JoshOnboarding is the process where a new employee is taken through a process of acquiring skills, knowledge, and behaviors of their new organization. A study conducted back in 2007 by Wynhurst Group found that employees who go through the onboarding process are 58% more likely to remain in an organization for at least three years.
It quickens the process of your employees adapting as insiders and as a member of an organization. The new employee can also quickly learn the procedures and goals of an organization. Faster learning boosts performance and productivity.
Remote onboarding work best practices
Now, during such a time when we are facing the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations literally have no option but to have their employees work from home. If you hire a new employee, then you might also be forced onboard them virtually. As an employer, you should learn about the many benefits of employee onboarding and work to improve how you do this remotely. That said, employee onboarding in a remote setup is a little more challenging than the regular onboarding. The problem is that as an employer, you will not have in-person interaction with the new employee. You may, therefore, miss out on learning some critical details about the employee.
Remote employment, however, tends to be cheaper, and you can get top talent in your organization from anywhere in the world. Here are a few tips on how to onboard your employees in a remote work paradigm.
Improve your hiring process
For starters, you ought to know that not everyone can work remotely as it takes more than just technical skills. Before you bring an employee on board, ensure that they are self-driven and self-disciplined as you will not be there to supervise them. Also, the employee should be able to prioritize, communicate well, be organized, and a good time manager, to mention but a few good qualities.
At the beginning of the hiring process, make a list of qualifications of your ideal employee. Then, choose the best method you can use to assess your employee of their eligibility. You can use video conferencing for interviews, ask the employee to take a pre-employment test, or present evidence that showcases their skills.
A pool of people will apply for the remote employee post. Depending on your requirements of your ideal remote employee, choose the one who best fits the task. Consider someone who has prior experience as a remote employee as they are likely to have already adapted to working remotely. If the time zone is a challenge, consider putting a specific time zone requirement while advertising for the post.
Use the appropriate tech tools for the onboarding process
There is no doubt that you should integrate proper tools to make employee onboarding better. Luckily there is a pool of software through which you can use to chat, train, or share files with your new employees. You can use free tools like email or slack, to help make communication easier and smoother. Tools like DocuSign will help where you need paperwork to be signed by your remote employee. There are also some great premium tools you can use specifically to make the onboarding experience better.
Streamline communication with your new employees
As an employer, communicating with your new employee is key to starting a healthy work relationship. They are also able to know how you work in your workplace. So, make sure you arrange virtual meetings through software like Zoom or Skype with your new remote employee. It could be at the beginning or the end of every day. Let them talk about their daily achievements and their plans. Also, allow them to talk about any challenges they are facing and ensure you act quickly to give them a good experience. Ignoring your new employees could demotivate them. It is also good to communicate with them on any new development and the progress of the organization. The bottom line is that a streamlined communication will ease them into the team plus it will motivate them to work harder
Introduce your employee to your company culture
A remote culture is essential in easing the interaction of new employees with the rest. You also have to ensure that your new employee starts fitting into the culture during the onboarding process. Remember, you ought to give your team that sense of belonging that will make them productive.
Wrap up
In a nutshell, employee onboarding is crucial, particularly in creating productive teams in a distributed workplace. It lets them attain skills and knowledge about your organization quicker, plus they also feel engaged as part of the company. It is also essential in cutting on costs owed to employee turnover. It is worth remembering, though, that it is a process that takes time and you ought to do it well.