You would be surprised to discover that 47% of businesses struggle with onboarding because they can't access the necessary resources for new hires to start their job effectively. A study also confirmed 41% of employers believe not having a well-organized onboarding process negatively affects their company.
These statistics highlight a significant issue that many companies face. New employees are more likely to leave within the first few months if they feel they need more support and preparation.
Moreover, the lack of a structured onboarding process can lead to higher turnover rates. This constant churn can be costly for businesses. To address these challenges, we have put together an effective 20-step strategy for onboarding remote employees.
Table of Content:
What is remote onboarding?
Remote onboarding means integrating new employees into a company's culture and workflow virtually, without their physical presence in an office.
How long should a remote onboarding process take?
The duration of remote onboarding varies based on the role's complexity and the company's size. As a staffing agency, we usually recommend some general guidelines:
1. Basic Onboarding: For straightforward roles with minimal complexity, remote onboarding may take around one to two weeks.
2. Standard Onboarding: For roles needing moderate training, remote onboarding can last 2-4 weeks, covering thorough training, policy understanding, and initial tasks.
3. Comprehensive Onboarding: For complex roles, remote onboarding can take one to three months or more to ensure thorough training.
4. Ongoing Onboarding: Some companies extend onboarding beyond the initial period to provide ongoing support, feedback, and training for full productivity.
Being flexible is important because each company can adjust the onboarding process to fit the role and the company's culture.
A 20-step strategy for onboarding remote employees
Gather necessary documents and materials for onboarding:
Since onboarding means integrating a new employee into the company, having the necessary documents and materials for onboarding is essential because:
Compliance: Employers must collect certain legal documents from new hires, such as tax forms and eligibility verification documents to comply with employment laws.
Information Sharing: Sharing necessary materials ensures new hires have access to important information about your company. You want them to have everything they need at their fingertips.
Security: It also ensures that sensitive information is handled securely.
Here's a pro tip for you: Consider going the extra mile and be creative with these documents. Add a splash of personality because; First impressions are everything, even in the virtual world.
Set up their accounts and access to tools and systems:
The first few days at a new job are critical. If new hires face obstacles, it can lead to frustration and a negative impression of the company.
New hires need access to company tools and systems to start working on their tasks effectively from day one. Without access, they can’t do their job. Make sure everything is easily accessible and user-friendly. Create a resource hub if you will, where everything they need is neatly stacked.
Send a welcome package:
There’s something about the magic of a welcome package that sets the tone for the new hire’s experience with the company. According to SHRM’s 2022 Global Culture Research Report, 87% of employees who gave a negative rating to their workplace culture felt that their company didn't care about them.
A welcome kit shows that you’ve put thought into their arrival and that you’re excited to have them on board.
What should it include?
Welcome letter: A personalized letter from the CEO, HR, or their direct supervisor welcoming them to the team.
Company swag: Branded items like a mug, t-shirt, notebook, or pen. At CareerBuddy, we believe branded merchandise creates a sense of belonging in any company. So, we provide our new hires with high-quality, customized items.
Onboarding schedule: An outline of their first few days or weeks, including training sessions, meetings, and key dates.
Employee handbook: Information on company policies, procedures, and culture.
Tech and tools: Instructions on how to set up their computer, email, and other essential tools and accounts.
A welcome package might seem like a small detail, but you would be surprised to know it can turn a new hire into a loyal employee.
Virtual orientation & introductions:
Send an introductory email to the team about the new hire, including their bio, role and encourage everyone to welcome them.
Additionally, schedule a virtual meet-and-greet for team introductions with an agenda or icebreaker questions to encourage interaction.
At CareerBuddy, we usually onboard new hires on Mondays; the day we host our General All Hands Video Meetings. This way, it is easier for our new hires to see all team members' faces and feel inclusive. After welcoming the new hires and hearing from them, our CEO, Abraham Iyiola, welcomes them and gives new hires a quick brief about our culture, goals and mission. Lastly, we indulge our new hires in a fun virtual game with the team.
If applicable, consider virtual office tours via video conferencing to help new hires see the workspace and meet key team members.
Clarify expectations:
A crucial part of successful onboarding is ensuring that new hires have a clear understanding of what is expected of them in their role. Here are some key factors to inform new hires.
