Effective Employee OnBoarding in the "New Normal"

Onboarding is an essential task that requires reimagining as the business world continues to adapt to life during a pandemic.  The good news is that many of the systems needed, such as onboarding and HR software, already exist.  The test that faces us is that organizations, HR teams, and candidates need to adjust how they use them in these challenging times.

Despite these challenges, onboarding remains a process that makes new employees feel welcome and a part of their new organizations and gives them the tools and information they need to succeed.  Trite, but true: You never get a second chance to make a first impression. While starting a new job can be a somewhat daunting time, it is also a time when an employee’s morale and expectations are very high, maybe the highest they’ll ever be!  It’s an opportune time to capitalize on that and get that new employee off to a great and productive start with a stellar first impression.  Employees have a tendency to remember what happens when they start a new job.  This will not change in the work from home environment.

Here are some strategies for adapting your onboarding process to be effective in these unique times.

Talk About Remote Management Styles

Studies show that new employees are even more nervous about starting to work remotely at a new job than they are going into an office.  (At least they don’t have to wonder where the bathroom is and memorize the key code!).  Some fairly basic best practices can be put in place to allay their apprehension quickly.

New candidates want to know how your management team operates in a remote environment.  So, take the time to familiarize them with the overall business, mission, corporate culture, management styles, functional interdependencies, expectations, and any tools used.  Let them know what hours they’re expected to be working/at their computers, how you communicate, and whether there are any accountability tools outside of check-ins. Encourage them to ask questions not only of their managers, but of their teammates as well. Get that collegial spirit stoked early.

Reiterate Support Available During Work From Home

How are you supporting your employees during this time?  Have you introduced new support systems since the pandemic began?  How have your existing support systems changed since you transitioned to work from home (WFH) or dispersed teams?

New team members need to know what’s available to them in whatever medium.  Let them know what resources they have available, and where to turn to familiarize themselves with standard operating procedures, corporate leadership (and the rest of the organization chart), training opportunities, the employee handbook, and fringe benefits.

Haven’t implemented anything yet?  Consider helping employees find resources they need to promote a healthy work-life balance, such as:

●       Meditation subscriptions or resources

●     Counselling services

●       Books on mindfulness and time management 

●       Virtual socialization opportunities

●       Setting up a home office/workspace that will best support WFH

Insist on Getting to Know New Employees

One of the unique aspects of the new normal is that it is likely you will now work with people you have never met in person.

As a result, it’s important to go the extra mile to get to know the employee and give him/her opportunities to virtually mingle with co-workers.  Creating these bonds is critical for making the new employee feel genuinely welcome and engaged.  It is also the time to orient current employees on the new ways in which you expect them to welcome and engage new teammates and encourage them to pick up that mantle.

Take the time to ask new employees about their career aspirations, hobbies and interests.  If you run an HR system for introductions, include these facts when introducing the new team member.  More than that, ask them how you can support them as they transition into becoming an integrated team member.  Asking the question lets them know you care, that you are flexible enough to accommodate their individuality, and it allows you to engage with them on a deeper level in a more personal way.  In the less personal milieu in which we now work, this takes on increasing importance.

Communication is the Key to Unlocking the New Normal

Hiring and onboarding online are possible thanks to HR tech, but they leave a lot to be desired in terms of engagement.  By communicating expectations, management styles, tools, and interest in your new employees, you will make them feel welcome and instil confidence in them that they have joined the right organization (even if they have never been into the office.)  Unfortunately, the importance of good communication is preached in many organizations, but often not practiced.  The increased deployment of a remote workforce will certainly continue on the other side of the pandemic making our sustained dedication to good communication imperative.

Are you scaling your workforce in the midst of the “New Normal”? Get in touch with Elite Personnel to learn more about our temp-to-hire process.