Effective Remote Onboarding: 7 Ways to Improve Training

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Becker Friedman Institute published the results of a worker productivity survey recently. From a survey sample of 10,000 employees, 30% said they were more productive when working remotely. They interviewed 800 HR professionals during the survey. 94% said their remote teams had recorded an increase in productivity. The reason behind this success is effective onboarding processes.

HR managers record a greater challenge in performing remote onboarding than in person. Despite the challenges, training goals do not change. It supports workers to get started fast, knowing what is expected from them. It helps remote workers understand the work culture and create strong relationships. Managers should invest in improving their new hire remote onboarding processes.

1. Prepare mentors

Mentoring is an important part of the onboarding process. Since the new employee is located remotely, they need someone they can consistently communicate with as they learn the company culture. The onboarding buddy will be crucial in introducing the new worker to other team members. They help them build relationships with other remote workers effectively. They communicate through video calls, mentoring software, emails and may sometimes meet physically.

Another cool thing about mentoring is training. A good mentor can become a source of professional knowledge for his or her mentee. Some companies even encourage mentors to help with the professional development of a new employee by providing them corporate training and courses. If the mentee’s position is new and you do not have a necessary internal course, you can either source it or encourage mentors to create their customised training with the help of course creators.

2. Get ready with the necessary technology

The new employees need to have all the necessary technology for a smooth onboarding process. The purpose of the onboarding is to ready the workers to start working sooner and be productive. Without the right technology or equipment, the worker might take longer to go through the process fully. Successful onboarding costs time and resources, but it is a worthwhile investment.

Many remote employees who are not taken through a good onboarding process do not stay with the company for long. A good onboarding process raises the worker retention rate by 82% and raises productivity by 70%. Some of the important technologies are digital signature apps, project management platforms, and performance management tools. The new employer needs to be issued with specialised equipment, including other items such as a laptop or phone.

It is also important to provide all necessary technical information to the newcomer. It helps new remote workers fix minor technical issues fast. One of the important information is guides for corporate software installation, how to fix slow-running computer issues or free up memory for a more comfortable working experience. To tackle these tech issues promptly and their fixes, click here for a detailed guide.

3. Do not delay the onboarding process

Once the new employee has gone through the interview process and passed, they are eager to get started. Sometimes they feel full of anticipation, sometimes, they feel uncertain, and at times they get doubts or feel lost. A delayed start of the onboarding process will leave the employee with many unanswered questions.

The manager should get ready to start the process immediately after the employee is hired. The first communication should be to alert them when the process is starting and all that they will be provided with. Creating a connection from the first day helps the employee feel comfortable.

4. Help the worker understand the company culture

Company culture affects every business aspect, starting with good time management to communication tone and worker relationships. The new hire should be helped to understand the importance of diversity and inclusion in a remote work environment. When the remote worker becomes aligned with the organisation’s work culture, they will feel they are part of the company.

They will feel they are appreciated, supported, and valued. Part of the company culture should start with constant communication with managers and other team members. The new workers should be helped to understand the company values, norms, and habits.

5. Clarify remote worker roles and responsibilities

Worker productivity starts when they understand what is expected from them. Since they are working remotely, it is not easy to provide them with close supervision. Communication is a crucial aspect of meeting their roles and obligations. The first point is to help the worker understand their responsibilities.

Let them know when they are expected to report to work, when to submit progress reports, and how to do it. Help them understand the company policies, the need for transparency, and meeting work goals. The goals include short-term and long-term, but the manager should get rid of a culture of micro-managing employees.

6. Take the worker through the company security and compliance requirements

Cyber security training not only protects the company but also empowers remote workers with online safety knowledge. They learn to protect the company data and themselves even when they are not logged into the company system. Many remote workers get hacked or experience identity theft attacks.

Training helps build cyber resilience through enhanced attack detection, protection, and reaction. The worker should be assisted in understanding all security compliance requirements. The training involves providing them with knowledge of the regulations, laws, and guidelines in place. This helps them protect the company's integrity, confidentiality, and data availability.

7. Provide all required documents

The training process is important, but remote workers need documents that they can refer to every time they need information. They need to understand the authority hierarchy within the company and its vision, mission, and company values. There should be written guidelines on all communication procedures and the channels available. For example, if the worker is a remote marketer, they should be provided with a written detailed guide on content creation, SEO procedures, and creating leads. This information will help them become consistently productive.

Conclusion

A proper remote onboarding process creates a strong employee retention rate. It helps build a vision-driven, passionate team of remote workers who gives a company a better competitive edge. The process should be technology-driven to help boost productivity. The process needs to start immediately to eliminate uncertainty and fear. Mentors are essential in the process to help the workers understand their roles, responsibilities, and goals better.

Author Bio

Anna Lysiuk is an Outreach specialist at MacPaw. She is passionate about marketing, business management and tech world innovations.