When companies around the globe turned to remote work models in early 2020, the perspective was temporary. Leaders and employees alike thought that everyone would return to the office once pandemic concerns waned. There was little need to consider onboarding, as keeping people employed and equipping them to do their jobs remotely took precedence.
But nearly two years into the great remote work shift, companies are focusing now on adapting to remote and hybrid work as long-term business models. That means hiring and onboarding employees they may never meet in person. And considering that 35% of employees already thought the onboarding process needed improvement, leaders and human resource professionals alike are faced with creating new strategies that address employee needs and create a top-notch employee experience.
As your team looks at hiring remote or hybrid workers in the coming year, here are four tips to improve the experience:
4 Tips to Improve Onboarding in a Remote Environment
1. Acknowledge the reality
It may sound simple, but from the outset, companies need to acknowledge that hybrid and remote work models are different than in-person ones. “Make sure any actions aren’t just viewed as a temporary step—a placeholder because ‘we’ll be in person again soon,’” says Peter Stewart, Managing Partner at Stewart Leadership. “Just eliminate that thought from your mind because who knows when that will be, if ever. Think, ‘this the situation now, how do we onboard people in the here and now.’”
2. Create Checkpoints
All onboarding processes should include checkpoints, but these checkpoints are even more important in the hybrid environment. “For the hiring manager, once the potential new hire has an offer in hand, whether they’ve accepted or not, a week to ten days before the start date is a good time to create a touchpoint to just check-in,” says Nolan.Godfrey, Regional Director and Executive Consultant. “Ask if the new hire has questions or concerns, and share an onboarding plan if you have one. The new hire can say, ‘wow, I haven’t even been hired yet, and my manager cares enough to plan my onboarding and call me.’”
Tyra.Bremer, Executive Consultant, agrees. “Managers should build in multiple touchpoints at two weeks, three months, 90 days, six months, etc. That first six-month period is a really critical window; we know a lot of employees leave around six months. The touchpoints don’t have to have a set agenda—just ‘I was thinking of you, how’s it going, do you have any questions or concerns,’ and general agenda of getting to know each other.”
3. Address Practical Needs
In an office environment, most new hires get a practical orientation on the first day of work—a tour of the office, introductions to administrative people, and an opportunity to ask questions about how the office and company operates. But in a hybrid environment, it’s easy to forget practical needs, partly because there’s no physical space to provide context. As you develop an onboarding process for hybrid and remote employees, be sure to address those practical needs and questions. Remote employees may not need to know where the lunchroom is, but they will need to know how to submit a timesheet and where to go for technology questions. As you develop an onboarding process for hybrid and remote employees, be sure to address those practical needs and questions.
And as you consider technology for your hybrid workers, be sure to reach out to them first—not the other way around. “Do a 24- or 48-hour technology check,” says Taura.Prosek, Executive Coach. “If an employee doesn’t have a dedicated laptop or technology access, that employee is basically powerless. Somewhere along the way, there has to be technology confirmation that they have what they need.”
4. Empower the New Hire
Finally, in a hybrid environment, make sure the new hire feels empowered and can reach out to find answers. “Not all of this can fall on the manager because that’s overwhelming, and they are so busy,” says Taura.Prosek. She suggests giving new hires a list of important people to connect with and recommending short introductory calls with those people. Not only does this process empower the new employee, but it also creates an opportunity to build connections with key people in the company.
Onboarding in the new remote work normal doesn’t have to be a detached, haphazard process. By acknowledging new realities, communicating often, and outlining a clear, intentional plan, every employee will start positioned for long-term success.
