Have you considered how dramatically the workforce has changed in the last 18 months? As a staffing provider for companies of various sizes and various locations, we have a birds-eye view that many leaders and HR professionals are just beginning to grasp sight of. Currently, the greatest challenges appear to exist among the smallest employers. Do you have a dedicated HR team with resources to roll out new technologies and methods for dealing with a remote workforce? If so, you are at an advantage. Remote and Hybrid work models aren’t something many people have been used to. Moreover, many are still struggling to make the mindset shift necessary to embrace the initiative to design and deploy a remote/hybrid workforce model. Whether you are in a position to delegate the job or if you are going to need to go it alone as a business leader in keeping up with the times, there are basic rules we have discovered to be effective in hiring within a workforce that is even partially remote. How do you go about the hiring process? How do you bring someone onto your team in a virtual environment and effectively help them to acclimate and feel a connection with your team? This is a critical step. It isn’t uncommon for people to end up feeling “disconnected” in a remote position. That is one of the most important considerations if you want to avoid disengagement and turnover. Here are some of our tips on how to structure your onboarding process to ensure you build a collaborative and connected team that will stay engaged.
- Have a clear-cut routine. Regardless of what your onboarding process looks like, there needs to be a consistent structure. Make sure that every aspect of your onboarding process looks the same for every new hire that joins the team. Structure allows you to stick with what works best for your company and makes sure that everyone starts off on the same page when joining.
- Use video conferencing. Make sure that your team is using video conferencing tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams. Especially in the onboarding process, new hires need to feel a personal connection which is very hard to do without face-to-face interaction. You may not be able to train them in person but using video conferencing is the next best option. Employees will feel more comfortable and it will make for a smoother transition.
- Communicate goals and expectations. As a leader, you should clearly communicate what is expected of the new hire in terms of their role and responsibilities, and what goals you have for them and what they have for themselves. Facilitate meetings that cover employee expectations, and implement check-ins as they progress through the onboarding process to ensure that you and your employees are on the same page.
- Make them feel like part of the team and promote collaboration. One of the hardest aspects of starting a new job remotely is establishing a relationship with your teammates. As a leader, you should frequently be promoting collaboration and having other members of the teamwork with them throughout the onboarding process. Encouraging other team members and managers to be part of the training process will allow for more interaction and ultimately more social opportunities for the new hire. Here are some virtual team-building activities that every remote leader can utilize!
- Allow a platform for questions. When starting any role, a new hire will have lots of questions that are frequently coming up. Your company should have an easy-to-use and convenient messaging system so that when questions pop up, they can easily be asked and answered. You should also make it clear to employees who they should be asking questions, depending on what their questions are related to. Messaging systems like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Chat allow for a quick and easy question and response system.
- Celebrate successes. Employees want to feel appreciated; feeling appreciated leads to higher satisfaction in the role and overall higher productivity. Celebrate every new hire’s successes as they come up, whether they are big or small. As they continue to learn and grow in their role, be aware of the progress they’re making and congratulate them in different ways. This could include referencing their achievements in a team meeting or in a team messaging channel, or reaching out to them personally and congratulating them! Here are the best ways to show employee appreciation in the workplace.
For more tips on all things remote leading and hiring, check out our Employer Tips
