The purpose of onboarding is to provide new employees a sense of belonging and help them adjust quickly to your company. Onboarding in a remote workplace is more difficult because your employees are scattered across home offices at least part of the time. Creating an effective hybrid onboarding approach that addresses these specific concerns is critical to making new workers feel like they are a part of the team and receiving the support they require.
Onboarding has always been an important part of helping new employees integrate into the organization. It allows them to meet their coworkers, learn the job, and comprehend the resources accessible to them. That is easier to accomplish while you are at the office having face-to-face talks.
COVID-19 prompted many businesses to adopt remote working practices and required virtual onboarding for new employees. As some employees return to the workplace, at least part-time, the onboarding process is shifting back to a hybrid of virtual and in-person components. Onboarding, regardless of where it takes place, is an important aspect of generating engaged employees who want to stay with your firm.
How to Onboard New Employees in a Hybrid Work Setting
Develop an onboarding schedule
Create an onboarding schedule to ensure you hit key activities for new employees. Refer to your traditional onboarding process as a guide. Determine how long the onboarding process will last and what important elements it needs. Consider that remote onboarding can be more difficult, so you may need to slow it down compared to your in-person onboarding schedule.
Some things to include in your hybrid onboarding schedule include:
- Welcome message
- Office tour
- Introductions to the team
- New hire paperwork
- One-on-one with manager
- One-on-one with onboarding buddy
- Company orientation
Decide which activities will take place in person and which will be virtual. This depends on the new employee’s schedule and where your current employees work most often. Consider which activities are easier to do in-person and which ones are fine to do remotely when planning your onboarding process.
Adapt key onboarding activities
Many of the actions required for remote onboarding are the same as those required for in-person onboarding, but they must be tailored to the virtual world. If onboarding typically begins with a building tour and introductions to key employees, create a virtual tour and video introductions with those individuals for new workers to view. If you usually take new hires out to lunch with the company on their first day, set up a virtual lunch where everyone joins Zoom for a relaxed getting-to-know-you session with the new team member.
Emphasize manager-new hire relationships
A new hire’s direct manager is usually a vital element of the onboarding process, but it can be even more so in a hybrid environment. It can be challenging to learn a new job from home, so new employees may rely more on their superiors than they would in person. They don’t know all of their coworkers yet, and they aren’t usually in the same room where they can easily ask for help.
Schedule the initial one-on-one as soon as feasible to begin creating the manager-new hire relationship. Ensure that the new employee can quickly contact the manager if they encounter any concerns during onboarding. Managers should follow up with new hires frequently as they begin their onboarding process.
Incorporate face-to-face time
Recording onboarding videos is a simple method to provide a consistent experience for all new hires and ensuring they receive all relevant information. However, watching videos does not help them connect with their coworkers. Use video conferencing software to engage in as many real-time contacts with the team as possible, even if everyone is working remotely. Plan in-person meetings and interactions with as many coworkers as feasible early in the onboarding process.
Focus on a support network
The hybrid approach greatly reduces spontaneous interactions in the breakroom or chats following in-person meetings, thus new hybrid employees may miss out on building coworker connections. By assigning an onboarding buddy who is not the person’s manager, you may ensure that new hires have access to the support network that frequently naturally forms in the workplace. Encourage the duo to meet in person in the office a few times during onboarding to establish a face-to-face connection.
Team gatherings, whether online or in person, can help new employees interact with their peers. Set aside some time before or after virtual meetings for your remote staff to socialize and have a virtual water cooler experience.
Deliver necessary gear
If your new employee will be working from home at least some of the time, they will need all of the essential hardware to do so. Ship or distribute these materials far before the employee’s first day. This allows them time to set up their home office and prepare for day one of onboarding.
Include a welcome packet with your hardware delivery. This could include a general welcome message, an onboarding timeline, and important details about the organization and role. Provide instructions for configuring the equipment, installing any necessary software, and preparing the technology aspect for the start of onboarding. These small actions help new staff feel at peace and ready to begin working.
Personalize onboarding
In a hybrid setting, personalizing the work onboarding process can make it more effective. Some new employees may feel comfortable with the hybrid setting immediately and need less support during onboarding. Others might feel disconnected and struggle to feel like a part of the team in a hybrid situation. They might need more contact with managers and coworkers.
Read Also: Designing the Hybrid Office: Space Planning and Layout Ideas
Assess each person to get a feel for what they need from the hybrid onboarding process. Having one-on-ones with the manager is an easy way to personalize onboarding and shape the process going forward.
Most onboarding programs endure for at least three months. Other firms extend the onboarding process for six, nine, or even twelve months to provide continuous support to new workers. Working in a hybrid environment may require a new employee to spend extra time adjusting to the processes, culture, and team in their new role. Extending the onboarding process can be beneficial in this circumstance. Personalizing onboarding may entail making the process longer or shorter for particular workers depending on how they settle in.
How to Improve Onboarding for Hybrid Employees
It is no secret that the onboarding process in a hybrid environment is challenging. But it does not have to be. Here are ten considerations to consider while developing your onboarding strategy in a hybrid environment:
1. Foster connections with new hire cohorts and team building activities
Developing a feeling of community is critical for successful onboarding in a hybrid setting. In a “traditional” work environment, new employees can meet for lunch, collaborate on projects, and socialize after work.
