- Designate someone who will communicate with the new employee in terms of the expectations of their first day, first month, and beyond. Consider assigning the new employee a mentor or ‘buddy’ in their department who will check in regularly and answer any questions.
- Consider having a representative from upper management meet the new hire. Showing they are valued in the organization will help new employees feel welcomed and motivated. Ensure consistent communication and updates from company leaders.
- Digitize your onboarding process. Utilize the tools available to you by amalgamating onboarding documents and welcome packages into organized PDF documents that can be easily shared digitally.
- Arrange to have a laptop configured and shipped to their home in a timely manner, and coordinate secure sharing of any profile logins or passwords. Avoid setting up systems over video conference— the more you can do in advance, the better.
- Plan for e-learning. Review any training that will need to be modified in order to be shared virtually— can you provide visual aids, are you able to effectively screen share? Does your company provide training videos or links? Consider recording and sharing real-time videos of your processes if not readily available.
- Set out clear and concise expectations of remote work. How can they prepare? Do they have a strong Wi-Fi connection and a quiet space to work?
- Consider welcoming new hires through a virtual conference call with team members, in addition to a welcome letter including information the new employee should be aware of (i.e., any insurance benefits policies, team member contact information, company policies, etc.).
- During the employee’s first couple weeks, plan for individual introductions to each of their teammates. Can you set up a virtual on camera coffee date with key team members? Leverage your digital tools to foster community within your company and reduce isolation while working remotely.
- Assign the new employee a series of tasks that they can complete within their first week, utilizing their new training. Plan ahead to provide either concise written instruction, or clear instruction via videoconference. When delivering any new tasks or training, be sure to check in frequently with the new employee.
