Virtual onboarding is a new frontier for some companies. Even when an employee will work remotely, their first day is often at an onsite location with face-to-face time with HR professionals, hiring managers, and colleagues. However, companies around the
world are adjusting their onboarding procedures in the current environment to continue a positive candidate experience and make sure new employees are acclimatized to the remote office culture. Over the last month, LevelUP has supported our clients in building their virtual onboarding procedures and policies. Here are a few of the best practices we have identified along the way:
Get the right tools to your hire on time.
Laptop, phone, monitor(s), software access, etc. While it seems a simple step to get tools to new hires, it takes coordination between hiring managers, HR, IT, and the new employee. For instance, understanding if IT needs to configure assets before they are sent to the new hire is an important consideration. Have a timetable for how long it will take to get the employee's critical assets to them and determine the start date accordingly. A new hire's first virtual day will most likely be delayed if their assets are not delivered on time.
Be sure to confirm the candidate's address before you begin coordinating with IT and hiring managers. The address listed on their resume may not be where they are currently residing.
Collect required paperwork in a secure and proper manner.
Hiring can create a mountain of paperwork. Many HR offices are not 100 percent paperless, and some documents, like I-9s, have traditionally required in-person verification. Throughout the years, LevelUP has helped companies adopt technology and workflows for paperless efficiency. While there are many ways to approach digitizing your documentation, you can start as simply as changing your current forms to be filled in digitally, using e-signature software.
Think beyond the first day.
You can easily keep your orientation schedule the same as your typical in-person orientation through the use of virtual meetings and training. That said, consider the benefits for candidates and those involved with onboarding to spread activities across several days or even a week. This will create a natural structure for the new hire while they become familiar with your company while working from home and will allow more opportunities for interaction with key stakeholders. Stretching out onboarding activities does not mean it has to be more time intensive. Messages from company leaders can be prerecorded and scheduled throughout the week.
Hiring/direct managers play a critical role in the successful onboarding of new team members, whether the onboarding takes place virtually or in person. In fact, 72% of employees surveyed by Enboarder said one-on-one time with their direct manager is the most important aspect of any pre-boarding or onboarding process. When designing onboarding programs, we encourage managers to allow for one-on-one time and create actionable tasks to get the new hire enmeshed in their team, projects, and workflows. Implementing and supporting buddy systems and encouraging scheduled virtual social activities like virtual coffee breaks, casual lunches, or happy hours are all great ways to ensure a new hire feels connected and engaged.
Follow up.
With any new program or process, it is important to gather feedback and make adjustments accordingly. Throughout orientation, check in with all involved stakeholders – HR managers, presenters, hiring managers, and new hires. At LevelUP, we continuously look for ways to improve. Gather feedback through quick surveys or ad hoc conversations.
Conclusion: Take this opportunity to improve onboarding overall.
With change, there is an opportunity for growth. Whether you have wanted to digitize your documentation or get high-level leaders involved in new employee orientation, the changes you make to accommodate virtual onboarding will undoubtedly benefit your company going forward.
If you are looking to optimize your talent acquisition program, the experts at LevelUP Human Capital Solutions can provide objective consultation. Contact us to start the conversation.