Make sure that new remote employees in a hybrid environment have the same opportunity to meet one another by forming small groups of 5-7 team members each.
Create a timetable for planning entertaining virtual events (such as virtual coffee breaks via Zoom) and set up slack channels for each group to utilize independently.
2. Gather employee feedback with pulse surveys to check-in with onboarding groups
Onboarding is a vital process that helps new employees adjust to their new roles, culture, and coworkers. Many firms struggle with their remote onboarding strategy because they lack an effective means to manage employee feedback after they have been hired, trained, and assigned to their first project/team.
Offering feedback opportunities through pulse surveys is a great approach to check in with new hires and assess their happiness with the onboarding process.
3. Experience-based mentorship program
One of the best ways to ease new hires into their new positions is by implementing an employee mentorship program.
Mentorship programs are great ways to establish connections and relationships with people who care about you and want to see you succeed in your new position. It also allows the mentor to share their wisdom and experience, which can be invaluable as you navigate this new hybrid workplace environment.
4. Send out weekly check-in videos to go out to new hires
Onboarding can be a complex process for new hires, especially those working in hybrid environments. This is because it’s hard to maintain the level of communication and engagement needed to help people feel like they’re an integrated part of the team.
One way to ensure that your new hires get all the information they need is by using weekly check-in videos. These videos should be sent out to everyone on your team every week, and they can include information about anything from upcoming projects to company culture.
By creating these videos each week, you’ll be able to provide valuable insights into what’s happening within your organization while also making sure that no one is left behind or isolated at any given time during their first few weeks on the job.
5. Encourage employees to participate in Employee Resource Groups
Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) are an excellent way to foster a sense of belonging and inclusion for hybrid employees.
Encourage your new hires to form their own ERGs or take part in existing ones! Providing new team members with resources to foster community and get comfortable in a new setting is one of the best ways to boost retention rates.
ERGs are an excellent way to let your new employees know they’re entering a work environment that will not only encourage them to be themselves but prioritize them doing so. These employee-led groups are one of the best ways to keep employees satisfied and healthy, after all, 90% of Fortune 500 companies have ERGS for a reason!
6. Personalize onboarding materials for each new hire
Nothing says “welcome to the team” like personalized onboarding materials. Keeping each step of the process as personal as possible is an excellent way to ensure that each of your new hires feels embraced by their new hybrid work environment.
Though remote work has many perks, it’s been shown to lead to feelings of isolation. Regardless of how often your new employees will be working from their home office, it’s important to show them you’re always thinking of how they’re doing. Make sure they know how much they mean to your team from the beginning by tailoring onboarding materials to their unique personality.
Is your new hire an animal lover? Add a touch of personality to their onboarding package by including stickers or socks that showcase their love of furry friends. Does the person joining your team consider themselves a literary buff? Send them your favorite book or include bookmarks in their onboarding package.
It may sound silly, but every little bit goes a very long way in making sure new hires feel welcomed and appreciated in their new work home.
7. Always keep the 5 C’s of onboarding top of mind
It may sound juvenile, but the 5 C’s of successful onboarding have stood the test of time for a reason! The 5 C’s are:
- Compliance
- Clarification
- Confidence
- Connection
- Culture
These 5 components are critical for a powerful onboarding strategy, regardless of where you are! In a hybrid setting, they’re especially powerful because they help reinforce core values and employee purpose.
8. Make the first day an unforgettable experience!
We can’t emphasize this enough! 58% of organizations’ onboarding processes are paperwork and procedure, and while the administrative stuff is extremely important, this is no way to welcome folks to their new job.
The first day of a new job is your chance to make a lasting impact on your newest team members. Strike the right balance of fun and business by taking small opportunities to give your employees a first day they’ll always remember.
Whether they’re starting their new roles from home or in the office, plan a big lunch by either sending them an excellent meal or getting catering sent to the office. End the day on a positive note with a virtual or in-office champagne toast!
Whatever you decide, the key is to emphasize that the first day is a celebration of new beginnings and endless possibilities.
9. Schedule an entry interview with each new team member
An entry interview is an incredible way to get to know the new folks joining your organization! Whether you have 5 new hires or 15 new hires, giving them an entry interview is the perfect way to let them know how valued their opinion will be at your organization.
Establishing a strong relationship between leadership and new hires as early as possible is an excellent indicator of employee happiness overtime. The more avenues you open up for bottom-up communication, the more equipped you’ll be to create a culture of success.
Summary
Many firms are unfamiliar with hybrid workplaces, but this does not have to imply a loss of quality or efficiency! Virtual onboarding in a hybrid setting can provide several benefits to new hires that a more traditional method does not.
The benefits of the hybrid work paradigm include flexibility, thinking outside the box, a tailored learning approach, and the capacity to ask questions more efficiently.
Companies can keep employees who are not only happy but also successful in their responsibilities if they assist them in adjusting more efficiently to their new work environment. After all, onboarding is an investment of your company’s time and money, so it’s worth making the extra effort to ensure a successful process.