Schedule a meeting for the new hire and their manager to discuss job expectations and responsibilities.
Cover the job description in detail and explain how their role fits into the team and company objectives.
Establish clear and measurable KPIs, explaining success metrics, targets, deadlines, and providing examples of successful outcomes.
Outline the schedule and process for performance reviews, informing the new hire about review frequency, assessment criteria, and how to prepare.
Document all discussed expectations and share this document with the new hire for regular reference.
Provide a career roadmap:
Did you know that Nestlé, P&G, and Walmart revealed their 2024 talent retention secrets and a career roadmap is part?
A career roadmap is a plan that outlines the progression and development opportunities for an employee within the organization.
It provides new hires with a clear understanding of the career opportunities available to them in the future within your company. Without a clear path for growth, employees may become disengaged and start looking for opportunities elsewhere.
However, having a career roadmap can lead to improved performance as employees strive to meet and exceed these expectations.
Goal setting:
Goals serve as benchmarks to evaluate a new hire’s performance. Without goals, it is difficult to assess a new hire’s performance objectively.
If a new marketing manager knows their goal is to increase social media engagement by 20% in the first quarter, they have a clear target to work towards.
Establish goals to be achieved within the first 30, 60, and 90 days. Break down the short-term goals into actionable tasks with specific deadlines.
For Long-term Goals, set goals for the next 6 months to a year that focus on the new hire's professional growth and contribution to the team.
Use the SMART Goals Framework to ensure each goal is clear and specific, detailing exactly what is expected.
Create a shared document or goal-tracking tool to document goals, track progress, and note updates. This ensures transparency and accountability.
Assign buddy/mentor:
Starting a new job can be overwhelming. There are so many new faces, processes, and expectations.
Having a buddy or mentor provides new hires with a go-to person for questions, advice and support. For new hires, a buddy can also be the go-to person for the little things they might feel awkward asking their boss about.
It’s something we are very particular about when onboarding new hires at CareerBuddy, an example of a new hire who was assigned a buddy.
Choose a buddy or mentor who is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about helping others. Consider factors such as compatibility and relevant expertise in relation to the new hire's role and ensure that the buddy/mentor remains accessible to the new hire beyond the initial onboarding period.
Role-specific training:
Do they know how to use your company's project management tool or the ‘top-secret software’ only employees have access to? Probably not. You wouldn’t toss someone into a pool without first teaching them how to swim; who wants to be the reason someone drowned?
Infact, 91% of employees who receive company culture training feel connected to their workplace.
Role-specific training helps new hires understand exactly how their piece fits into the big picture. For example, if they’re joining your sales team, they should be fluent in your CRM before they even say their first “hello” to a client.
Without proper training, supervisors and colleagues will spend more time helping new hires learn on the job, diverting attention from their own tasks.
Rotational training:
What exactly is this rotational training?
During rotational training, a new hire gets to wear different hats, metaphorically speaking. One day, they may find themselves shadowing the marketing team, and the next day, they are brainstorming with the tech team.
Rotational training is carefully crafted to give new hires a holistic view of the company's operations. This helps them understand how different parts of the organization work together and how their role fits into the bigger picture.
Although Sun Hydraulics mostly hires on-site workers, they have a special way of welcoming new team members called the "manufacturing tour". Every new hire, regardless of their future role in the company, begins their journey with this tour. This unique approach helps everyone in the company understand the manufacturing side of their business.
By rotating through different departments or tasks, they may even discover new skills that they might not have been exposed to otherwise.
Create fun Slack channels:
Slack channels are a fantastic way to foster community and engagement among employees, especially for new hires. Fun Slack channels help break the ice and make it easier for new hires to interact with their colleagues.
When creating fun Slack channels, consider both work-related interests and personal hobbies.
You can create a #random channel for casual chats and funny stories, or a #shoutouts channel to celebrate achievements, birthdays, and work anniversaries.
An example of a fun Slack channel at CareerBuddy.
Lead by example. Have managers and team leaders participate in these channels to show that it’s a valued part of the company culture.
Impact projects:
Involve the new hire in a small, manageable project that has a direct impact on the company. It allows them to make a meaningful contribution to the company early on.
