Current trends show a clear shift toward remote work. As of 2023, 12.7% of United States full-time employees work fully remote. By 2025, this number is expected to reach around 22%. That’s roughly 32.6 million American workers. Additionally, 16% of all companies already operate fully online, without a physical office. Yet, even if working exclusively from home is in high demand, it’s still a fairly new phenomenon.
While working from home offers many benefits for employees, it also removes some of the important aspects of in-office work environments, such as getting to know one’s manger more personally, having impromptu conversations around the office, and bonding with coworkers in-person. One of the biggest hits happened to the onboarding experience as remote onboarding makes it harder to foster new work relationships and alleviate new hire anxiety.
However, it doesn’t have to be this way. Remote onboarding can still provide the engagement and welcome of in-office onboarding with the right tools and strategies in place.
11 tips for onboarding remote employees
Many human resources (HR) departments will attest that remote employee onboarding is more challenging than the on-site alternative. This process is more than just ensuring the remote hire has a laptop, a smartphone, and an internet connection to do their job. They also need to have equal access to most of the company’s resources to be integrated into the team and company culture.
Regardless of whether a new hire works in the office, at home, or a mixture of both, every employee must have a consistent onboarding experience. Here’s a list of top tips for remote employee onboarding.
#1: Start with inclusion
The first day of work can be challenging and nerve-racking for anyone. This is especially true for remote hires who don’t get to meet their peers in person. Hiring managers and HR departments need to take this into consideration and help remote team members feel included right from the start.
This gesture can also take place before the new employee’s first day. A pre-boarding process is an effective way of getting to meet face-to-face, albeit in a virtual environment. A quick one-on-one video call before the actual start date can help put their mind at ease and help them prepare for their first week at their new job.
Some companies even send their new hires a “care package” filled with company swag, personalized welcome notes, and other branded gifts linking to the company’s mission. These small tokens of appreciation will make them feel welcome and part of the team, even if they’re hundreds of miles away.
#2: Get tech out of the way
HR should place requisitions in advance for any laptops, smartphones, tablets, or other tech equipment the new remote hire will need to do their job effectively. These should reach the employee before their actual start date so they can hit the ground running on day one. Keep in mind that mobile learning is an effective way to teach remote hires how to access the resources they need in an on-demand, user-friendly format.
You’ll also need to send them clear instructions on how to:
- Connect to the company server
- Use various digital tools
- Access their email and other user accounts
Contact tech support.
This will allow them to get their bearings and relieve some of that first-day anxiety.
#3: Connect to the company
An effective remote onboarding process should begin by providing new hires with a general overview of the company culture, mission, values, products, and services.
Despite not being in the office, remote employees still need to feel connected to the company’s culture. You can do this by sending them your employee handbook, as well as other literature highlighting your company mission and values. You can also send them photos or videos of your all-hands meetings or various behind-the-scenes events. Be sure the materials you share show how their contributions, although remote, will still fit into the broader picture of the company.
At this stage, you’ll also need to share workplace policies, holidays, workflows, schedules, learning and development opportunities, and other administrative details. An employee onboarding checklist can help to make sure all bases are covered and all necessary paperwork is completed in a timely manner.
#4: Set realistic goals and expectations
As many remote employees will attest, working from home can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it can grant more schedule flexibility, which can improve one’s work-life balance. It also avoids the morning and evening commute, effectively giving them back hours in the day. But on the other hand, people might keep working long after the office has officially closed. In time, this can lead to chronic stress and burnout.
Remote employees are already susceptible to burnout given their isolation from the rest of the team. Another major factor is a lack of structure and ambiguity surrounding their goals and expectations. It’s for this reason that new remote hires should have a clear picture in terms of what they need to achieve and in what timeframe.
In other words, you need to implement a SMART goal framework. SMART refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound, and leave very little room for new hires to second-guess themselves.
This framework allows remote employees to acclimate to their new role better, build momentum quicker, and stay motivated. Regular check-ins on your part will ensure the new hire’s workload is not overwhelming and they’re able to maintain a good work-life balance.
#5: Assign a mentor or onboarding buddy
It’s very easy for those working from home to become isolated and disconnected from the rest of the organization. Mentoring and onboarding buddy programs are a great way for new hires to get to know the company culture better, understand its values, and keep their focus on the mission.
Mentors can also act as guides in their professional development and upskilling, giving them further incentive to perform in their new roles. In fact, 90% of workers are happier at their job because they have a mentor. Mentoring surpasses even wage increases as a retention factor.
While a mentor can be a manager or someone in a higher position than the new hire, an onboarding buddy is usually a peer. Buddies are who the new hire can turn to when they have questions, need support, or are unsure of how to navigate workplace culture. Basically, they offer a safe space for employees to ask questions they don’t feel comfortable asking others. This helps build camaraderie and foster strong relationships.
Although buddies don’t necessarily need to have more work experience, they do need to embody the company’s core values and like helping others with the seemingly small stuff. An effective onboarding plan typically includes both a mentor and a buddy system. If that’s not possible, try to have at least one.
#6: Foster a supportive environment
For new hires to have a great remote onboarding experience, they need to connect with their new team members ASAP. This is critical for remote teams. Since they don’t get the same chances as on-site hires to have in-person contact with their peers, the company’s culture and messaging will not get across as easily.
Hold regular virtual team meetings starting the first week. This gives remote employees a peek into how your business operates on a day-to-day basis, such as the formality level, messaging and communication norms, video-conferencing etiquette, etc.
