When you’re managing a remote team, getting new hires immediately engaged and ready to succeed is crucial. Without face-to-face contact, new employees can be at risk of feeling isolated and unprepared. Onboard and manage new hires remotely with these tips:
1. Ensure they have all the equipment they need
2. Engage remote workers immediately
3. Establish clear expectations
Ensure remote workers have the tools they need
The first step of remote onboarding is to determine what tools your new employees will need to attend online training and work remotely. Reach out to IT well in advance of their start date to ensure they have all the equipment and software they need before their start date.
Once they've accepted your job offer, give them documentation outlining what equipment (laptop with a webcam, for example) and supplies they will get. Also let them know what they are responsible for getting on their own. Do they need to buy their own external monitor, keyboard, mouse and docking station for their laptop or will the company provide those accessories?
Clarify communication methods
Clearly spell out for the new hire how the team prefers to communicate. Should the employee leave Slack or Teams open all day? Is email or a quick Teams call preferable? Communicating in the manager’s preferred method will smooth the transition from new hire to team member.
Engage remote workers immediately
A welcome guide or email outlining key contacts and what to expect on the first day and week can go a long way in setting the tone for a smooth transition. A nice personal touch from human resources or the recruiter is wishing them a good first day and then checking in at the end of the first week to see how things are going.
Introduce them to company culture
It can be challenging for new hires to get a sense of company culture when working remotely, so utilize your onboarding process wisely. Acclimate them to the company culture by providing them with official documentation (like the employee handbook) and introducing them to your company’s mission, vision, and values. Emphasize how their role ties into the goals of the organization.
But go beyond just handing them a pile of paperwork to read. Be candid regarding your department's core values and purpose (i.e., why you all do what you do) and any other relevant information they need to know about how things are done.
Give them meaningful work to do
Get new hires involved in meaningful work as soon as possible to help build their confidence and speed up their adjustment to a new business, team, and leader. But, before assigning them more difficult tasks, give them time to learn the business. What are some easy “wins” new hires can complete to build their confidence?
Create strong connections
Having intentional touchpoints beyond their immediate manager helps new hires build relationships and acclimate to the culture early on, which ultimately supports retention. Schedule some check-ins that go beyond just talking about work. Get to know new hires to create a strong connection. You can try:
Coffee chats: Remote strategies could include short “coffee meetups” in the morning to get to know new colleagues.
Virtual lunches: Have the team meet for a midday meal at least once a month online so they can chat about things other than work.
Happy hours: Once a month, you can have a social chat at the end of the day. If your team is not super busy, consider having a meetup at 3 on a Friday. Talk a little about your weekend plans and let employees go a little early to start their weekends.
Establish clear expectations
When new hires are working autonomously, providing them with clear expectations is even more important than when you're in the office. Make sure you give your new employees specific performance standards and goals for everything from their tasks to how often you want to meet with them and get progress updates.
Beyond the initial onboarding phase, a structured yet flexible 30-60-90 day plan can really help new hires with a sense of direction and excitement about their growth. As hiring leaders and teams get to know them, they can refine the plan to ensure the best fit and accelerate/decelerate as needed with the training.
If you’re ready to bring on new employees, Nesco Resource can help. As a top nationwide staffing agency, our team of recruiting specialists will work with you to match you with candidates who fit your unique needs. Contact us today to learn more.