Employee on boarding and induction sets the tone for an employee’s experience with your company. On boarding remote employees isn’t something we are necessarily used to, but we need to make sure they have the best experience possible, no matter where they are.
Over the coming weeks and months many employers will find themselves in this fairly unique position of on boarding a member of staff remotely rather than in person. Here are five clear steps to on boarding a new employee remotely:
1. Start early
The process of on boarding actually begins with the recruitment process, particularly when it comes to remote workers. Set out clear expectations of the role, hours of work, any boundaries around routine and how you would expect to be updated. Ensure perspective employees are aware of what is expected from them.
2. Get employees online
With the pre-boarding phase complete, make sure that your new employee is set up to work remotely. Are you going to provide them with a work laptop and phone or will they need to source this themselves? It’s important to be clear on details like this from the outset. Start orientation with IT set up early on to get your new team members their passwords and access right from the off.
3. Create a sense of belonging
It is common for new remote employees to feel isolated and unsure of where to turn to for feedback, questions, and checking in. Assigning a colleague to them, who they can go to with any questions can help a new employee settle in quickly.
4. Provide a personalised remote on boarding plan with video check-ins
It is always good practice to check in with a new starter regularly, but this is even more important when on boarding someone remotely. Remote employees look forward to concrete goals and an opportunity for one-on-one face time with their manager. It is important to strike a balance between creating clear lines of open communication and making someone feel like they are being micro-managed, even from a distance. For the first week or so, a check-in once a day is a must but this can be reduced over the following weeks, particularly as your new employee gets to know their colleagues and opens up further lines of communication over projects and priorities. It is also important that induction training is varied.
5. Feedback on performance
The probation process still performs the same function in terms of allowing both sides to decide whether the role is a good fit and that the new starter is meeting expectations. However, clearly you may need to adjust some expectations or make allowances around certain elements of the role given the unusual remote set up and the fact that training or shadowing can be made more difficult through being remote. It is also a good idea to get feedback on the on boarding programme overall from your new recruit. You can then put any feedback back into the process when you on board your next new starter remotely.
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If you would like to know more about on boarding employees remotely then please get in touch with the office: sally.phillips@wardwilliams.co.uk or call 01932 830664.