Source | icubem.com | Admin
If you’ve hired anyone recently, I am sure the onboarding process is a bit different from prior to the pandemic. This might sound familiar – most paperwork was emailed ahead of time for the new employee to complete, introducing them to the team was probably done through an online meeting platform, and the building tour could have been a prerecorded video.
While hiring and onboarding are slightly different today, first impressions are not and still matter to new hires. They will remember clearly how they felt that first day – how their manager treated them, whether their team members reached out and if they could find all the information they needed easily. These early impressions have a lasting impact on new employees, and it’s essential that these experiences be positive if you want to set the right tone for engagement. This is especially important when onboarding a new employee from afar. There is a whole new set of impressions that should be made ahead of the start date when the employee won’t physically come into the office. Building Engagement: We all know engaged employees get more done, remain with their employers longer, build stronger relationships with customers and become enthusiastic brand ambassadors. So how can you ensure that the same level of engagement can be built for remote employees? During onboarding, you begin building the foundation for these benefits even before your new employees receive their first paycheck, and now you need to make accommodations for these processes to happen virtually. According to SHRM, a strong onboarding program should include:
Compliance – Complete legal and policy-related activities such as signing forms and presenting workplace rules.
Clarification – Teach new employees the expectations of their new role.
Culture – Communicate organizational norms within your company.
Connection – Promote connection with peers and managers.
