Best Ways to Onboard Remote Employees

In the past year, more people than ever before have enjoyed the pleasures of working from home. During the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of businesses had to move their operation online. A recent study shows that nearly 25% of American employees will work from home in 2021. As a business owner, using remote employees is a great way to fill vacancies without spending a ton of money.

If you want to ensure the success of your new remote employees, your main goal should be properly training them. Ignoring the need for proper training can lead to lulls in productivity and a host of other problems. This is why you need to dedicate time and resources to adequately onboarding your remote employees. Here are some things you need to keep in mind when trying to properly onboard remote team members.

Develop a Getting Started Checklist

Assuming that your new remote employees know what is expected of them is a horrible idea. This assumption can lead to lots of confusion, which is why you need to iron out the details of what a new employee needs to do to remove any doubts. The best way to do this is by developing a “getting started” checklist for these employees. This checklist needs to include any login credentials that team members will need to access the remote content.

 

Many businesses use software like GoCo to make onboarding easier and more detailed. Once your remote team member completes their GoCo journey, they will have full knowledge of what they need to do to hit the ground running in their new position. The longer you wait to get a “getting started” checklist in place, the harder it will be to give your remote team members the tools they need to be successful. Embracing the power of technology and old-fashioned communication can help you, onboard remote team members, with ease.

Virtually Recreate In-Office Experiences

If you are a business owner who is relatively new to the world of hiring remote employees, there are a few adjustments you need to make. In the past, all of the various tasks involved in onboarding a new employee were done in the office setting. Since your remote employees will be working from home, you need to find a way to recreate the most important in-office experiences.

 

One of the best ways to recreate the in-office experience of introducing a team member to other members of your staff is by using video chat software. With the help of programs like Zoom or Skype, you can schedule a face-to-face interaction with your new remote employee. You also need to think about providing your new remote employee with a mentor they can chat with if they have a problem. With the help of this mentor, your remote employee can acclimate to their new work environment and start to be productive.

Help Your Remote Employee Out with A Schedule

Starting a new job can be both very exciting and a bit confusing. When remote employees first start working for your company, they will be confused about what they need to be doing on a daily basis. Until a remote employee is comfortable and confident in their new role, it is your job as a business owner to help them out. One of the best things you can do when onboarding a new remote employee is to provide them with a detailed schedule for the first week or so.

 

This schedule should be as detailed as possible. For instance, if you are requiring a new remote employee to do work on a cloud-sharing platform, you need to put what this assignment is and login credentials for the website. By leaving no stone unturned with the creation of this schedule, you can reduce the confusion a new remote employee has when first starting to work for your business.

Make Yourself Accessible To New Employees

On average, a new remote employee will have a number of questions about their role with your company, assignments, due dates, etc. If your remote team member is unable to get these answers, they may get frustrated. Allowing remote team members to linger with unanswered questions can also be problematic when trying to get projects completed in a hurry.

 

Making yourself or a member of your management staff access to your remote team members is crucial when trying to properly onboard them. Providing a remote team member with a direct way to contact you or a member of management allows them to get answers to their questions right away. You also need to make a point of checking in with new remote team members in their first couple of weeks to ensure they have what they need to be productive.

 

By implementing the tips in this article, you should have no problem onboarding new remote employees.

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