Tag: Onboarding

6 Tips for Remote Onboarding

Posted on by jess

What does onboarding a new remote employee look like? 

Bringing on a new team member doesn’t look the same when an employee isn’t in the office. It’s important that new employees have what they need to feel connected to the organization and to their peers. It’s also imperative that they have the tools they need to be successful at their job.

Remote onboarding is more important than ever as flexible working models continue to rise in popularity. According to Forbes, as of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home—while 28.2% work a hybrid model. And it is projected that 32.6 million Americans will work remote by 2025 which equates to about 22% of the workforce.

This uptick is a result of organizations recognizing how successful remote work can be. In addition to reducing burn out, work flexibility has also proven to increase productivity, and reduce employee turnover and absenteeism. 

To help boost remote onboarding within your organization, we present these 6 tips. 

Make New Hires Feel Welcome

A warm welcome to the company can certainly help get things started off on the right foot and reinforce a new employee’s decision to accept the position. 

Send a welcome email or set up a video call to introduce them to their team members. Introducing them prior to their first day will help “put a face to the name” and lessen the fear of not knowing anyone (especially when they aren’t directly down the hall). 

Got some cool company merch? Send that along too! Company swag is a great way to warmly welcome a new employee and help them get excited to be a part of the team.

Provide an Employee Handbook

Sharing an employee handbook is a crucial part of onboarding. If you were to purchase a new T.V. you’d expect it to come with a manual, some kind of instruction to get it set up, what to expect from it, and what kind of features there are. 

Similarly, a new employee should be well versed in the company culture and protocols, the so-called “rule book”. This prepares employees for what to expect when entering this new relationship. 

Using a HR information system is an effective way to make sure all employees have acknowledged and signed the handbook. Scheduling a video call to go over these documents will help create a more personal connection with your remote employee. 

Set Them Up for Success

Make sure that your remote employees have the tools they need to do their job successfully. Confirm that they have a dedicated working area within their home that they can use as a home office. 

If you have a budget in place for setting up a new employee’s home office, consider sending items like a printer, computer, paper and anything else they might need before their first day. This gives them plenty of time to get set up and prepared to start. 

Make Their First Day Special

On a new hire’s first in-person day at the office, you might show them around, introduce them to various employees, peers and upper-level staff. You might point out where the conference room is or the employee kitchen. 

With remote employees, it’s still important to make them feel comfortable and connected. Set up a “first day coffee chat” via video conferencing with your new employee. Encourage team members or managers to join in on the call. 

This is a great way to make “face to face” introductions, help them understand the team roles, and how they will fit into the mix. 

Check In

After a while, there might not be a need to check in with your employees on a frequent basis, however, starting a new position remotely can be isolating. Routine check-ins can be helpful in making sure your employee feels connected and understands their role.

Schedule regular check-in times and encourage them to ask questions. You don’t want to make them feel micromanaged, the goal is to find a balance between efficiency and proper acclimation.

Rely on the Right Technology

By automating onboarding, you’ll have more time to devote to making your new hires feel welcome and engaged, while setting them up for success within the organization.

Schedule a call today to discover how Counter Point HCM can help you source, hire, and onboard the right talent regardless of whether your team is remote, on-site, or hybrid.

Get Set for Success: Onboarding Best Practices

Posted on by jess

During a time of increasingly challenging talent acquisition and retention, organizations must find ways to gain a competitive advantage. A massive opportunity exists in creating exceptional employee experiences—from onboarding to offboarding.

These interactions have an enormous impact on your workforce (not to mention your organization’s reputation). Research from our human capital management (HCM) partner, isolved, finds that nearly half of employees have been tempted to leave a new job due to a negative onboarding experience.

And that’s not all…

  • 86% of employees say onboarding is important
  • 48% of employees say onboarding should be completed in the first month
  • 32% of employees say their current employer doesn’t offer a modern onboarding experience

First Impressions Matter

Onboarding is crucial for setting the stage for their success within an organization. It provides new hires with essential information, resources, and support to integrate seamlessly into their roles and the company culture. Effective onboarding fosters engagement, reduces turnover, and accelerates productivity. It does this by clarifying expectations, building relationships, and facilitating a smooth transition into the organization.

Starting a new job with a new company is an exciting prospect for employees. They have the chance to meet new team members, get immersed in a new company culture, and ultimately make their own unique imprint on the organization. With great excitement comes great expectations—and companies should have processes in place to deliver what their employees want.

Optimal Onboarding

Here are some tips for enhancing your onboarding experience:

Make it Snappy – A slow and disjointed onboarding process poorly reflects an organization. A new employee is ready to hit the ground running, and the onboarding process should provide a smooth and clear runway.

Streamline the Process – If a new hire feels like they’re on a scavenger hunt during their first days, they’re likely to get lost. Clear and concise communications are a must for new team members.

Deliver a Modern Experience – If you’re using outdated processes, like fax machines or physical signatures, your new hire might wonder which century their new employment home is operating in. A modern onboarding experience assures a new hire they’ve made the right decision to accept a position within your organization.

Utilize Built-In Tools – Leverage technology to automate employee eligibility I-9 forms and processes for new hires and hiring managers—giving them both valuable time back on their calendars.

Enable E-signatures – Enable new team members to breeze through documents like employee handbooks and non-disclosure agreements digitally with electronic signatures.

Automate Workflows – Implement, collect, track and store all forms and documents, including federal and state tax forms and prevent potential costly errors.

Power Up Self-Serve – Allow onboarding tasks to be completed from any device, at any time, and from any place. Provide a secure, self-service environment that empowers employees and saves your HR staff time and effort.

New hires are excited to join your team! Meet their excitement through a modern, streamlined onboarding experience that will ensure that feel valued, motivated and prepared to make a meaningful impact on your organization.

Learn more about how Counter Point HCM can help you better welcome new employees for better outcomes. Request a call today!