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Working remotely has become increasingly popular over the past decade. Upwork estimated that by 2025, 22% of the workforce in America will work remotely. But with the shift to remote work comes the challenge of onboarding remote employees. It can be difficult to make sure your new hires feel comfortable and part of the team when they’re miles away, working from their home office or from a co-working space.
Set Clear ExpectationsÂ
You should also make sure that remote employees have access to the necessary resources to do their job, such as software and support. Make sure to communicate the company’s values and mission, and the importance of upholding them. It’s also important to be clear about the team’s expectations for communication, collaboration, and meeting deadlines.
Finally, make sure to provide them with clear and consistent feedback on their performance, and ensure they have the resources they need to do their job. Doing these things will help remote employees feel part of the team and help them to succeed.
Establish a Company CultureÂ
Onboarding remote employees can be an excellent way to expand your team without the cost of relocating them. To ensure that remote employees quickly feel part of the team, it’s important to establish the company culture early. Make sure they know the company’s goals and mission, and that they understand the company values like honesty, integrity, dependability, and respect. This will help us avoid such pitfalls as gossips and politics at work.
Try to get them involved in team activities such as virtual happy hours or video conference meetings to promote team bonding and collaboration. This is especially important if your company is a high growth startup where the long hours and loneliness of remote working may make those employees feel burnt out.
Provide Necessary ResourcesÂ
Providing the necessary resources is key to successful remote onboarding. Make sure new hires have access to all the tools they need to do their job, such as laptops, software, and even office supplies. Depending on the industry, they may need additional resources such as training materials or access to certain databases, or even some tips to avoid cybersecurity attacks while working.
Consider whether they may need additional support, such as a mentor or a supervisor to help them acclimate. Additionally, you should make sure they have all the relevant information required to do their job, such as a list of contacts, job descriptions, and reference materials. With the right resources in place, remote employees can hit the ground running and start making a valuable contribution to your team.
Facilitate CollaborationÂ
One of the best ways to facilitate collaboration with remote employees is to invest in a cloud-based project management platform such as Trello, ClickUp or Notion. This will give you the ability to assign tasks, set deadlines, and track progress in real-time. Team members will be able to collaborate on documents, give feedback, and provide updates in a shared workspace. There are also plenty of video conferencing tools available to help facilitate communication between remote employees, Google Meet and Zoom being the most famous ones.
By setting up a video conferencing system, you can create a consistent team culture and make sure everyone is on the same page. Make sure you remote employees also know the Dos and Don’t of videoconferencing.
Monitor Progress
Monitoring progress of remote employees is essential to ensure that they stay on track and meet deadlines. To do this, set up weekly check-ins as part of your onboarding process. During these check-ins, have the remote employee set goals for the week and review the progress they have made since their last check-in. You can also have them provide you with updates on any challenges they may be facing, so you can offer support if needed. Having regular check-ins will help you to stay connected with your remote employees and it will also help them to stay motivated.
