Importance of hybrid onboarding

Onboarding has always been a critical aspect of helping new employees meld with the team. It gives them a chance to meet their peers, learn the job and understand the resources available to them. That’s easier to do when you’re sitting in the office having face-to-face conversations.

COVID-19 forced many companies into a remote working situation and necessitated virtual onboarding for new employees. As some employees go back to the office, at least part-time, the onboarding process is morphing again into a partially virtual, partially in-person experience. No matter where onboarding takes place, it’s a vital part of developing engaged employees who want to stay with your company.

Develop an onboarding schedule

Create an onboarding schedule to ensure you hit key activities for new employees. Refer to your traditional onboarding process as a guide. Determine how long the onboarding process will last and what important elements it needs. Consider that remote onboarding can be more difficult, so you may need to slow it down compared to your in-person onboarding schedule.

Some things to include in your hybrid onboarding schedule include:

• Welcome message
• Office tour
• Introductions to the team
• New hire paperwork
• One-on-one with manager
• One-on-one with onboarding buddy
• Company orientation

Decide which activities will take place in person and which will be virtual. This depends on the new employee ’s schedule and where your current employees work most often. Consider which activities are easier to do in-person and which ones are fine to do remotely when planning your onboarding process.

Adapt key onboarding activities

Onboarding in a remote environment requires many of the same activities as in-person onboarding, but you’ll need to adapt them to fit the virtual world. If onboarding traditionally starts with a building tour and introductions to key staff members, record a virtual tour and video introductions with those people for new hires to watch. If you customarily take new hires out to lunch with the team on the first day, schedule a virtual lunch where everyone joins Zoom for a casual getting-to-know-you conversation with the new team member.

Emphasize manager-new hire relationships

A new hire’s direct manager is always a pivotal part of the onboarding process, but it can be even more important in a hybrid setting. It can be stressful to learn a new job at home, so new employees might rely on their managers more than they would in an in-person setting. They don’t yet know all of their coworkers, and they aren’t always physically in the same room where it’s easy to ask someone nearby for help.

Have the first one-on-one as soon as possible to start developing the manager-new hire relationship. Ensure the new employee can easily access the manager when needed if they face problems during onboarding. Managers should check in with new hires frequently as they onboard.

Incorporate face-to-face time

Recording onboarding videos is an easy way to give all new hires a consistent experience and ensure they get all necessary information. However, watching a video doesn’t help them connect to their coworkers. Utilize video conferencing software to include as many real-time interactions with the team as possible, even when everyone is working remotely. Schedule in-office meetings and interactions with as many coworkers as possible early in the onboarding process.

Focus on a support network

The hybrid model significantly cuts down on spontaneous conversations in the breakroom or chats after in-person meetings, so new hybrid employees might miss out on making coworker connections. Ensure new hires can access the support network that often naturally develops in the office by assigning an onboarding buddy who isn’t the person’s manager. Encourage the pair to meet in person in the office at least a few times during onboarding for a face-to-face connection.

Team meetings, online or in person, also give new employees more connections with coworkers. Devote a little time before or after virtual meetings so your remote employees can chat and have a virtual water cooler experience.

Deliver necessary gear

If your new employee will work from home at least part of the time, they need all of the hardware necessary to perform the job. Ship or deliver these items well before the employee’s first day. This gives them time to set everything up in their home office, so they’re ready for day one of onboarding.

Include a welcome packet with the hardware delivery. This might include a general welcome letter, an onboarding schedule and key information about the company and role. Provide instructions on setting up the equipment, installing any required software and preparing the technology portion for the beginning of onboarding. These simple things make new employees feel at ease and prepared to start working.

Personalize onboarding

In a hybrid setting, personalizing the work onboarding process can make it more effective. Some new employees may feel comfortable with the hybrid setting immediately and need less support during onboarding. Others might feel disconnected and struggle to feel like a part of the team in a hybrid situation. They might need more contact with managers and coworkers.

Assess each person to get a feel for what they need from the hybrid onboarding process. Having one-on-ones with the manager is an easy way to personalize onboarding and shape the process going forward.

FAQs about hybrid onboarding

How long should hybrid onboarding last?

Most onboarding programs last at least three months. Other companies extend the onboarding process to six, nine or even 12 months to give new employees ongoing support. Working in a hybrid situation may mean a new employee needs more time to feel comfortable with the processes, culture and team in their new position. Extending the onboarding process can help in this situation. Part of personalizing onboarding can include making the process longer or shorter for some employees based on how they’re settling in.

What are the difficulties of hybrid onboarding?

Communication can be more challenging when onboarding in a hybrid environment. Establishing clear communication expectations and easily accessible communication channels can help overcome this difficulty. When team members work in different locations, new employees may not get a sense of the team dynamics as well. Meeting one person in the office and others virtually can create a disconnect. New hires may be hesitant to reach out when they have an issue, and you might not get feedback from them on the hybrid onboarding process. Ask questions regularly, check in often and provide formal feedback opportunities through surveys or one-on-ones to give new hires the information they need and improve your onboarding.