01/25/2021
You only get one chance to make a first impression on a new employee. Welcoming a new team member to your organization is vitally important.
Consider how you can make new people feel like part of the team.
Establishing culture and expectations, coordinating delivery of technology and other tools, and delivering and completing paperwork cannot be ignored. It’s especially difficult for companies that utilize out of date processes. Many Business Owners and HR Managers are still struggling to find successful ways to perfect the onboarding process.
Here are a few ideas for consideration:
(1) Paperwork is necessary part of the onboarding process. How will remote employees complete it? Will you send a stack in the mail, or ask the worker to download, print, sign, scan and send it back to you? Not every employee owns a printer, scanner or fax machine. We encourage you to explore the features built into your payroll or benefits administration system. In some cases, an onboarding feature is already included and can be activated. Even before COVID-19, increasing numbers of businesses hired remote workers. Filling out the Form I-9 was tricky. Electronic verification options fill the gap. Find a vendor you like and trust with good processes.
(2) The current social distancing requirements may require scheduling virtual lunches delivered by DoorDash or Uber Eats. Depending on the people involved, it could be one lunch or a series of lunch hour meetings. When delivering a new team member’s laptop, include some company swag including pens, T-shirts and job-related gadgets – it’s another way to connect with newcomers.
(3) Please remember that the onboarding process extends far beyond the first day of describing the company culture and environment to new team members. The process is long and must be intentionally planned. Consider hosting introductory meetings and continuing education sessions on Zoom to introduce them to specific technical topics.
(4) Working remotely, new team members won’t have the opportunity to casually check in with their team leader. Now that these spontaneous drop-ins are nearly impossible, team leaders must be proactive in communicating their expectations. That includes how often they expect to hear from the team member, how the company values are manifested at work and what kind of relationship they want to build with new team members.
REMEMBER: YOUR GOAL AT THE END OF A NEW TEAM MEMBER’S FIRST DAY IS THAT THEY ARE EXCITED TO BE PART OF THE TEAM ~ THAT THEY LEAVE THEIR WORKDAY SAYING, “OH MY GOSH – I HAVE THE BEST JOB! I HAVE AN AWESOME TEAM LEADER! THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT!”
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Don’t look back, you’re not going that way!
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