Remote onboarding: your guide to the best new hire experience

Crucial for remote employees’ onboarding is the need to connect with their team and manager as quickly as possible. To achieve success in this endeavor, planning is essential. Below are some tips to provide your new hire with a smooth and efficient onboarding experience.

Before day 1 

1. Book a virtual team meeting: Book a meeting for the team to meet the new hire. The most challenging part of starting a new job working remotely is feeling isolated from the rest of the team. Make it fun and interactive by creating an icebreaker activity that encourages everyone to participate and learn more about each other.
2. Book a call with HR: Introduce your new hire to HR, that way they can reach you with questions on new hire paperwork, benefits, etc.
3. Show them how to use communication tools: Get the new hire set up on video, phone, instant messaging apps and any other tools your company uses.
4. Conduct a laptop practice run: Designate a time for a leader or IT support to walk the new hire through logging into their systems.
5. Plan out the new hires' first week: New hires should be given a schedule of what they will be doing throughout their first week. Whether it is 1 on 1 meetings, training sessions or virtual job shadowing.

Day 1

1. Book a meeting first thing: This meeting will be to set expectations for the next 90 days. Provide the new hire with their mapped-out schedule for the first week.
2. Book 1 on 1 video meetings: For each of your team members to interact individually with the new hire. Connections to teammates will help the new hire assimilate quickly and understand what the expectations are.
3. Create a meeting cadence: Begin and end each day with a video meeting. This is the time to recap the day, identify challenges, and celebrate success.
4. Arrange training courses: Provide the new hire with the schedule of required training and details on how it will be conducted.

End of day 1

Schedule a one-on-one video call with the new hire at the end of the first day to welcome them to the business and answer any questions they have. At the end of the week, have a follow-up call to build a sense of belonging and learn more about the new hire as an individual, not just as an employee.

After the 1st week

1. Continue to meet regularly to review projects and activities.
2. Provide honest and clear feedback based on results.
3. Don’t stop training – technology can create better learning environments to interactive sessions.
4. Create their personal success plan – let your new hire know what your expectations are and what success looks like.
5. Facet-to-face, whenever possible arrange for face-to-face interactions to build stronger connections.
6. Ensure the new hire has access to the employee handbook.
7. Review the job description with the new hire to clarify their role and responsibilities.

For more advice from our recruiting experts, check out our Market Insights.