One of the primary benefits of involving new hires in impact projects is the sense of empowerment it provides. By assigning them a small, manageable project that directly impacts the company, new employees feel a sense of ownership and responsibility right from the start. This instills a deeper commitment to the organization's goals and values.
Regular check-ins:
Regular check-ins are meetings between new hires and their managers or HR representatives. Since new hires often have many questions, regular check-ins enable them to ask these questions and get immediate feedback.
They could be one-on-one meetings, team meetings or an informal check-in. New hires who receive feedback on their performance early on easily adjust and improve quickly.
After each check-in, sending a summary email outlining the key points discussed, any action items or the next step is advised.
Professional development:
During onboarding, evaluate the new hire's current skills and identify areas for improvement.
Then, collaborate with the new hire to design a personalized development plan that aligns with their career goals and the company's objectives.
Without proper skill development, talented employees may leave for better opportunities, and the company may fall behind competitors who invest in their workforce, affecting innovation and overall success.
Be generous enough to provide access to a library of learning resources, including books, articles, and case studies relevant to their role.
Remember to include professional development as a key component of the annual performance review process.
Feedback mechanism:
A feedback mechanism is a system through which new employees can provide and receive feedback during their onboarding period. This can include:
Surveys and Questionnaires: To gather insights from new hires about their onboarding experience
One-on-One Meetings: Regular check-ins between new hires and their managers or HR representatives
Frequent, constructive feedback helps employees grow and flourish.
Now, how do you make feedback not feel like a trip to the principal's office? Encourage managers and employees to give and receive feedback regularly. A casual “Hey, you did great on that project!” or “Next time, try doing it this way,” goes a long way. Keep it positive and constructive. Nobody wants to hear a laundry list of their faults. Balance the scales with what they're doing right.
Performance reviews:
Performance reviews provide documented feedback to employees about their work.
Without documented reviews, it becomes challenging to manage underperforming employees or justify decisions regarding promotions and terminations. This can lead to legal issues and a lack of accountability within the organization.
So, before the review, ask the new hire to complete a self-assessment; Encourage them to reflect on their achievements, challenges, and areas for improvement.
A quick tip for you: Begin the review by celebrating achievements. Did your employee ace that project? Did they bring in new clients? Did they just survive the chaotic work-from-home setup without throwing their laptop out the window? Give them the recognition they deserve.
Create a virtual "wall of fame":
Credit: Vantagecircle
Speaking of recognition and appreciation; encourage team members to submit photos, videos, or even written shoutouts showcasing their proudest moments or major milestones.
Seeing the accomplishments of others can be inspiring for new hires. When new hires see that their colleagues are celebrated for their hard work and achievements, they're more likely to feel motivated to contribute their best work to the company.
Make sure the "Wall of Fame" is easily accessible to all team members and prominently featured on the company's internal communication channels.
Recognition and appreciation:
It feels amazing when someone genuinely appreciates your hard work. A heartfelt "Thank you" or a shoutout in the team meeting can feel like winning the lottery for new hires.
Let's be honest, we all want happy, motivated employees.
So, next time you notice someone going the extra mile, don't just think it, say it! Give that shoutout, send that thank-you note, or even better, treat them to a coffee. Appreciation serves as a motivational tool.
360-degree feedback:
360-degree feedback for onboarding is a comprehensive approach to evaluating and improving the onboarding process by gathering insights from multiple perspectives.
This method involves collecting feedback from other employees or team members.
Here’s a 360 Feedback review template for asking someone about a colleague’s employee performance
Also, embrace technology. Tools like 360-degree feedback software can make the process smoother and less intimidating. These platforms allow for anonymous input, which can make a significant difference. People are more likely to be honest when they don’t fear repercussions.
Continuous support:
Treat onboarding as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. Regularly review and update the onboarding program to keep it aligned with the evolving needs of the organization and its employees.
You can do this by maintaining an up-to-date, easily accessible resource hub where the new hire can find information on anything about the company policies.
Last thing; Periodically distribute anonymous surveys to gather feedback on the new hire’s experience and the onboarding process. This feedback would help identify areas for improvement.
Final words:
By implementing this 20-step strategy for onboarding remote employees, organizations can help new hires feel valued, engaged, and capable of thriving in their roles. This ongoing commitment to their development and well-being fosters a positive work environment and contributes to higher retention rates and overall job satisfaction.