In case you don’t know, an onboarding process can take two different forms. It could either take the form of a conventional onboarding process or a remote onboarding process. Earlier, in some of our posts, we talked about the different ways to make the traditional onboarding process effective. In case you missed out on them, you can check here (1, 2)  to see some of them. However, for the sake of this post, we’ll only focus our attention on the remote aspect of onboarding processes. In this article, you’ll learn everything about how to improve your remote onboarding process for better results. So, without wasting any time, let’s dive right in.

What is a remote onboarding process and what does it include?

Before going ahead to talk about the simple and direct ways to make remote onboarding better, here’s a quick question; what is a remote onboarding process? I’m asking this question to be sure we’re both on the same level regarding this topic. Remote onboarding has a lot of things in common with the conventional onboarding process. Yes, both processes involve welcoming newly hired employees to your organization. What makes the two approaches differ is how the onboarding processes are performed.

Remote onboarding is a process that involves welcoming newly acquired employees to the remote team. The aim is to ensure they understand the business and how their job functions will contribute to the overall productivity of the organization.

Furthermore, remote onboarding also involves welcoming the new hires and providing them with the necessary support that’ll enable them better perform their job functions. That includes providing them with system access, getting them to meet themselves before the first day of onboarding, getting them familiar with the company’s culture, policies, and many more.

How to improve the remote onboarding process

There’s no shortcut here; for you to achieve the best results, you must be willing to address the common challenges that most organizations face when trying to organize remote onboarding programs. But without getting familiar with these challenges, there’s no way you’ll be able to deliver the best effective onboarding. And effective remote onboarding is a must if you’re pretty much interested in; engaging the new hires, reducing the high turnover rate, and increasing your companies productivity level.

Let’s quickly have a look at some of the challenges of the remote onboarding process:

• Having monotonous programs throughout the onboarding process.
• Lack of ideas on how to engage the new hires before the first day of onboarding.
• Lack of better access to the right technology.
• Having a disorganized or lengthy remote onboarding process.

All the factors mentioned above are some of the challenges attached to organizing remote onboarding processes. That said, for you to be able to improve your remote onboarding process, you need to start by addressing all the issues. That brings us to the burning question; what is the best way to improve the remote onboarding process? You can find out the answer to the question below:

Before the first day of onboarding

As previously mentioned, the best way to improve your onboarding program is to start right before the first day of onboarding. You want to be sure the new hires understand exactly what to expect with the onboarding process. That’s not all; you also want to be sure they all get along with themselves before the onboarding program.

So, the next question is; how do you improve your remote onboarding process before the first day of the program?

• First, you need to start by communicating the next steps right away after interviews. Let them know what items they need to get for the onboarding process.
• Next, process and prepare your training plan. Of course, this should also include telling the employees the type of skills needed to participate in the program.
• Support them with the right technology on time. The question here is; are you going to ship the tools over to them individually? Or are you going to support them with money to get these items ready? Whichever way, ensure to decide on time so the employees can get enough time to get familiar with the tools.

Onboarding days

Since you’ve been able to take care of some things before the first day of onboarding, it means you’ll only have little things to do. One of the few things that you need to do on the first day of onboarding is to set up video conferencing. Of course, you’ll need to set up multiple sessions and get your existing employees on the calls to welcome the new hires.

Are you making training a part of your onboarding? If yes, one thing you need to keep in mind is this – the training must be short and engaging. Adding polls, quizzes, and asking for feedback, are some of the ways to make your training better. In addition to giving training, it’s also essential to apply a buddy system. But above all; make sure you give breaks from time to time.

For days 2, 3,…, one of the things you can do is to ensure the onboarding process is engaging. In addition to that, also make sure that the process isn’t autonomous. Avoid repeating the same programs over and over, as this could bore your new employees. Lastly, recognize every one of them and let them know you can see them.