Remote Onboarding & Engagement: Tips for Success
Already a difficult process, this vital piece of the employee experience has been upended due to COVID-19. Employers have had to adjust rapidly to develop remote onboarding strategies, and employees have had to begin work without the benefit of meeting their boss and peers in-person.
However, onboarding is one of the only elements shared by everyone in an organization, and a successful process can have long term impacts on talent development. In fact, 82% of employees who are effectively onboarded remain with their companies for more than 3 years (Brandon Hall), and companies who onboard effectively can save more than 200% of the first year’s compensation in replacement costs (SHRM).
While different for each organization, there are several steps that HR leaders should consider in order to better adapt their onboarding process to our now-virtual world.
1. Pre-Boarding
Pre-boarding starts the moment a candidate accepts their offer. At this stage, proactively gathering relevant and required information is paramount. Not only can it save time and effort later in the process, but confirming data shared earlier in the process conveys a feeling of belonging, lets the employee know that the company is listening and allows the employee to feel like a valued member of the team even before their first day. Consider also asking managers to send an email to the candidate welcoming them to the team, offering assistance before their start date, and beginning to forge a personal connection by asking about hobbies or other non-work interests.
2. Orientation of Workplace Culture and Expectations
At this stage, employees likely have a general idea of the workplace culture and what is expected of them. However, it’s important to expose new hires to the unique aspects of the company’s culture as early as possible. Be sure what you present is authentic, well-defined, and communicated by someone who can provide ongoing assistance. To educate new hires quicker, consider adopting a mentor system or “onboarding buddy” to help new hires feel their way around what to them is still likely an unfamiliar place.
3. Role Definition and Functional Training
New hires always feel the need to deliver value as quickly as possible. And while much of what they are expected to do can be found in their job description, the functional requirements of their role might require more detailed training. The data dump of organizational structure, financials, presentations, project plans, and other materials that might have worked in a pre-COVID era is no longer sufficient, as it is too easy to get lost or confused parsing through this information alone.
We recommend that HR teams and individual managers spend more time defining expectations, streamline the information given to new hires, and outline ways of working in as hands-on a way as possible. As the traditional avenues where new employees learn key information - water cooler, hallways, lunch - have disappeared, it’s more important than ever to find more effective ways for new hires to gain access to the resources they need to succeed. Consider a COVID-era new hire welcome packet, with necessary program and platform training information as well as team member bios and responsibilities, and encourage new hires to inquire and share their thoughts on the materials. This pointed and tailored approach will ultimately allow the employee to understand their role and get up to speed faster, as well as navigate the organization more effectively.
4. Team and Leadership Assimilation
A structured assimilation approach is essential to help new hires quickly develop key relationships with the right stakeholders. From an organizational standpoint, this means understanding the order in which team members should be “met” and determining a strategy for what should be conveyed in these conversations. Instead of “you should schedule some time on Tom’s calendar” and leaving the new hire and Tom to navigate the subsequent conversation, arm Tom with the questions and information to guide that conversation, so that both parties feel like they have formed the beginnings of a personal and professional bond. While work-related topics should certainly be covered, these initial conversations can also be times to touch on personal interests, such as favorite travel destinations, foods, and music. In addition to helping to further define the employee’s role and outline the team’s ways of working, these sessions can foster a stronger sense of community and camaraderie, and allow new hires to develop allies and build collaborative working relationships.
5. Assessment and Advancement
Assessing progress is essential to onboarding any employee. You’ve both made promises during the hiring process. You’ve shared a mission and vision; your employee has proven a competency and passion for your vision. As with any relationship, regular communication, updates and assessments should provide all parties with continued alignment and/or opportunities to adjust, as necessary. We’ve seen pre-hire assessments (like, Predictive Index, WonScore and Berke) and on-going/pulse tools (CultureAmp, Bamboo, Qualtrics) used effectively. Ideally, a combination of regular/formal assessment tools is supplemented with real-time, open and frequent feedback and communication. A formal conversation about an employee's “mis-alignment” to the role should never be a surprise. Setting 30-, 60-, 90-, 120-day semi-formal check-ins with new hires is good business for both company and employee.
While it’s essential to understand the elements of effective remote onboarding and engagement, it’s equally critical to design and implement an approach that is reflective of your organization and culture. Invest time (and money) to understand what’s likely to be most effective for your organization and develop those elements to reflect your vision and deliver results. Ultimately, effective and flexible onboarding will ensure new hires are able to contribute more quickly over a sustained period of time.