Onboarding from Afar
In this world of remote connection, beginning a new job is even more difficult. Without hallway hellos, a water cooler, and a new office tour, it’s harder to make friends at work. “I just recently met my entire team at a conference, but for the two months leading up to it, there was so much I didn’t know about them,” said Brian Lyons of St. Louis, who recently joined a registration software company that works entirely remotely.
Kim Rodill manages human resources for the Oklahoma-based PPT Solutions and its nearly 100 employees who have worked remotely since its inception in 2013. With a decade of remote onboarding under its belt, the management consulting firm has acquired some tricks to get new hires plugged in to company processes and culture.
“We have ‘welcome calls’ on day one, so the employee has a full day of meeting the staff and does not feel isolated,” says Rodill. “Employees receive a very generous swag bag that’s at their home for their first day (backpack, water bottle, fleece pullover, portable charger) – all labeled with our name and logo.”
“We have structured onboarding for the first couple of weeks, so there are meetings planned for the employee to join, get connected to people and have introductory conversations,” she adds. They also broadcast the addition with a bit of confetti. “A big announcement goes to a large internal audience, and we post about the hire on LinkedIn, as well.”
Kim Rodill, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Compliance at PPT Solutions
Rodill’s team works across all US time zones, and quarterly in-person events help personal relationships grow among the employee base. Those events, coupled with a ‘camera-on’ approach to all zoom meetings help employees remember names, appreciate personalities, and read body language. “Seeing your teammates eyes helps foster connections,” she says. “For us, the ability to actually see each other is crucial. You have to have your camera on for meetings at PPT.”
We recently enjoyed reading this piece on CNN, and particularly the tip of asking to shadow your manager from zoom meeting to zoom meeting in the first few weeks of getting started. “Asking to shadow someone and being able to sit in on meetings and ask questions and debrief after the meeting -- that is a great way to learn," Jennifer Benz, VP from Segal told CNN.
As zoom meetings pile up, however, some workers may find that zoom fatigue is just as real as it was at their previous job. A recent article in the Guardian suggests that ‘The Great Resignation’ could be followed by ‘The Great Regret’. In our view, feeling fatigued and misplaced in a new job can trace back to the interview process, especially if it was held entirely through video.
“Interviewing only on video means the nuances are lost that are often important indicators for employees and employers,” observes Alice Benson, CEO of Benson Executive Search. “As one candidate said, lamenting her recent move, ‘Had I interviewed in person, I would have picked up on critically important nuances.’”