Effectively Onboarding your Remote Teams

Our favorite part of onboarding is the feeling of knowing that you are welcoming someone new into your fold. Onboarding is going to look different as we begin to transition teams back into the workforce.

This transition will likely be slow, and many will begin with a remote onbaording process to reduce physical contact where possible.

Doing so remotely will never feel exactly the same, and we don’t believe that its necessary to pretend otherwise. We value our current onboarding programs that are onsite, but also know it’s important for companies to be given options as they pivot their businesses.

Instead, at Career Contacts we are inviting our clients to take on a new way of onboarding that reflects the new normal. We encourage you to look at incorporating some of these new ideas and as always, we are available to support with a more customized plan for your specific team!

  1. Be mindful of who is home

In this climate, we know that not only are your employees being forced to work from home right now, but their families are likely at home with them. Be mindful that your onboarding process respects their individual work environments at home.

Our team at Career Contacts is diverse. We recognize that everyone has a unique dynamic at home and want to be sure that they do not feel at a disadvantage for anything they can’t control.

  1. Don’t cram everything into the first few days

The easiest way to for someone to absorb a new environment is to do so slowly. Provide your new team members with small, easily digestible onboarding pieces. This will allow them to try out each piece slowly, provide any feedback and get support right away.

  1. Be available

The worst feeling is to feel like you’ve been thrown into the deep end and being unable to swim. Stay connected and available for your teams while they onboard. Ideally, you want to introduce them to 1-2 people a day, to allow them to have a few people to reach out to for support.

Introducing them to their co-workers early on will also allow them to feel like part of the team quickly.

At Career Contacts, we have several platforms that we use to stay connected. We ensure that our employees not only have access to the tools, but training on how to use the tools effectively.

  1. Vary the mediums

Get creative with how you disseminate all the new information to your new employees. Documentation is just one way. Try incorporating video calls, conference calls, pre-recorded videos, etc. This will also help break up the day and allow your teams to stay interested in the material they are being sent.

  1. Give them the tools to succeed

Every new employee should have access to what they need before they begin. This means that they feel completely supported and able to do their jobs. It is much better to start them a few days later with access to drives, technology, CRMs etc. than to give it out slowly and make people feel disconnected.

  1. Swag doesn’t have to be fancy

We know that larger organizations have the capacity to provide new employees with over the top welcome packages. While this is always a great feeling, smaller companies can’t always do this.

At Career Contacts, we have personalized cups and sweatshirts with our logo on it. It’s a small way for the team to feel connected. Get creative with how you give your teams swag; its more about feeling a sense of connection, than about the items themselves.

 

Wanting some support with your onboarding process? Our HR team is ready to support you!

Contact us today at hiring@careercontacts.ca or 604-606-1831