Don’t leave this process to flow organically, hoping they’ll learn informally, as you would with an on-site team. With limited in-person interactions, remote hires will often be left guessing, increasing their anxiety. Consider creating a virtual space, like a Slack channel, where employees can ask and answer questions, voice their opinions, and get to know each other better. Monthly cross-departmental meetings also help develop a belonging with the whole organization.
#7: Get the entire organization excited about the new hire
If current employees don’t see what value the new remote employee brings to the table, it’s unlikely they’ll be excited to receive them. So, articulate how the new team member will contribute to the company’s overall success.
To further boost their excitement, be sure to highlight who the new hire is as a person. It’s often easy to forget there’s an actual person there, especially in a remote work environment. You can do this by announcing the new hire’s abilities and who they are as people. Invite your recruits to share a bit about themselves to see if they have any shared interests with the rest of the team.
It’s often easier to form stronger connections between peers if there are more than just job responsibilities to share.
#8: Set up virtual coffee breaks and lunches
Coffee breaks and lunches between colleagues in an office setting are common. They form the basis for every workplace’s social ecosystem by providing ample opportunity for new team members to mingle more casually and form cohesive relationships faster.
In a remote work environment, though, such breaks are virtually nonexistent. You can, however, organize a “boss is taking us out to lunch” video call during the first week of the onboarding process having an informal one-on-one to get to know each other better outside of one’s professional role.
#9: Celebrate milestones
Even something seemingly as insignificant as a handshake, a pat on the back, or other small gestures of recognition can do wonders for someone’s morale. They can also boost employee loyalty and retention, encourage innovation, and foster a culture of excellence. This is particularly beneficial for new remote hires whose work can easily go unnoticed.
By highlighting and celebrating their achievements, no matter how small, you can also shorten their time-to-productivity. You can do this by:
- Recapping the new hire’s wins and milestones at the end of every quarter
- Sharing how their contributions helped drive the business forward
- Gathering information from those working directly with the remote employee about their achievements
Combined, these small actions can generate a lot of motivation for a new hire. It’s always a good idea to encourage a company culture that’s based on mutual encouragement so that everyone can benefit.
#10: Make learning collaborative
When new hires come together to work on a group project, it offers them the possibility to form stronger bonds with their peers and provides an opportunity to learn from each other. There are many benefits of social learning, particularly for remote workers who likely lack engaging social interactions throughout their work day. Collaborative learning is also helpful for new hires who can learn from the expertise of veteran employees. You can facilitate collaborative learning with a platform like Docebo. Its social learning capabilities provide a single place where people can ask questions and get the answers they need. It also catalogs and shares knowledge and user-generated content across the entire business. It’s especially beneficial for remote hires who can access these so-called learning pills on demand.
By encouraging collaborative learning, your workforce will begin bettering itself through its cumulative experience. Think of it as another form of ongoing team building.
#11: Invest in a good LMS to power your onboarding program
A learning management system (LMS) is a software solution that allows businesses to design, manage, and provide digital learning material to their employees. Employee training is a key part of any effective onboarding program. It’s especially beneficial for remote employees who have little to no in-person interaction with other staff members from whom they can learn.
Reports show that 94% of workers would stay longer with a company if it offered more learning and professional development opportunities. Aside from the social learning capabilities mentioned earlier, you can also use an onboarding LMS to:
- Act as a repository for all employee knowledge gathered throughout the years
- Easily produce and distribute training course materials to both on-site and remote employees
- Boost new employee experience and retention through gamification, instead of relying on outdated PowerPoints
- Create and manage personalized learning content for individual learners based on job roles or experience
- Track learner progress and course effectiveness in real-time
- Generate reports based on actionable data for better decision-making
By investing in a professional, cloud-based LMS like Docebo, you can increase the speed, effectiveness, accessibility, and outcomes of your remote training program.
Now that you know how to better tackle remote employee onboarding, let’s take a quick look at some of the challenges of this process.
Common challenges of onboarding new hires remotely
Remote onboarding presents a set of unique challenges that hiring managers and HR departments need to take into consideration.
Among the most common are the following:
- Technical issues, such as problems with account creation or delayed equipment delivery, can stall the remote onboarding process. Your onboarding team must minimize this risk by addressing it before the actual start date.
- Lack of in-person communication leads to misunderstandings that can often arise in a remote work environment. Address this by providing clear goals, milestones, and expectations from day one. Onboarding buddies also help in this regard.
- Isolation from the rest of the team can lead to a lack of engagement and even burnout. Conduct regular check-ins and encourage communication between coworkers. Create designated channels for new employees to interact and share their ideas and experiences.
- A lack of direction and assistance can lead new remote hires to quit their job after only a few months. Assign them a mentor and provide them with a comprehensive training program to increase engagement and retention.
Although remote onboarding is a bit more tricky, it can be done effectively with the right strategy and technology.
Onboard new employees the right way with a powerful LMS
Modern software solutions can help you optimize your onboarding process and reach new levels of effectiveness. A professional LMS will turn your new remote employees into true performers and long-standing team members who’ll embody your company’s culture and values. Schedule a demo with Docebo today and see what a powerful LMS can do for you.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
For more questions, here are some quick answers.
Q1. What is remote onboarding?
Remote onboarding is the official process of incorporating a new team member into the organization who will be working away from the office. Unlike on-site onboarding, remote onboarding is typically done online instead of through in-person interactions.
Q2. How long should remote onboarding take?
Although onboarding can last up to a year, until the new hire reaches peak productivity, most onboarding-related processes are typically done within the first few weeks. The first two weeks typically ease the new hire into their workflows, while the third is generally designated for training.