The Ultimate Guide to Remote Onboarding

By Brett Jackson, Systemax

You only get one chance at a first impression. Whether you are onboarding a new client or a new employee, it is critical that your Day 1 Email to thank & welcome new client and provide contact information process is one that communicates effectively even Email to banker to remind about writing thank you note & sending gift when they are not in person. Unfortunately, the pandemic has changed the way we think about these procedures forever. Who would have thought that employees and customers wearing a mask into Day 3 Online banking training video the bank would be commonplace? It is time to recalibrate our onboarding processes for the future.

The remote onboarding process is foreign territory for most managers but understanding a few tips and tricks will allow your first few critical weeks to operate flawlessly.

Bringing on a new customer is a pivotal time in a new business relationship and the goal is to launch seamlessly into your working relationship. Precautions such as travel restrictions and social distancing guidelines has shifted the way we think about the start of this exciting relationship, but it does not have to. By developing a seamless customer onboarding experience that optimizes new account conversions while defending against fraud tactics is essential.

Creating an automated onboarding checklist will ensure that welcome communication, agreements, and material requests are all executed and keep everyone organized and on the same page. To avoid digital onboarding overwhelm, make every step as simplistic as possible. Think about also including videos within your process. Many find videos an easy way to walk customers through a process. Get creative with it. Take it as an opportunity to share your culture and create an experience for your new customer. After your initial tasks have been completed, following up with dynamic emails, texts or even phone calls can continue to strengthen your relationship.

One advantage to automating your client onboarding process is to allow your cross-selling drip campaign to follow on the back end. You certainly have other product lines that would be advantageous to your new customer, so it is worthwhile to enter them into your drip campaign to ensure you stay front and center. Try incorporating a success story, share interviews, and other information about your existing clients to build additional trust and promote your bank.

Examining your employee onboarding process in this new normal is also critical.

Many banks have several staff working off site which can lead to isolation and a culture void. Typical employee onboarding plans could be lengthy and moving it to a remote plan could seem daunting, but it does not have to be. Moving to an automated digital strategy of onboarding employees can allow a much swifter transition time. Automated alerts can prompt hiring managers every step of the way. It may begin with emailing your corporate video where they can soak up your culture, then a week later it could prompt the manager to coordinate a virtual lunch date with your new hire.

Sending a box of your swag, providing a link to your brand store and allowing them to order their business cards, taking a picture of their physical office at the branch to give them a sense of what you created for them; these are all ideas of what you can incorporate into your new hire plan to make them feel as welcome as “remotely” possible. Once you have determined the steps within your perfect onboarding hiring process, it is as simple as initiating the process.

No matter what your role is at the bank, time is something that you always need more of. By utilizing marketing automation technology your customer and employee onboarding tasks is the ultimate way to put time back in your day. Allowing these processes to run in the background to prompt you only when needed, provides an amazing experience when new employees or clients are welcomed into your culture.

About the author: Brett Jackson is CEO of Systemax. Visit www.systemaxsolutions. com. IBA Associate Member