Streamlining New Employee Onboarding In A Remote/Hybrid Work Environment: The Ultimate Guide!

What is employee onboarding?

"Onboarding” is how new personnel get absorbed into the organization. It comprises activities that allow new workers to go through the initial new-hire orientation program and discover the organization's culture, environment, vision, mission, and values.

All new employees are onboarded, although the quality of the onboarding varies. Per Brandon Hall Research, a good onboarding process can increase employee retention by 82% and productivity by 70%. Too often, onboarding training for new employees comprises providing documents to a new employee and having a supervisor or HR expert tour the individual around the facilities, making ad hoc introductions. Onboarding, carried out correctly, builds the groundwork for long-term success for both the employee and the organization. It can boost productivity, increase loyalty and engagement, and help people succeed early in their careers with the new company.

The current state of Onboarding

Today, onboarding training for new employees has changed dramatically. This shift occurred out of necessity, compelling everyone to pivot to maintain a thread of continuity as the virus spread over the world.

What sort of effect did the changes have? When the pandemic struck, 82% of workers who had previously worked in an office switched to working from home. Only half of those have a timetable for when they might be able to return to the office.

Furthermore, we had to learn how to adapt and survive in the face of numerous changes that occurred virtually daily. When these were combined with the reality that new employee aspirations are higher than ever, HR professionals dug in their heels. They devised methods to provide employees with memorable and engaging experiences.

The atmosphere, onboarding dynamics, and employee experience demand significant alterations now more than ever.

Tips for improving the onboarding process

Employee onboarding refers to orientation provided to a new employee in your firm. The onboarding process trains new employees to become productive members of the organization most safely and efficiently possible for both the employee and your company.

In-Office onboarding tips

1. Begin onboarding your new hire before the first day of work - Many organizations make the mistake of deferring the onboarding process until the new employee's first day. This time is excellent to start the onboarding process, making them feel like part of the team and providing them with all the knowledge they need to come up to speed before their first day.

2. Include ways to meet the team - Making new employees feel at ease and at home in their new role is critical for their future performance and the general performance of your team. So, whether they work from the office or home, attempt to create opportunities for new workers to build critical contacts during the onboarding process to make new connections around the company.

3. Consider launching a new beginner mentorship program - A mentor is someone who works with a unique employee during their first few months on the job. Ideally, this will be one of their peers or team members well-versed in your workplace systems and a well-respected team member.

4. Carry out first-day IT training - Without access to workplace IT systems, it is nearly impossible for an employee to be effective from day one. This is why IT training should get prioritized to ensure employees know how to behave securely and responsibly from the outset.

Remote Onboarding tips

Remote workers have progressed from being the exception to becoming a significant part of the workforce. According to Research, since 2005, the number of people working remotely has climbed by 159%.

The onboarding process for remote employees should greatly emphasize helping them feel like they are a part of the organization, its values, and its culture. It cannot be accessible when they cannot interact face-to-face with co-workers and management.

1. Begin early - Adding new employees to team Slack groups and offering them information has become critical. They must be educated about the company culture and projects they will be working on three weeks before their start date.

2. Get personnel online as soon as possible - As a remote worker, you communicate with the team via the internet. Without access to the digital workplace, such as the company intranet, messaging applications, video conferencing tools, and other apps and tools, recruits would feel cut off from posing questions and becoming acquainted with the team's flow.

3. Instill a sense of belonging - The problem with remote work is replacing the casual grins and intuitive understanding of belonging in a physical office. Assigning a mentor or a peer "orientation buddy" to whom they may go with any questions and where they can grow and learn together can assist new hires in becoming more proficient.

4. Begin professional and personal development - Allowing new hires to access online courses during or after orientation can be a stipend for their choice's personal and professional growth.

5. Foster collaborative learning - When new employees must do a case study or group project during onboarding, it not only forges ties and exposes team members but can also be an occasion to cross-train teams.

Hybrid Onboarding tips

The hybrid workplace is here to stay, but the onboarding practices you employed while employees were in the office are no longer adequate. To optimize the onboarding process for remote and hybrid employees, businesses will require new ideas and tactics.

1. Begin onboarding new employees well before their first day - Regardless of how good-intentioned a company is, an employee's first day is often daunting. It is critical to institute a preboarding process that begins when a new employee signs their offer letter. It is one of the first interactions an employee has with a firm and may be used to expose new workers to the culture and establish the groundwork for involvement.

2. Consider both people and locations - Employers of a hybrid or on-site workforce must be more mindful of how workers and workplaces interact. The physical workstation has evolved into an aspect of the working experience. Both new and current employees must feel comfortable, and facilities, building services, and building procedures must be simple to navigate. Interaction of people and places is a new goal for all staff, not just new hires.

3. Consider beyond the first 30 days - In addition to onboarding, recruits or people transitioning into new jobs require a personalized procedure to support their success in a given capacity.

4. Create feedback collection and implementation cultures - The practice of continual learning and iteration should get included in the onboarding culture. Real-time feedback is critical when an employee progresses through the various onboarding stages.

Onboarding mistakes to avoid

1. Failure to Communicate the Company Culture - New employees frequently may not have complete knowledge of the culture they are entering. A thorough online employee onboarding will assist them in determining where they fit within the firm and among the individuals with whom they interact. Staff should grasp your company's ideals from the beginning. For example, explain how your organization communicates and your communication requirements.

2. Waiting for them to join - Employees should never arrive on the first day of a new job without a defined set of responsibilities. Your organization must spend time planning the onboarding process before they walk through the door. Remote onboarding allows them

to get started faster and saves them time. Think about how you can simplify the whole process of onboarding.

3. Ineffective Mentorship Programs and Relationships - Employee satisfaction depends on relationships. The numbers show why connections are so valuable. New employees are concerned with more than just flourishing in their current roles. They want to see that working for your organization will allow them to develop in their professions. And this is when connections come into play. Connecting team members with peers and mentors assist them in discovering their routes and thinking about the next steps in their careers.

4. Inadequate Performance Feedback and Support - New hires require constant feedback and assistance to succeed. During a period of transition, everyone welcomes constructive criticism and direction. However, many new employees will complain about not receiving enough feedback. Others will complain that the feedback they do receive is of poor quality.

5. Disregarding Suggestions - The input you provide to new workers isn't the only essential feedback you can provide during the onboarding process.

Encourage your new hires to participate by soliciting feedback and suggestions at the end of your programs.