1. Plan and commit to providing a positive virtual onboarding experience
By April 16, 2020, 66% of U.S. employees were working remotely at least part of the time during the COVID-19 pandemic. But is it temporary? In a survey of more than 1,200 full-time U.S. employees, nearly 43% say they want to work remotely more often and nearly 20% say their employer is actively discussing how they can.
It’s best to commit to a virtual onboarding strategy that includes remote working even if you are considering a return to office.
2. Step into the new hire’s shoes.
Especially from a distance, empathy is critical to onboarding now. Onboarding took a leap forward when we acknowledged how people absorb information and perceive new experiences, and the impact first impressions can have on job satisfaction.
Consider what new hires not only need, but deserve to know. It’s a tactical error to overload the process with information, data and administrative tasks and leave out the big picture. No one wants to do busywork that has no perceived meaning or value. Truncating your onboarding could leave your new hires with too many questions and a growing sense of unease.
3. Ensure employees have what they need to onboard successfully
Nothing can happen remotely without the right tech. Find out from your new hires what they need to get to work. And, make sure they know there’s no shame in saying they don’t have the latest version of an OS, they don’t know how to run Zoom, or their Wi-Fi is prone to dropping out. Then prioritize getting the tech in place.
HR should collaborate closely with IT and start the process as soon as the candidate becomes a hire. It may be smart to track the top candidates for a role so you’re ready to jump in and boost their tech capabilities from day one. Create user policies and guidelines for working with your company equipment, make them part of the remote onboarding package and make sure IT is prepared to help. The average new hire completes some 54 activities during their onboarding experience, and in this case, it’s all dependent on technology. So make sure they can get it done.
4. Curate a deep and varied virtual onboarding program.
There’s no way to duplicate the immersive experience of onboarding in the physical workplace. But there are ways to convey those intangibles such as culture, personalities, leadership styles, interpersonal dynamics, teamwork and energy. First off, make sure you know the culture in order to deliver it. Curate a program to present the how and the why of your workforce — what keeps people motivated, cycles of productivity, shared expectations among peers (and not just managers). Don’t do this all in one day — or even two, in many cases. Build a schedule (provided to new hires well in advance) that spreads out the process. Dovetail interaction with information, purpose with paperwork. Include frequent check-ins, reminders, pings, opportunities for feedback and reviews. I’ve seen great presentations that keep the concept broad and high-level, and add a bit of fun: They provide a macro sense of the organization through video presentations and great storytelling, with plenty of welcomes and virtual tours. Have VR capabilities? Use them. Do some games, challenges, team-building. By day two, the new hire is ready to roll up their sleeves and get focused on trainings and to-do’s — they feel they’re a part of things now.
5. Build in opportunities for virtual interaction
In terms of how we work remotely, we’re learning that less is not more. We need contact, tutoring, communication, and opportunities to reiterate and review. We need one-on-one time as well, and to be able to connect with people — we’re not going to naturally pass on the way to the water cooler. The same is true for remote onboarding, and to a greater extent.
Provide plenty of interaction, then more in your virtual onboarding process. Convey the history of your organization as a human story as well as a static slide deck. Have leadership come in and talk about the mission, products, services and do a Q&A; have managers discuss how they form and work with teams; have coworkers talk about their jobs or walk through a typical day. Provide each new hire with a buddy as ally and resource. With IT, make sure there’s someone with the bandwidth to listen and help. And, mix channels and formats. We’re all familiar with Zoom fatigue, try one-on-one camera off meetings, phone calls, Slack messages. Build a solid foundation for great relationships, so new hires look forward to the adventure of working with the people they’ve just met.
Virtual onboarding can build just as much trust and engagement as onboarding on-site; it’s all in how you approach it. But self-service has become a best practice, as has iron-clad security when it comes to personal information. Keep in mind that to a new hire, a new employer is a new employer, and a new job is a new job, regardless of circumstances. So be sure to make your virtual onboarding process easy, enjoyable, and thorough so new hires have a great introduction to your company.
Meghan M. Biro is a globally recognized analyst, author, speaker and brand strategist. The founder of TalentCulture, she hosts #WorkTrends, a popular weekly Twitter Chat and podcast. Her career spans across recruiting, talent management, digital media and brand strategy for hundreds of companies, from startups to global brands like Microsoft, IBM and Google. She also serves on advisory boards for leading HR technology brands. Meghan can be regularly found on Forbes, SHRM, and a variety of other outlets. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram.
The views and opinions expressed in this post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Indeed.
