If you think that the Coronavirus pandemic will shut down your recruitment processes, you should think again. Many businesses are doing well from the crisis and require more employees to help with the extra work. Others may be struggling, yet not every company can afford to shelve their hiring plans as certain roles are essential to survival even if jobs are high-risk.
What this means is that onboarding takes on a different guise. Rather than introducing recruits to the organization and their peers in person, you must do it virtually. Remote workers are no longer afterthoughts - the number of people who don’t have an office has increased by more than 150% in the last fifteen years.
As a result, you should not only get used to virtual onboarding as a short-term measure because it’s here to stay. Plus, it’s not something you can half-ass as retaining staff is linked with the business’s first impression. Make it a positive one and they’re more likely to stay.
Of course, remote practices are still novel since most of your processes took place in the office, face-to-face. It’s essential to adopt techniques that allow employees to hit the ground running with that in mind. Here are four that you won’t want to forget.
Make Them Feel Part Of The Team
All workers want to feel is that they are valued members of the team. For newbies, the atmosphere, people, and way of working are foreign, so they may experience a sense of loneliness. You may not help the situation if you fail to recognize that they require more of your time.
Employees must be self-sufficient, yet that’s with regard to their ability to work independently. When it comes to finding answers to their questions, it’s all about one-to-one time with a boss. A massive 72% believe that this is the most important feature of an onboarding experience. The key is to use the right technology to make them feel welcome.
Zoom and Microsoft Teams are fantastic video-calling tools that allow you to hold meetings to connect with new employees. However, people need to socialize with colleagues, too. Thinking outside of the box is necessary as it’s not easy to mix virtually, yet a virtual photo booth can lend a hand. Just ask everyone to take a photo and add a caption to explain who they are and what they do.
When you put a name to a face, you’ll instantly eliminate the confusion that occurs with remote onboarding for teams.
Reduce The Number Of Events
How many activities do you reckon the average recruit has to complete during an onboarding process? The answer is fifty-four. For new hires, this is a daunting amount of events that can get in the way of the job. Most bosses can’t even think of twenty essential things, never mind more than fifty!
The key is to reduce the counterproductive ones, and you can tell if they are needless if they prevent employees from learning essential skills and information. For example, a forty-minute meeting that outlines the work/life balance perks is something you can avoid. Although it’s healthy to point out the advantages, nobody wants to waste that time on something they already know.
It’s probably part of the reason they took the job. Instead, you can organize a meeting that includes info on the most pressing issues, and at the end, take questions about the role. If they require information, they’ll bring it up.
Also, you can use the company’s intranet page to answer frequently asked questions. All you need to do is get a copywriter to craft an FAQ blog post that outlines the basics.
Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels
Provide The Correct Tools
If a bad worker blames his tools, what does a worker who has no equipment do? It’s not rare for businesses to kickstart the onboarding process without providing the right gear, and not only the stuff that makes life easier. Some won’t even have passed on a company laptop before they try to jump the gun.
The temptation is to see tools as stumbling blocks. It’s far better to introduce people to the business first and deal with equipment later. However, in the new hire’s eyes, it’s a reason to be anxious. The last thing they want to do is nag their boss for a laptop, yet they have to as it’s a vital part of the job.
You must order the tools well in advance of the start date. Doing it with time to spare means that you have more leeway should a problem pop-up out of nowhere. Plus, it provides recruits with extra practice if it arrives early, allowing them to get used to the equipment and processes.
Speaking of, you should consider planning a meeting with a member of the IT team. That way, a technician can solve any little problems before they escalate.
Set Up Out Of Work Activities
The office isn’t the be-all and end-all of a new job. Navigating politics is about making friends and contacts, and that takes place outside of the office. Yes, that’s almost impossible in a COVID-19 environment, yet it shouldn’t stop you from setting up activities outside of the workplace.
For instance, you can plan a Zoom meeting for Friday afternoon where peers log on and socialize over a virtual beer. Some people won’t turn up, but if you tell them that they can finish early as long as they attend, the attendance figures will be high!
Depending on your location, you may be able to organize social activities in-person. Before you do, you have to ensure that everyone is comfortable, and if they aren’t, they don’t feel as if they must attend. To do this, you should run events consecutively so that nobody misses out.
One week can be for remote get-togethers, whereas the next week can be for face-to-face meetings (as long as they are allowed).
Do you find the idea of onboarding remotely challenging? Hopefully, these pointers will eliminate some of the pain.