{"id":8441,"date":"2021-04-12T05:41:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-12T05:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/?p=8441"},"modified":"2024-07-23T13:52:08","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T13:52:08","slug":"tips-for-onboarding-remote-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/tips-for-onboarding-remote-employees\/","title":{"rendered":"12 Tips for Onboarding Remote Employees"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>When onboarding remote employees, the company conducts a series of activities that educate the workers about the company\u2019s tools, policies, methods, and culture. The process also allows them to get acquainted with their colleagues and the internal corporate rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Companies can conduct remote onboarding formally or informally. In most cases, HR managers combine the two approaches to make the process educational yet still engaging. Usually, in formal onboarding, there\u2019s a series of training sessions, workshops, activities, and video calls. Meanwhile, informal onboarding can involve letting the new hire shadow tenured employees in the team. They can learn the conventions within the company through observation and situational, impromptu coaching. In this article,\u00a0we will\u00a0discuss\u00a0both approaches and\u00a0summarize\u00a0all\u00a0the\u00a0necessary\u00a0steps for a\u00a0remote onboarding process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is a Remote Onboarding Process? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Onboarding is the procedure of introducing new employees to a company, familiarizing them with the company&#8217;s culture, values, and policies. Onboarding remote employees does not require their real present, but is done through online technologies. During the remote onboarding process, new team members can participate in virtual meetings and training sessions. They can also complete necessary paperwork online. This method makes it possible to integrate new employees efficiently, even if they are not physically present in the office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">12 Tips for Onboarding Remote Employees:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hand out the employee handbook <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prepare the necessary equipment <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prepare software and login credentials <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Check if all the paperwork has been signed <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Introduce the team <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have a video chat <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign a buddy <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Assign initial tasks <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Set clear goals <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Provide feedback <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Schedule regular check-ins <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Review employee performance<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Remote Onboarding Best Practices<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Before the first day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-traqq-list_checked wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Hand out the employee handbook<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s common practice to give out the employee handbook on the first day of onboarding. However, it would be a great idea to send the material to your new hires at least a day before the meeting. This way, they can familiarize themselves with the relevant procedures and policies of the company.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare the necessary equipment<\/strong> \u2013 If your company provides the device that the new hire will use, make sure that they have everything they need in advance. Don\u2019t forget to consider the shipping time when you order the pieces of equipment. This way, you can expect the new remote employees to have the devices on or before the first day of training.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Prepare software and login credentials<\/strong> \u2013 Before Day One, you need to arrange the login credentials of your new employees. Moreover, you need to prepare written instructions on installing the software they\u2019ll need for their job.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Check if all the paperwork has been signed<\/strong> \u2013 Before the first day of onboarding commences, you need to ensure that all the paperwork has been completed. Some of these documents include the contract, tax forms, background information, and payroll details.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-traqq-note note-box note-box_pro-tip_default\"><p>In most cases, new hires get paid for the time they spend on the entire onboarding process. Since you\u2019re dealing with a distributed team, you need to ensure that they\u2019ll track their billable hours accurately. In this case, using Traqq the <a href=\"http:\/\/traqq.com\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"traqq.com\">billable hours time tracking tool<\/a> is the best option. Your new hires can easily download and install this time tracker and let it run automatically in the background during the onboarding process.\u00a0<\/p><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">On the first day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-traqq-list_checked wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Introduce the team<\/strong>\u2013 Introduce the new hire to their teammates via a virtual meeting. This way, they can quickly feel at ease and know that they have coworkers to contact when they need help.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Have a video chat<\/strong> \u2013 Don\u2019t let your remote employee sit in front of their computer without knowing what to do. So, at the beginning of their first day, video call and greet them. Let them know what they can expect for the day and allow them to ask questions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Assign a buddy<\/strong> \u2013 Make sure the new hire has an assigned buddy whom they can turn to for questions and assistance. If the new employee doesn\u2019t know what to do, their point of contact will guide them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In the first week and further<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"is-style-traqq-list_checked wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Assign initial tasks<\/strong> \u2013 You can start giving assignments to the new hire in their first week. Make sure that the tasks are not too complicated or difficult. After all, the new employee is still getting acquainted with the systems, processes, and tools.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Set clear goals<\/strong> \u2013 Once the new hire has settled into their role, it is time to help them set goals. Discuss the milestones they can achieve during the first few months.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Provide feedback<\/strong> \u2013 By the end of the first month, certain KPIs will be evident. Provide your new hires with adequate feedback that will be helpful in their development.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Schedule regular check-ins<\/strong> \u2013 As an onboarding manager, you should check in with your new hires every day. In a remote work setup, the first week can be the most challenging. So, schedule a wrap-up meeting each day to give them the opportunity to ask questions if necessary.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Review employee performance <\/strong>\u2013Throughout the year, you should offer regular performance reviews for your new hires. Doing so will help you determine areas for improvement and highlight their accomplishments.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">In Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Onboarding remote workers does not have to be difficult. When you prepare the required tools and carefully map out the necessary activities, you can help your new hire settle into their job in no time. Make sure they have everything they need to feel confident and perform their work efficiently in a remote setting.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When onboarding remote employees, the company conducts a series of activities that educate the workers about the company\u2019s tools, policies, methods, and culture. The process also allows them to get acquainted with their colleagues and &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":8457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[559],"tags":[131,198],"class_list":["post-8441","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-employee-management-tips","tag-hiring-strategies","tag-managing-a-remote-team"],"views":1392,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8441","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8441"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8441\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26979,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8441\/revisions\/26979"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traqq.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}