Remotely onboarding new employees isn’t an ideal situation if you’re not accustomed to it, but it can be done swiftly and successfully. Keep in mind that the secret sauce is to create a well-defined structure in advance. A well-formed process will ensure positive outcomes and help you avoid awkward pitfalls along the way. New hires aren’t the only people who need to put their best foot forward. Business owners do, too. All it takes is a plan.
Here are five simple tips for winning the game of remotely onboarding new employees.
- Start with a plan, put it in writing, and check the plan weekly to ensure new hires stay on track. Don’t be afraid to adjust the plan if needed.
- Communication is the cornerstone of a successful relationship between you and your team. Don’t worry about over-communicating with new employees; there is no such thing. It’s essential to let everyone know you are available when they need you and a helpful resource.
- Button up your processes. Onboarding new employees come with what seems like a mountain of paperwork. Be sure your employees are set-up with the right technology to make it easy to sign and return documents.
- Set expectations upfront. Employees want and need to know what you expect of them. Start by going over job descriptions and walking them through the employee handbook so that there are no surprises. Be sure to have all new employees sign the employee manual once they’ve read it. Finally, be proactive and schedule a follow-up check-in meeting for the next month.
- Depending on your business’s size, schedule individual meetings to virtually introduce new employees to existing team members. Again, be sure to create a schedule for your calls. These should be “get to know you” calls. If your team is too large for individual virtual meetings, consider department or small group meet-ups.
Stay tuned for more tips and tricks in future blogs, and reach out to us at info@allorasg.com if you’d like to schedule a conversation.