Kimberly Anderberg of Fort Worth, TX is a travel and business news contributor. In the following article, Kimberly Anderberg discusses the new trend of remote onboarding of new employees, and what successful businesses are doing to smoothly manage the process.
The staggering amount of people working from home is no longer breaking news. Kimberly Anderberg explains that these remote workers are adapting to the new normal and becoming part of an office team without meeting their fellow employees in person or ever setting foot into the company headquarters.
Ten years ago, this would be inconceivable. But now, remote onboarding is here to stay. And business owners must adapt by making the onboarding process easier for management and employees.
Although this type of onboarding presents new challenges from an employer’s perspective, it also presents new opportunities. Kimberly Anderberg notes that employers will be able to reach out to wider audiences instead of hiring locally. They’ll also save money on energy costs since it means one less person utilizing the office space.
However, if a new employee joins the workforce remotely, there’s a chance they’ll feel like an outsider because they’re not in the room with everyone else. As a result, this could discourage the employee unless the onboarding process is carried out effectively.
Kimberly Anderberg explains that to ensure that new employees feel fully integrated from the moment they join, are enthusiastic about working remotely, and stay motivated, consider these three tips for remote onboarding of new employees.
1. Onboarding Technology
According to a UK’s Office for National Statistics survey, almost half of London works from home. Many individuals refuse to go into the office, even part-time. This makes the onboarding process a bit difficult since you can’t meet face-to-face with the person you’re considering hiring.
Fortunately, Kimberly Anderberg says there are tech solutions that make the onboarding process easier. Let’s take tech startup, Sona, for example. This business app streamlines the HR onboarding process and offers a way to develop connections with the HR manager without meeting in person. The employee app features live schedule views, holiday booking, and team messaging.
If you’re an employer looking for a way to fully integrate remote employees, don’t be afraid to integrate this onboarding technology.
2. Virtual Introductions
Kimberly Anderberg says one of the most challenging parts of remote onboarding is ensuring that your new employee feels part of a team. This is much more of a challenge when they can only meet people virtually.
To streamline the process, we suggest hosting virtual introductions. Have every team member connect virtually as opposed to only some. This way, the person working remotely won’t feel like an outsider. Having an entire team sitting at a conference room table with one person contacted virtually can lead to feelings of isolation as a result.
The same goes when you plan events. Consider socializing virtually, whether that’s through a messaging app or computer game where you can all connect.
Kahoot! is another popular way to get to know each other by having a quiz on the company, team members, and just random but fun trivia.
3. Kimberly Anderberg on Helping Your New Employees Stay Productive
Kimberly Anderberg explains that productivity is one of the biggest challenges when working remotely. Undoubtedly, working from home poses difficulties to stay motivated, productive, and deliver the right results. New employees should understand the challenges remote work will bring and tackle them head-on.
As the employer, you can improve employee productivity by providing the right equipment to on-site and remote workers alike. While the type of equipment needed varies, consider providing your employees with the following:
- Work laptop
- High-quality camera
- Great microphone
- White noise machine
You might even consider reimbursing the employee for a quality desk and comfortable chair. This way, they can work comfortably at home, in a way that won’t cause them discomfort.
Final Thoughts
Remember, many of your new employees will be joining a workforce remotely for the first time – so you must remain aware of their needs says Kimberly Anderberg. Help them adjust to their new role by using quality onboarding technology, virtual introductions, and productivity strategies.
Many of your remote teams will be living and working in different environments and contexts; as long as you remain sensitive to this, you’ll deliver a successful onboarding experience for everyone involved.
