Remote onboarding - how to make virtual onboarding a success

The world of work is undergoing a period of change, not least due to the coronavirus situation. The switch to a hybrid working model is already underway in many companies and will be the new normal in the future. Part of this new normality will also be the remote onboarding of new employees in the home office instead of in the office. In this guide, we explain how remote onboarding differs from traditional onboarding, what challenges it poses and how onboarding can also be a success virtually.

Definition: What does remote onboarding mean?

Remote onboarding means that new employees are not trained on site, but are at least partially separated from the office. Instead, employees work from home or remotely in general.

Remote onboarding is necessary in various situations:

In times of Corona, onboarding in many companies had to take place in the home office because it was not possible to visit the office. This presented many companies with major challenges, as the processes that were often only available to a limited extent anyway were not designed for virtual onboarding.
In companies that rely on the hybrid work model or entirely on the concept of remote work, onboarding must also be adapted to the location-independent work of new colleagues.

Of course, physical separation presents new challenges compared to traditional onboarding, where employees are largely physically present to maintain contact with their new environment and new colleagues.

Using digital opportunities for virtual onboarding

Digitalization has also found its way into HR and many companies are increasingly using digital onboarding solutions to optimize their HR processes, not least driven by the coronavirus crisis. Numerous digital software and app solutions are now also available for the onboarding phase. These can significantly reduce the workload and make it more interactive. However, digital solutions are particularly important for virtual remote onboarding in the home office in order to create a meaningful onboarding process.

The possible uses of digital tools are just as diverse as the onboarding tasks themselves. The possible areas include, for example

Onboarding software that can be used to digitally map the entire onboarding process
Company wiki to make general information about the company and processes centrally accessible
E-learning software to teach content on occupational safety, hygiene regulations and much more
Interactive product demonstrations that show how to use internally used applications

Tips for virtual remote onboarding

Due to the physical distance, virtual onboarding differs from traditional onboarding in some respects. This fact should also be taken into account when developing the onboarding concept and the different requirements should be considered.

We'll give you a few tips to make remote onboarding a success.

Communication is king

Onboarding is an important part of the employer experience. Communication is the key to making new employees feel welcome and integrated in their new company from day one. Communication should be given even greater importance during remote onboarding, in line with the principle of "more is better than less".

However, the exchange with new colleagues should not start on the first day. For example, frequently asked questions can be answered in an email a few days before the start of work. This is also a good opportunity to let new starters know that you are looking forward to them starting.

Nothing creates more trust and a positive feeling than personal contact. When new employees are welcomed in short one-to-one meetings, they feel respected and valued. Video conferences with the new team also make you feel that you have arrived professionally. Virtual coffee breaks with individual colleagues are a relaxed way to get to know the new team members better in person.

Ideally equipped - even outside the office

To ensure that new colleagues are fully operational from day one, they should be equipped with everything they need to work from home or remotely from day one. This includes high-quality office equipment, above all ergonomic desks and office chairs. What else is needed to work productively (e.g. desk lamp, mobile pedestal or similar) should be decided by each employee themselves.

In addition to an ergonomic workstation, the most important thing is the technical equipment. This usually includes a laptop, an additional monitor and a keyboard and mouse as basic equipment. What else is needed depends on the task area and must be clarified individually. The technical equipment includes all the necessary software programs, such as the classic Office programs, video conferencing software and collaboration tools. Ideally, these are already pre-installed so that the "newcomers" can get started straight away.

Do you want to save time and money on onboarding?

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Personal onboarding buddy

Many impressions have to be processed in the first few days and numerous questions arise. An onboarding mentor is worth their weight in gold here. As a direct contact and reference person, he or she accompanies the new starter during the first few days, introduces other colleagues, shows processes in the company, answers questions and thus makes the start in the new social environment much easier.

Teaching how to deal with remote work

Not everyone is confident in dealing with remote work. For some, video conferencing and the digital exchange of information are still unfamiliar territory. But in a hybrid working world, meetings and digital collaboration can only be effective if every employee is familiar with the most important tools.

For this reason, it should be ensured that all new starters receive a brief introduction to the regularly used collaboration tools and rules of conduct in the first few days. Setting up meeting rooms, switching cameras and audio on and off, sending files or mentioning colleagues in group chats are essential functions that all employees need to be familiar with.

Accompanies new colleagues throughout the entire onboarding process

Of course, the topic of communication should not be limited to the initial period. Even if the first few days have been successfully completed with many impressions, there should be a regular exchange with the new colleagues at every stage of onboarding. As part of remote onboarding, it is advisable to hold discussions at shorter intervals.

Managers in particular should take the time to discuss open questions or problems in short pulse checks. This shows new employees that they are noticed and are an important part of the team.