How to successfully onboard a new team member remotely
- March 31, 2020
Tips to help you successfully onboard a new team member remotely
An induction gives your new employee an objective view of your company, organisational culture, and work ethic, which will allow the employee to better integrate into the workplace. During the Covid-19 pandemic, people are being asked to stay at home to work, which can prove slightly challenging when introducing a new colleague into the business. So what can you do to help bridge the gap and create a good environment for your new starter to work in (even if that’s from home) and how can you successfully onboard a new team member remotely?
Before the start date
Being prepared for your new starter is vital, you need to ensure they have all the right tools ready for the job. The new employee should receive IT equipment and manuals ahead of their start date. Employers should look to create a introduction pack for their new starter to include essential information they need to get on with the role, things like apps to download, passwords and information to read up on. If you’re sending this to them by post, you could accompany it with some branded goods.
Preparing for the first day
Set your new employee a schedule for the first day, factoring in any face time invites to meet the team. This will give you the opportunity to talk about their new role, set out expectations and go through any projects that they can get to work on.
This is a great time to cover all the admin tasks associated with starting such as updating their LinkedIn profile and the website along with any new starter training that can be completed online.
During your 1:1 with them, setting out goals for the next 30, 60 and 90 days will help the employee gain an idea of what is expected of them as well as give them some focus for their time working from home.
Creating regular check in’s
As their employer, you will be responsible to set up regular check-in’s with your team and new starters. You will not only be able to address any issues as soon as they occur, but also keep the team motivated. There are a variety of platforms that provide video calling, it will be up to you to test and see what works best.
Stay connected!
Working remotely can be a bit isolating and not all new starters find it easy to open up to a new team of faces on screen. Make sure you’re encouraging your team to look out for one another, keep up their fitness, routine and attend virtual social events – the new Houseparty app is great for this!
Let your new starter know how you’ve celebrated success before, like holding Summer/Christmas parties or going out for a monthly lunch. This will let them know what’s to come when you’re back in the office.
The main things to take from this are to get the onboarding process right and make your new starter feel welcome, encourage open conversations and feedback and to evaluate the onboarding process after every hire. There is always room for improvement! If you have any questions get in touch with one of the Stonor recruitment team on 01844 350131.