8 Virtual Onboarding Best Practices for Candidate Success
Introduction
In companies that aim to minimise turnover and offer a culture-building employee experience, new recruit onboarding is a top HR responsibility. However, as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic, many businesses have been forced to move their sourcing, recruiting, and onboarding processes entirely online, totally rewriting the criteria of success.
Fortunately, with a few tweaks, you can still utilise your onboarding process to prioritise workers and swiftly set up new recruits. We’ll go through how to make the most of your company’s unique culture and position your employees for a competitive edge in the months ahead.
Here are eight ways that high-performing businesses are creating world-class remote onboarding experiences for new employees.
- Modify existing guidelines
Finest approaches from your normal onboarding programming will be replicated in the best virtual onboarding. Just keep in mind the major distinction with virtual environments: companies must be hypervigilant in terms of documentation, onboarding experience surveys, and coordination amongst prominent stakeholders.
In this new world of remote work, every stage of the onboarding process needs extra care, as apparently little details may make or break your workers’ remote onboarding experience.
| Best Practices Currently in Use | Updated Virtual Practices |
| Resources organised by department | Updated to incorporate the most effective communication methods, such as email, Slack, or phone calls. |
| First week’s schedules outlined | An outline of the first week’s itinerary, including expectations for lunch and rest intervals. |
| Welcome Team Gatherings | Set up a Zoom welcome lunch with their staff, but be prepared with icebreaker questions to get the “getting to know you” process started. |
| Buddy system | Give your new hire’s phone number to their friend before the first day of work so they can start things off well! It’s a comforting touch, and it’s a bit less official than a Zoom meeting. |
- Draw attention to cultural norms
As you hire new employees, you’ll notice that not everyone has worked remotely previously, and even fewer have worked in a fully remote setting. It’s preferable if you can bring new employees up to speed on cultural norms as quickly as possible, so make sure you spell out your expectations for how new hires will interact with their coworkers. Consider the following scenario:
When should you send a text, email, or make a phone call?
Determining who should be invited to meetings.
Before getting into the agenda, all meetings begin with 5 minutes of chatting.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, all calls will be routed to video.
If a Slack discussion lasts more than 10 minutes, it should be moved to phone or video.
- Clearly state your expectations
There are a lot of physical signals and nonverbal communication that are missed when onboarding a new employee online. That’s why it’s critical to spell out your objectives and goals before the new employee has to inquire.
- Offer new recruits a lot of work
New employees may make good use of unstructured time by meeting new colleagues and learning about the company at an onsite onboarding session. When working remotely, however, the work environment is digital, allowing for new methods to truly interact. As they come up to speed, we recommend defining and recording activities that will move the needle. This will ensure that new employees are most productive and that the company process remains innovative.
- To prevent monotony, switch up your tasks.
Keep in mind what your new hire’s initial weeks will be like when you plan out their schedule. On paper, Zoom training sounds great, but no one wants to sit in front of a camera for eight hours a day for a week. Tasks that involve virtual meetings, silent concentration, and pen-and-paper work should be varied.
- Acquaint your new employees with the many departments
New employees may talk with important organisational stakeholders about their lines of business as part of a successful onboarding program. Regardless of the new hire’s seniority, this provides them with the chance to get a better understanding of how their job and department fit into the larger picture, allowing them to feel more at ease and connected to the company as a whole.
Suggestion
Spend time at various elevations! Cover the fundamentals while devoting time to industry veterans. For new employees at all phases of their employment, there should be some new material to absorb.
- Acquaint your new hires with friends
New employees who are brought on remotely may struggle to establish informal relationships with coworkers since they do not have access to a dynamic office environment. Implementing a buddy system or frequent team coffee breaks can make it easier for your new employee to establish new pals.
- Making the Transition from Onboarding to Ongoing
Some companies see onboarding as a one-and-done process. However, research is increasingly showing that if you want your onboarding process to be effective, you must repeat your onboarding material for weeks or months after you hire someone.
As a Success Vehicle, Virtual Onboarding
Don’t be put off by the remote onboarding format. Many businesses are going through the same increasing pains and discomfort that you are. You’ll be well on your way to creating a world-class virtual onboarding experience that will serve your business for many years if you have empathy and intention for the applicant you’ve recruited and the work you’ve hired them to perform.
8 Best Practices to Follow:
Existing Practices Can Be Repurposed
Cultural Norms Should Be Criticised
Make it clear what you expect.
To avoid repetition, give new hires a variety of tasks to do. Educate your new hire about the functions of other departments. Make New Friends with Your New Hire Making the Transition from Onboarding to Ongoing
