READ TIME – 3 MINUTES
With offices closed yet again and employees remote working during this latest lockdown, recruiting and remote onboarding of new staff can bring with it new challenges…
Firms are having to be reactive in adapting to digital processes in order to get new team members up and running quickly when remote onboarding, whilst still observing lockdown rules.
If you’ve overcome the challenge of virtual recruitment (Click here to read our blog offering practical advice for remote hiring), it’s time to think about onboarding. This previously would have involved a great deal of face-to-face time, especially in larger departments where teamwork and collaboration are vital.
But this is still being achieved successfully remotely.
All you need is a clear plan, the right technology and a touch of flexibility on both sides. Here are our top 5 tips for bringing new starters on board outside of the office:
1. Get New Starters Online as Soon as Possible
The sooner your new starter is online and connected with the team, the sooner they can start to learn the ropes. But before you can do this, you’ll face arguably your biggest hurdle – getting the right equipment to the employee. You may need to consider sending equipment by post, or arranging a contactless drop-off or collection.
2. Digitise All Documentation
There’s usually a pile of paperwork involved in onboarding, from contracts and induction documentation to new starter handbooks, company guidelines and much more. This information should probably be online anyway, so now is the ideal time to get it sorted. While you get the tech set up, send over relevant documentation so that your new starter can get reading and get to grips with the basics.
3. Get Introduced
By now we’re sure you’ve mastered the art of productive Zoom calls. So ensuring regular Zoom or Skype meetings with the team are held is essential for integrating a new starter into the business. Remember that a new employee would normally have a lot of face-to-face time, but this can’t happen at the moment. You can compensate by scheduling in plenty of video conferencing time with your new team member.
4. Use Screensharing and Other Tools to Mentor New Employees
Most new starters have a lot of reading to do, but too much text can prove monotonous. It also doesn’t help your new staff learn your processes, the real-world detail of their role or how to use your knowledge base.
Use screen sharing tools to walk your new employee through actions and processes, along with annotated images and video. This can be really effective – in fact, research has found that 83% of office workers want to see something in action in order to learn it. Click here to find out more about the benefits of screen sharing with new – and current – employees.
5. Sign up for Virtual Sales Training
While doing some things remotely can be a pain, training doesn’t have to be. If you’ve recently recruited a new junior employee, manager or team leader, sign them up for virtual training. Specialists here at AvA-V already offer dynamic, effective professional training for teams that can’t get to the classroom in person, and all remote courses can be tailored to your needs and scheduled for a time that suits you.
So, while you can’t train your new team members in the office, you can still ensure their personal and professional development using remote learning.