Remote employment is becoming increasingly common, especially after the emergence of Covid-19, since it provides organizations with benefits such as increased productivity, fewer absenteeism, and lower attrition. The demands of remote employees differ from those of office workers, and this is true of their onboarding as well. To become familiar with the organization and get to know their coworkers and bosses, they’ll need the correct technologies, tools, and resources. Employers may lose diligent talent if the onboarding process for remote staff isn’t up to pace.
Consider these 7 ideas by recruitment consultants for improved onboarding if you want to recruit more remote workers.
1. Begin by extending a warm greeting.
After signing a contract, 11% of people change their thoughts about it. A pleasant welcome may help prospective employees feel more confident in their choice to accept your offer and set the tone for future employee involvement. Encourage other workers to reach out to them via Slack, Zoom, email, or LinkedIn, and express your excitement in having them join the firm.
Share next steps, including information on onboarding new employees. For employee onboarding, several organisations fly remote staff to the company’s headquarters. This should be communicated to new personnel well before the offer stage, and they should get information about their travel arrangements and itinerary quickly after accepting the offer. Employees who will get remote employee onboarding should also be briefed on the process.
2. Ensure that remote workers have the tools they need to do their tasks.
On their first day of work, office employees usually have a desk, chair, computer, and other accessories. Remote workers may not have a home office set up yet, therefore the employer will often offer the necessary equipment.
Consider allocating a budget for each remote worker’s home office setup. To make this process easier for your new recruits, you might want to give a list of office basics. Make sure that any equipment you provide, such as laptops, arrives before the employee’s first day on the job. You might also provide staff a recurring stipend to cover the costs of energy, internet, phone, and supplies.
3. Assign new remote employees to a buddy who is also a remote worker.
Even when you hire job recruitment agencies or recruitment consultants for remote worker onboarding, it is your duty to make sure the process is smooth.
A buddy program is an excellent technique to assist new workers in acclimating to your company. Buddies may assist new workers in learning topics like who to contact for IT assistance and how other staff interacts using technologies like Slack and Asana.
Matching your remote workers with other remote employees might be beneficial if you have a hybrid workforce. They can assist in answering inquiries pertaining to this sort of worker. For example, how to deal with everyday interruptions at home, how to utilise a VPN, and anything else specific to remote work.
4. Make your first day unforgettable.
The first day of work is critical for long-term employee engagement and retention. The day could be organised similarly to an office employee’s first day if you fly distant new employees into your company headquarters. Just make sure to include some remote-specific training, such as how to use important technologies from afar.
Consider starting the day with a virtual coffee gathering for remote onboarding. Encourage your new employee’s manager—and even their entire team—to meet via Zoom over a cup of coffee. You might make it even more memorable by having breakfast delivered or a care box sent that morning.
5. Explain your policy about working from home.
Only 43% of firms have remote work rules, despite the fact that nearly two-thirds (63%) of employers have remote workers. It’s time to make one if you don’t already have one. The hours you anticipate employees to be accessible and the kind of products remote workers can buy with their stipend may be part of your remote work policy.
During your onboarding process, review your remote work policy to ensure that your expectations are clear. You should also go through any policy-related processes, such as how to submit an expense report for office costs.
6. Make use of a checklist
A new employee checklist can assist you to make sure you don’t forget any important stages throughout the onboarding process. This is especially helpful if you have a hybrid workforce, as you don’t want to overlook a crucial step that may not be available to office workers (i.e. shipping a laptop).
Many of the usual procedures required for onboarding remote workers may be automated and streamlined with a good People Operations Platform. A spreadsheet containing the task name, assignee, and due date, at the absolute least, can help you keep track of everything.
7. Collect input from employees
Employee input is essential for creating and implementing effective HR initiatives. New hire surveys can help you figure out what you did well during your first few months on the job and where you can improve.
Include a question asking if the responder works onsite or remotely. This allows you to segment your data and find out what different groups of workers think about your onboarding campaign. It may also help you fine-tune your onboarding experiences for these two categories of workers by providing relevant feedback.
