The Coronavirus pandemic has made remote hiring more common than ever before. However, just because you’ve hired someone off–site doesn’t mean you can skip the onboarding procedures. Have you thought of a strategy to onboard remote hires? If not, here are some tips for developing a successful plan.
Tips for Onboarding Remote Hires
Extend a Warm Welcome
You probably won’t be able to walk your new hire around the office or take them out to lunch. Nevertheless, you can still extend a genuine greeting. Think about small but meaningful gestures such as sending a celebratory “Welcome to Your First Day!” email and/or shipping off a care package filled with company swag.
Make Sure They Have the Right Tools
On an employee’s first day, most companies have their employees’ workstations ready to go. (Or at least they should.) Although you can’t always physically perform this task for remote workers, it’s a crucial step. After all, your new hire can’t do their job without the right tools. Come up with a plan for effectively establishing remote workspaces. You may need to perform tasks such as delivering computers and hardware, assisting employees with set-up and/or checking for adequate Internet connectivity.
Walk Them Through the Paperwork
No one likes the paperwork portion of onboarding, but it IS a necessary part of the process. Send links, handbooks, and forms to remote hires in advance. And remember to include due dates. Also, consider connecting them with someone in HR or arranging a virtual “How to Complete Your Paperwork” session. This type of support can be beneficial if they run into problems.
Provide Training and Ongoing Support
Your new remote hire may not be able to ask questions in person, but you shouldn’t expect them to figure out everything on their own. Find ways to replicate any on-site training off-site. This may include online tutorials, virtual learning, video conferences, and even old-fashioned phone calls. In addition, assign each new remote hire a mentor or onboarding buddy. So, when they DO have questions, they’ll know where to turn.
Schedule an Introductory One-on-One Meeting
One of the most challenging parts of being remote is a feeling of disconnect from the rest of the team. Research suggests having any new employee meet one-on-one with a manager in their first week has long-lasting positive effects. (Harvard Business Review, 2018) And this meeting can have an even greater impact for those working off-site. During this introductory conversation, managers have an opportunity to create a sense of belonging, to highlight company culture as well as to begin the process of setting short- and long-term goals.
Are You Looking to Add Remote Hires to Your Team?
Halpin Staffing Services is a full-service staffing agency serving Southeastern Wisconsin and Northeastern Illinois. Our expert recruiters can assist you in finding reliable workers who can get the job done both off and on-site. Learn more about all the staffing solutions Halpin has to offer today!
