Joining a new organisation is one of the most exciting parts of landing a job. Who among us haven’t felt excited about the possibilities of a new workplace with new people or in a new role? But given how the workplace has changed greatly over the past year and a half, even the first day at work now looks very different.
For most people, a typical work day now starts with a virtual commute, where you organise and plan ahead what needs to be done in the next hours – without leaving your home. New remote hires might find this especially challenging, especially if they’ve never worked from home before.
Joining a company remotely comes with its own benefits and struggles. New hires need to quickly acquaint themselves with the company culture, acclimate to their new colleagues, and live up to the amount of work expected of them. Then there’s navigating the existing workplace management system too.
So, as an employer, how can you ensure a smoother onboarding process for your new remote hires?
Navigating Corporate Culture
Office politics isn’t usually as cutthroat in the remote working industry, but there are still unwritten rules that exist. New staff might find these tricky to navigate, especially when they can’t just walk up to someone in the next cubicle to strike up a conversation.
To ease them in, make your expectations of them clear from the get-go. (Don’t forget to ask them about their own too.) You can also have them shadow an appropriate colleague for a few weeks and have the latter orient them on the subtleties of office politics and corporate culture in your workplace.
It would also be advisable to introduce them to their colleagues as early as possible. If you can, try to establish rapport between your new and existing remote hires so they’ll find it easier to collaborate together. Clearly defined roles also help since this will prevent them from stepping on each other’s toes and any friction that could occur as a result.
Roll Out The Welcome Rug
Companies have different ways of making new talents feel welcome. Others treat them to a free lunch or give them a welcome basket with company mugs, pens, notebooks, and such. But this isn’t always possible in a remote set-up.
So, what can you do instead? For starters, you can send vouchers for local delivery services or online supermarkets in their area. You can also organise a virtual coffee break where everyone can get to know one another in a more relaxed environment. A virtual team building session might be a good idea too, but it shouldn’t be mandatory.
The point is to create a virtual event where the new members can meet the rest of the team and get to know them a little bit better.
Going the extra mile to make new members feel secure and welcome is especially crucial in a post-covid world. Daily interactions that used to ease people in are no longer possible, so we need to exert a little more effort and creativity.
While it can require more time and resources from your end, efficient and inclusive onboarding is always going to pay off. There’s nothing like a strong and cohesive team to grow your company with, after all.
Remote Staff has been helping AU entrepreneurs like you find and hire talented remote workers from the Philippines for the past 14 years. On top of that, we also have our own onboarding process down to a science, leaving you with one less thing to worry about.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.
