Most of us have become accustomed to working remotely over the past few years. Critical internal processes such as performance reviews, recruiting, and training have become a regular part of business operations.

An excellent remote onboarding process can help your new team members smoothly transition into their new roles and set them up for long-term success.

Whether you already have a process in place or want to review your current remote onboarding processes, below are some tried and tested tips. Managers can adopt best practices to improve their new hires’ engagement and productivity.

Step 1: Be Prepared and Lay the Groundwork

Preparation is key to ensuring the smooth integration of new hires, and even more so when they are working remotely. Here we look at several elements of onboarding that benefit from a little upfront planning:

Set-up Tools and Software

Organising any IT tools the employee will need before their start date, means you can ensure that they are up and running on day one. If appropriate, consider providing new hires with advanced access to the software and applications so they can log in and familiarise themselves with the tools if they prefer to do so. You may also wish to include them in email updates and team video calls before their official start date to help ease their way into the organisation and keep them informed about key projects and tasks.

Gather the Necessary Documents and Signatures

When onboarding employees virtually, it can be useful to provide them with soft copies of all company policies, procedures, and forms (in addition to the employment contract) that can be electronically signed using e-signature tools such as DocuSign or Adobe Sign.

Create a Comprehensive Onboarding Schedule

You’ll no doubt have clear schedules mapped out for the first week of onboarding, spanning everything from casual team introductions and goal-setting meetings to formal training sessions. By sharing these with your new hire the week prior to their start date (or attaching them to the welcome email), they can plan their time and prepare for what can be (for some) a daunting introduction to a new organisation and role.

Send Over a Welcome Letter

Whether it comes from the CEO or their direct manager, sending a welcome email can help the new hire feel like part of the team and set the tone for the coming weeks.

A good welcome letter should include:

A personal greeting expressing that you’re looking forward to them coming aboard
Any important information they need to know, such as the start date and what they’ll need for their first day (e.g. bank account details, TFN number, tax code etc)
Expectations for the first week
Key documents such as company policies and the onboarding schedule

Step 2: Keep it Focused and Manageable on Day One

It can be very tempting to cram multiple presentations and introductions into day one. Many of us will have memories of starting a new job and throwing back the coffee as we struggled with the information overload. Focusing on a few video sessions on your chosen platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts), and allowing breaks between each one, will create a more manageable pace for everyone.

Keep in mind that staying focused during long presentations can be difficult, so aim to keep the sessions as engaging and interactive as possible.

Here are some topics and areas that you could cover on day one of remote onboarding:

An overview of your organisation: its history, mission, values, people and culture.
A casual introduction to key team members they will be working with closely (to avoid overwhelming them with names and faces on the first day, keep the introductions to a select few)
A presentation on company policies, procedures, employee benefits and any WHS requirements by your HR manager. Any outstanding forms could be covered off in this session, too.
A role-specific session by the hiring manager outlining job expectations, individual and team goals, project in the pipeline and timeframes and the schedule outline for the rest of the week.

Each presentation should allow time for Q&A so new hires can seek clarification and feel confident that they have all the information they need.

Step 3: Execute Your Onboarding Schedule

The rest of week one provides time to roll out more introductions, as well as organise training and regular catchups with your new hire. All these elements can promote a sense of shared purpose and belonging among employees when working remotely.

Organise Additional Meetings

As well as introducing new employees to some key players on day one, it is important to organise virtual meetings with other people whom they will be working with. You may choose to opt for one-on-one calls or small group video conferences spread over the first few weeks. Informal sessions, such as virtual coffee catchups or discussions over virtual evening drinks, are also great for introductions and light knowledge transfer sessions.

Maintain Regular Communication

Communication at the individual and team level will help to settle new hires into their role. Hiring managers may find it useful to overcommunicate in the first few weeks by checking in daily to see how new hires are progressing. Consider inviting them to contact you directly by instant messenger or call if they have questions about their work or any concerns. This will provide them with the confidence to speak out, and provide you with a chance to swiftly resolve any issues. You may also want to assign them a buddy within the team or organisation – someone who can give them the unofficial scoop and act as a go-to whenever they’re unsure.

Now is a good time to ensure you are holding weekly virtual team meetings, where you can provide everyone, not just new hires, with information on upcoming projects, current progress, and company developments. By following these sessions with short individual reviews, you will ensure that all team members are on the same page and provide an opportunity for development advice and feedback.

Deliver Training Flexibly and Resources

All new hires need training in certain areas to get them up to speed in their new role. Many will no doubt be familiar with online training. By providing employees who are working remotely with access to a variety of resources, including video tutorials, documents, infographics and interactive courses, you can make this part of the onboarding process interesting and informative.

Don’t forget to send all training materials to the employees following a session so they have something to refer to at a later date.

Summary

Onboarding virtually may be a bit more challenging than doing it in person, but with careful planning, a structured approach, and strong communication, it can be a positive experience for all involved.

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