How to Create a Virtual Onboarding Program

There are a few aspects of the employee experience that HR professionals still need to adjust to this new way of working as we all continue to become used to the world of remote work.

How to manage onboarding remote personnel in these liminal periods is one urgent challenge. The response? a software for remote onboarding.

The first day of employment sets the tone for the remainder of the employee's tenure with your business. Even though you can't personally welcome your employees on their first day, you still want to present your business in the best possible light and make sure your new recruits have a tailored experience that positions them for a successful career with you.

Businesses must adapt their existing onboarding processes for a now-digital audience as we all move toward remote employment. Here is everything you need to keep in mind when designing your virtual onboarding experience, from welcome new recruits to fine-tuning benefits enrollment.

How does virtual onboarding work?

Onboarding online is extremely comparable to onboarding offline. It provides a general overview of your organization, including its mission, values, and operational objectives. The main distinction is that these meetings take place electronically.

Businesses utilize interactive exercises, interactive exercises with video, interactive exercises with webinars, interactive exercises with text, and interactive exercises that new recruits may access on their laptop, tablet, or mobile device and return long after onboarding is complete. No matter where they are, new hires can interact with you and get engaged with virtual onboarding, which also makes it simple to grow your current onboarding procedure to keep up with hiring rates and locate talent in new areas.

As businesses continue to adapt to the COVID-19 epidemic, many are switching to a 100% virtual onboarding process, but virtual onboarding frequently occurs in conjunction with in-person onboarding.

When it comes to onboarding employees, there is no one-size-fits-all method, and onboarding remote staff is no exception. You want to create a program that is authentic to your company's brand and culture and that also equips workers with the skills and information they need to succeed in their careers there.

Remote employee onboarding ought to be quite comparable to your in-person onboarding. You should have sessions to go through your employee handbook, internal regulations, and benefit programs as well as to explain your company's vision and basic values. Show them how to install software on their computers, how to obtain any necessary apps, and how to view their pay stubs. Give them a list of online compliance or skill training assignments they should do during their downtime.

However, don't think you have to go it alone.

Ask several department heads if they can send a member of their team to provide an overview of their division, what they do for the business, and what their team objectives are. This will facilitate their introduction to the organization and to staff members from various departments. In order for the managers of new hires to provide their teams an overview, lead new hires through their roles, assign tasks, and set performance targets, you should schedule remote meetings with the managers of new hires.

Last but not least, onboarding need to be a highly private process. You want to include your new recruit from the start because it is their first day at your organization. It may be much harder to win them over and help them feel like a member of the group if there is no face-to-face interaction.

Here are some strategies for overcoming such difficulties and creating an efficient, customized onboarding program that benefits your company:

1.Welcoming them to the Team

Even while remote employee onboarding takes place virtually, it doesn't have to be impersonal. Encourage the members of their new team to email the new recruits to help them feel at home straight away. Your team members can congratulate them on their new position and express their delight at having them join the group.

Encourage team leads to plan a virtual team lunch or happy hour within their first few days to assist them get to know their team more personally. Everyone will get a chance to meet your new employee, and your new employee will have a chance to get to know their new teammates on a personal level.

In order for the new employee to learn about other jobs on the team and comprehend how they will interact with their coworkers, managers should arrange quick 1:1 sessions between the new recruit and their colleagues. Make sure your new recruit is aware that they may see org charts in your human resources information system (HRIS) to better understand team dynamics before these sessions.

2.Pre-Boarding

You want your staff to be productive right away. Unfortunately, your new recruits may not be able to swiftly ramp up because of the paperwork involved in onboarding and the necessary trainings.

"Pre-boarding" is used in this situation.

The time between a job candidate signing their offer letter and their first day on the job is known as pre-boarding. You may think about include procedures like sending them a corporate laptop, setting up their email address, giving them access to your employee handbook, and gathering personal data in your own employee pre-boarding program. If your company uses a learning management system (LMS), you might wish to provide new hires training sessions to complete before their first day on the job. Just be aware that you might need to pay them for this time.

3.eSignature

During new recruit onboarding, paperwork is unavoidable, but when done correctly using eSignature, it can be quick and easy. Select a platform for people operations that enables your staff to access, amend, and submit important pre-hire paperwork from the convenience of their homes.

By making the onboarding process remote, you're upending the status quo, but don't forget to maintain your brand and culture. Make the most of the circumstance and prepare your new workers for a lengthy, prosperous career with your business.

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