An HRs Guide to Make Remote OnBoarding Memorable

Remote On-Boarding for HRs is one of the recent hurdles in the virtual talent acquisition industry. This article will serve as a Guide book for all those HR’s who have not as yet set an on-boarding process for one’s organisation. Improving the Talent Acquisition, Induction, & employee experience processes all lies in the working domain of a Human Resource Professional. Read along to set a wonderful on-boarding experience for all your new recruits during this Work from Home Season.
Everyone wants to meet their new recruits, welcome them face to face and feel their vibes. There is nothing that beats a great first one-on-one interaction. However, in the current times of the COVID-19 pandemic, remote working has become the new normal. Whether you are an old organization which already had a “Work from home” policy or a relatively new one, being forced to accommodate in the new set up – Remote working is not going away anytime sooner.

Like every new trend, everything comes with its own set of pros and cons. One of the major challenges Human Resource Managers and company management is struggling with – is remote on-boarding. How do we make remote onboarding a memorable experience? And what all aspects will we have to keep in mind, now that the new recruits join you virtually?

Remote Onboarding for the HRs has been one of the recent stumbling blocks for Talent acquisition professionals. Organizations which have moved on with the current times and implemented processes, platforms and initiatives that match their need of the hour, have been able to continue their business operations as usual.

Remote Onboarding for HRs: A Guidebook

Mentioned below are some brilliant ideas, both traditional and inspired, to make remote onboarding a memorable experience. Let’s go:

1. Keep an exhaustive checklist ready:

All the things that they must complete in the first 3-4 weeks must find a place here. For example, mention all the pieces of training they must attend, leaders/ co-workers they must connect with, name and details of their buddy/ mentor (if any), paperwork and mandatory submissions to remember, platforms to explore etc. If your company uses any specific Hashtag (#) on social media, mention that as well. It will allow the new employee to look up the same on social media platforms.

2. A Memoir:

Send your new employees, a “Work-From-Home Snack Box”. Curate healthy and tasty assorted snacks to get them through the initial few days.

3. Introduction of the New Recruit:

You could ask the new employee to make a self-introduction video. However, they must answer from a pre-decided set of unusual/funny questions only. The unpredictability of questions is what will make this fun.

4. Goodie Bag:

Send your new employees, a “Goodie Bag”. This could include all the company branded gear such as t-shirt/ hoodie and office supplies like notebook, pen, mug, calendar, business card holder and much more. You could think out of the box and get as creative as you want while putting this together. Discount vouchers and gift cards can also be included.

5. Drive a Sense of Belongingness:

To reduce the feeling of isolation – you could create a virtual wall where new as well as veteran employees could post their “Work from Home” scenes and chai break pictures. This is also a great way to stay connected with a hint of personal touch.

6. Reward System:

For every task completed (mentioned in point 5), reward the employee. It could be loyalty points, discounts, and points added to their Sodexo card or simply appreciating them in front of senior leaders. This would most certainly spike their interest in finishing the list and look forward to the big reward/ recognition.

7. Intranet to Connect:

Give access to the employee self-service portal so that they can read up on all the company policies. With remote working being the new normal, IT policy and policy on social media access have become key. If your organization doesn’t have it already, now would be a good time to think it through.

8. Gamify the Tasks:

Make mundane tasks fun and exciting by gamifying training, induction and mandatory learning programs. If your organization doesn’t have the kind of IT infrastructure to build this internally, then you could outsource this to an external vendor. For every task completed, the employee would clear level after level. You can make it as visually engaging as possible.

If multiple people are joining deferred across weeks, then you could onboard new employees in groups – making the entire process less stressful and more engaging. With the right onboarding plan and checklists in place, the challenges of remote onboarding for hrs can be more conveniently managed. So what are you still waiting for? Pick and choose from these ideas and make your onboarding exciting!

The Inspirit Way

Remote OnBoarding for HRs has been the talk of the town these past 6 to 7 months. Questions arising on the efficiency of this virtual process have been an obstacle for every Human Resource Professional to tackle. The above-mentioned 8 points by Shrishti have given us depth on the entire process of virtual onboarding in the current times. To contribute to more suggestions, that you are following in your organisation as well!