovers:

  • 25% of the workforce confirmed that office politics affected their performance 
  • 34% of office workers expressed that disturbance from colleagues affected their efficiency
  • 28% of office workers confirmed that stress due to daily commutes negatively impacted their productivity.

A rage that flared up in 2020 is here to stay, and millennials vouch for such a working setup more than the other generations. Baby Boomers had no choice but to work from home, and most of the Gen Z populace is yet to gather a sizeable work experience to rationalise a preference. 

Having said that, with remote work opportunities, comes remote onboarding and, effective virtual employee orientation. 

 In this article, we highlight five tips for successful remote employee orientation, virtual office eco-system, and remote employee engagement. 

Research successful remote hire strategies

Hiring a candidate suitable for a role is tedious, especially for a remote set-up. Employ extensive research to ensure the candidate’s experience and skills sync with the demand of the position. Gauge the employee’s resume, conduct online interview steps, and observe body language and communication skills, to convincingly bridge the gap between the business and the talent. 

Provide the necessary equipment and network facilities

Every business needs to invest in talent in the form of infrastructure and equipment. Once selected, equip the workforce with necessary equipment like a laptop, mouse, a reliable network modem, or Wify connection to ensure smooth operation in a remote work environment. Some companies go the extra mile and provide ergonomic seating arrangements because they care for the health of their workforce. A little welcome kit would not drastically hurt the budget and encourage inspiration and positivity among the employer and the hired. 

Schedule a face-to-face webcam introduction

Sitting miles apart should not hamper the mutual connection between employees. Schedule a face-to-face webcam introduction of the new hire to help them introduce themselves to their supervisors, colleagues, and management. A small exercise like this breaks the virtual ice created by the work mode and gives HR and management a chance to gauge an employee’s spirit and work ethic well.

Provide access to a single messaging platform

With a virtual work strategy, a company enjoys the advantage of working with talent across geographies. But sometimes, communication between colleagues from different parts of the world can be challenging. To mitigate such challenges and to ensure smooth communication, companies, and HRs must provide access to a single messaging platform like Slack and Zoom. Such channels ensure the hierarchy and the employees are abreast of the business requirements and can easily delegate work and provide feedback. Seamless communication is vital for successful remote onboarding and hiring. 

Explain the work culture

Employees deserve to know a brand’s work culture which is otherwise tucked inside the handbook to be discovered later. Employees, whether working remotely or from an office, deserve to know the company culture. Company culture includes everything from how to address a boss, belief systems the company nurtures, whether the company fosters growth, rewards, recognition, and so on. 

The onboarding does not end there!

To ensure successful onboarding and to ensure employees are happily contributing, feeling valued, and adding value to the organization, bosses and HR need to e-meet with their employees regularly. Encourage them to speak up and express their opinions and concerns whenever necessary, be transparent about feedback, and explain shortcomings in performance, behaviour, or other aspects you would like to improvise upon.

Employers and employees enjoy a symbiotic relationship in the work environment, and any disruption of the dynamics, can cause attrition or hamper a smooth workflow.

The employer and employee relationship gets strengthened by the tiny steps mentioned above, and being humans, you can confirm that measured steps as above would help both achieve a collective goal of the business.