Remote Onboarding: What You Need to Know
Remote Onboarding: What You Need to Know
The year 2020 is one for the books. When the Coronavirus pandemic first hit, no one could predict the impact it would have on work space and culture. Today, more than ever, remote onboarding must be a skill in every company’s wheelhouse. Not only is it necessary for the growth of a business, but it is vital to the wellbeing of your staff and the success of your projects.
Plus10 spoke with 10 firms of various sizes including Microsoft, ENDY, Pixieset, and Loblaw Digital, whose managers discussed the issues they wish they had known regarding onboarding and work-from-home policies.
We felt sharing these conversations would be important to improve the general welfare of your employees, and naturally help hiring managers strengthen the onboarding process.
Planning is the key to efficiency.
The best way to plan is to confer with your managers, allocate specific time to support these new hires, and answer any questions they may have during the onboarding process.
“Organize their schedule and task list so they are not overwhelmed, and remember there is no longer a traditional workspace that helped them structure their day so providing a plan will assist in their transition while simultaneously increasing their productivity”
James Cheng, Senior Software Engineering Manager at Microsoft
Investing early on is going to save money, and being proactive with the structure will set the tone for your employees.
Trust will empower your staff.
While the technology will enable you to monitor and equip your staff, trust is a key part of remote onboarding.
“While it can feel a little cold to leave your staff to their own devices, they have the opportunity to now go at their own pace.”
Sam Lin, Engineering Manager at Pixieset
With that said, most new hires feel they don’t get enough time with their managers either, so regular check-ins are important - no matter how experienced the candidate is. Letting go of the desire to micromanage is the only way to gauge when you (as a manager) are needed. You need to trust that you have chosen these candidates for a reason. Employees want to feel secure in their abilities and entrusted with important tasks – it’s what makes them excited about work.
Make sure everything is written down.
Having a safe and easily accessible knowledge bank for new team members to review and contribute to is going to lead to better and more transparent communication. One HR leader said, “We keep prep documents, scorecards, and specific task lists for each manager - for department and organization heads.” She went on to recommend that getting feedback from candidates just after they are hired helps improve the process every time. Everyone is different; some may prefer video calls while others may work better with written instructions. With a wider talent pool, be open to how you accommodate a variety of learning styles.
Technology needs to be integrated into your onboarding model.
While it can be intimidating, finding the tools that best suit your staff will ensure their happiness as well as a successful project. We are working in a digital age and if your business does not incorporate the right tools, you’ll fall behind. What we’ve noticed were the small businesses were quick to adapt, the large businesses have already had the resources, but the medium sized businesses were the laggards early on during the year.
The key to incorporating technology is to create a sense of availability, so your new hires do not feel isolated or stuck as they are ramping up. This feeling of isolation was a common problem, especially among companies who have had little experience onboarding remotely.
Some tools we suggest are Slack, Notion, Lessonly, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams and BambooHR. Oh, and Zoom?
Be aware of your losses.
All the interviews we conducted were quite unique, but they all discussed one common issue; the loss of office culture.
The reality is that managers cannot onboard remotely without acknowledging that dynamics and employee collaboration have changed. “When I started onboarding, I felt useless...” explains Justine Chiu, Frontend Developer at Loblaw Digital. “I knew I needed a buddy - someone that would dedicate half their day to get me up to speed.”
The change to remote requires a fresh perspective to ensure staff feel welcomed. A few ways to implement this might be conducting more frequent one-on-one’s, allocating an onboarding “buddy”, sending a welcome package, or celebrating smaller milestones.
A final thought.
As 2021 approaches, we need to recognize that in-office work, five days a week, is a thing of the past. Remote onboarding and remote work in general is inevitable and we need to accommodate that as best we can to maintain consistent growth and market success.
Plus10 is a Canadian services firm specializing in IT recruitment and job search coaching. We believe your employees are what makes your technology stand out, and our unique talent assessment, paired with our expertise in the digital age, means we provide the best candidates for your company.
