It’s widely accepted that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to remote work across many industries. Although leaders agree a remote strategy is critical for future growth and success, few have one in place.
Only 19% of business leaders report having a remote work strategy in place before COVID-19 — the rest are working to build one, according to the latest research by Terminal.
Gartner defines onboarding as the business process that organizations execute from the point at which a job applicant has accepted an offer of employment to the point at which the new employee is productive at work.
Understanding the following 3 key points can mean the difference between deftly navigating the rising tide of remote work opportunities or struggling to stay afloat–clinging to an onboarding process that needs to be less clunky for managers and new team members.
Build a structured program
Creating a structured onboarding program is key to successful remote team management. Recent research by Terminal confirms that 1 in 3 organizations lack a centralized way of managing the remote processes of their teams.
The goal of onboarding is to help new team members feel welcome and confident they have the resources and support they need to get up to speed in their new role as quickly as possible.
Technology can go a long way toward bridging the distance between team members. 2 in 3 leaders report they’ve developed or employed productivity tools for remote employees, according to research by Terminal.
While tools like DocuSign can streamline new hire paperwork management, It’s also critical to integrate company communication tools like Slack or Zoom into the onboarding process to give new team members a chance to get familiar with important information channels.
However, reliance on technology shouldn’t be a substitute for well-thought-out processes and policies.
A well-defined onboarding program will help set expectations, highlight communication channels, and introduce new hires to the rest of the team.
Communication and check-ins
Remote team members can often feel somewhat disconnected from other team members. It’s important to provide clear expectations early on in the onboarding process to create solid benchmarks for performance.
According to research by Terminal, 44% of leaders say WFH policies during COVID-19 helped improve proactive communications
Real-time communication tools are a better choice than asynchronous options like E-mail. Kicking off day one with a video Q&A is a great opportunity to formalize expectations and encourage new members to ask questions and give feedback on their experience as they settle into their new roles.
Communication and manager check-ins are key to creating an effective onboarding program.
New team members are likely to feel uncomfortable bringing attention to problems that arise in the onboarding process. Regular check-ins via video chat help facilitate connections and simple Q&A with new hires. This approach allows new team members to ask questions and offer feedback.
Regular check-ins provide great opportunities for added direction and feedback during onboarding. These quick chats also help newbies acclimate to their new company culture and build important connections with other team members.
Support for remote culture
Creating opportunities to promote a strong remote culture during training is one of the most challenging elements to get right when bringing new hires on board. A recent study from Terminal confirms, only 27% of respondents thought that they had a strong remote culture
Why is this important–why should HR leaders and managers care if their organization creates a strong remote culture?
Traditional on-site culture benefits include team-building activities, company-sponsored social events, and casual chats around the office. 46% of leaders say remote work has created fewer casual moments among employees for on-the-job learning, yet Nearly 1 in 5 have no plans to take specific action to promote creativity and innovation among remote workers, according to research by Terminal.
Fewer formal and informal on-site opportunities for team members to interact means support for more remote-friendly options will help take the place of those dearly missed water cooler chats and hi-fives in the hallway.
Encouraging the team to connect and introduce themselves a bit during the onboarding process can help new team members build stronger and longer-lasting bonds with their teams. Team members that feel a strong connection to other team members are more dedicated to organizational goals, less likely to quit, and more productive in general.
As the momentum of the work-from-home (WFH) trend continues to shape commercial environments, the need for remote team strategies that bring team members together and help fuel productivity will continue to be a top priority. Organizations that adapt to the new remote work normal by developing better processes for communication, organization, and collaboration are guaranteed to attract more top talent, build a stronger remote culture, and set new team members up with all the tools they need for success.
