How can you guarantee remote employees hit the ground running during a time when social distancing is not only encouraged, but in many places, compulsory?
Whether this is your team’s first remote employee hiring or its 100th, we’re here to help guide you on virtual onboarding and how it can be just as successful and a smooth transition for everyone involved.
The Equipment
Your company might be providing a laptop, phone or other office equipment to your new remote employee so be sure to send these items before their first day.
Ensure your IT specialist is fully briefed on logins and infrastructure before they give your new employee a call. Think about does your employee need two screens or how about logins and passwords to files? By having access to the right tools and technology from the start, it will communicate to your most recent hire that they are top priority.
Swag
To really impress, you could put together a branded care package otherwise known as a ‘swag’ bag. This could be anything from office stationery, notebooks, water bottles to wine. Check out Snack Nation for some inspiration.
Make them feel part of the team
New employees may find it difficult to create relationships with colleagues and managers without face-to-face communication. We’d recommend using video conference software, such as Zoom Communications to get the conversation started. Once the conversation starts flowing, you’ll be able to provide insight on how each team member interacts, what a typical day looks like and how the company operates.
Additionally, assign them a mentor who they can virtually-meet via WhatsApp or Facetime. A more personal connection is established and it provides both parties an opportunity to get to know each other and form a successful partnership.
If you usually go out for a welcome lunch, consider having a virtual welcome lunch and get everyone from the team to join!
Have realistic expectations
Expectations needs to be established from the outset. Be transparent about expected working hours, explain how your company works, create a schedule for the first few weeks and set milestone targets about what success looks like at three months and beyond.
Make time for face time
You should take this opportunity to build a relationship with your new employee. Regular calls will give your new hire an opportunity to feel connected, and you can keep an eye on how they are doing.
To make sure there isn’t any confusion, we’d recommend asking a few open-ended questions to get a real understanding of how they are feeling. So, offer your services, dive deeper into the job expectations and discuss priorities and goals for the day. To support the effectiveness of communication even more, consider capturing screenshots and creating short videos to better explain tasks and challenges.
Make your objective to create a positive experience in which your remote new employee feels as included and supported as they would have been joining an in-office environment.
If you’re onboarding a new employee or would like any advice, contact us today on 020 3008 4254 or info@spotlightrecruitment.com . Spotlight Recruitment is the leading marketing recruitment agency in the UK, hiring across marketing, communications and digital since 2008. Read our 5* Google reviews from candidates and clients to find our more.
