Published on : 3rd November 2020
How to nail your remote onboarding
Find out the most common mistakes companies are making with remote on-boarding
The move to remote working has been evident in some sectors for some years. Now due to Covid 19, this has accelerated at lightning speed across many businesses and is now truly business-critical.
At Vine Resources, recruitment is our reason for being and the new starter process (onboarding) is close to our heart. We have been talking to many companies about the forced move to remote on-boarding and are seeing how many companies are getting it wrong.
We are sure you have got it right, but read on to check!
Cut the monotony!
Let's face it, many onboarding processes can be quite boring. Moving to a remote approach gives you the ideal opportunity to have a revamp and make it more engaging and fun! Quizzes, rankings, competitions and surveys can be incorporated online more easily than ever before and should be part of the process to make it more human, fun and engaging.
Low engagement
It is essential to keep in touch now your employees are remote. Many new starters will miss the chance to socialise in the office, have a physical 'buddy' and soon feel like they are missing out on the company culture. Oh yes, and the office chatterbox!
It is a good idea to assign a 'buddy' and they can keep in contact remotely on a 1:2:1 basis. This will give them the opportunity to ask questions they would not want to raise with their boss or team members (and give them a chance to have the all-important moan on occasion!)
Poor support
Don't forget, if you expect them to work from home and be productive, they need the right tools and equipment. Even if they already have a laptop, they may need a larger (or additional) screen, a display stand, a suitable chair etc, Security is a consideration for many companies and provision for your VPNs, tokens etc to ensure secure access is paramount.
Many companies have an employee intranet, online training and cloud storage for central files and documents. It is essential that remote sessions are set up to ensure they are familiar with and can find their way around these systems.
In addition to 'tech' support, they may need training in the new technology that is used to support remote communication. Microsoft Teams and Zoom have become pervasive and they need to be comfortable using them and have full access to them.
The well-being of your team is critical and this starts with the physical environment. Encourage them to make sure they take a physical break for lunch and take it away from the desk. Being outside is a great idea and this could include a quick stroll (if they can and if the weather is ok!).
Feelings of isolation
Whilst working from home has its benefits, 'cabin fever' can soon set in. The boundaries been work and home can become blurred and as a new starter with no established relationships, the feeling of isolation can soon be exaggerated.
You may have to increase the frequency of reaching out - and not necessarily to check about work. Don't forget the different channels, maybe a 'how's it going' message via WhatsApp might work or a Friday - 'what are your plans for the weekend?' will help.
Make it social!
'All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy' - How true! Social interactions are a huge part of office life - which has now largely gone. It is still important to maintain the social element of work life. Team 'catch ups' are a great way to keep the team bonding in place. In addition, maybe a short 'Happy hour' video call on a Friday where work is banned from the conversation is worth a try!
Poor company culture
Being remote means you have to work harder than ever to maintain your company culture. Things are more likely to go wrong at distance and difficulties are exaggerated. There is no better time to reinforce things like 'the there is no such question as a stupid question' an 'open door' policy and to reinforce a 'no blame' policy. Everybody has different styles of working, learning and delivering. Your patience and support will be one of your most important qualities with this new way of working.
Poor motivation
Starting a new job can be daunting, even more so with more limited opportunities to 'put names to faces' in the flesh. Everybody is motivated by progress and success so establishing goals and monitors progress to those goals is key. Checklists, reviews and frequent communication have never been more important in these challenging times.
We hope the above will help make sure your new starters are happy and productive in no time!