Onboarding in a Virtual World

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Virtual onboarding is a challenge.

You’ve just hired a contractor, but they don’t have an office to come to or a physical team to meet. How do you make them feel like part of the team?

In this land of exciting connection and flexibility, in-person onboarding just doesn’t translate well online. Historically, the first day in the office is a chance for the employee to get to know their new coworkers and learn about their role in the company. For the employer, it’s an opportunity to set expectations and make sure that you’re setting your new employee up for success.

Onboarding is a crucial step in retaining new contractors and making sure they feel welcome and can contribute right away.

Get this process wrong, and you could end up losing them after just a few months on the job – and that would be tragic!

The first day is crucial to the success of your onboarding process, so it’s important to plan ahead. The first day can make a big difference in new-hire retention rates, but it’s not easy to provide a great experience for remote employees.

Using collaborative tools, setting up virtual introductions, providing access to software and training ahead of time are great ways to start.

The following things will help you make sure they feel welcome and contribute right away:

Before they start, make sure your new hire will have all the necessary equipment and software before they start. If not, make it clear what is needed and how long it will take until everything is ready.
Schedule a time to meet with your contractor on their first day. This can be done in person or via phone/video call.
Discuss expectations for their role, including what tasks they will be completing, who they’ll be working with, and the overall goal for that particular project.
Provide them with access to your employee handbook or onboarding guide so they can familiarize themselves with company policies and procedures early on in their tenure. You may also want to create an FAQ page where employees can ask questions anonymously about topics like benefits or compensation — this way new hires don’t feel shy about asking questions when it comes time for HR-related matters!
Set expectations about company culture and values. Explain if there are any benefits of working at this company that set it apart from others in terms of perks or bonuses.

The next few weeks on the job will be crucial for defining the new hire’s role, setting expectations, and helping them feel comfortable so that they can hit the ground running.

Have a clear plan for your new hire’s first 30 days, which includes goals for what they will work on.

Good luck!

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