The onboarding process is the very first impression that the newly hired candidate has of the company. This impression plays a major role in building their trust and giving them a head-start on the rules, regulations and work culture of the company.
An onboarding checklist allows the manager to ensure that all aspects of the process are taken care of. Right from introducing all new employees to the existing staff, and setting up their workspace to communicating with them and giving them a brief about their roles and work expectations, onboarding is a multifaceted process.
In this article, we will go through the challenges of employee onboarding, applications that assist in providing a smooth onboarding experience and tips for conducting a remote onboarding process in 2023.
Challenges of Employee Onboarding
Employee onboarding is a crucial and multidimensional process, that comes with numerous challenges. Some of the main challenges faced by newly hired employees are:
A Feeling of Seclusion
Since the current team has members that already know each other, it might come up as a challenge for the newly hired employee to gel with the team. This issue might not appear significant but it has a major impact on the productivity and working of the new employee.
Getting delayed responses
On one hand, where communication is the key to a healthy and successful workspace, at times it becomes difficult for the manager to respond to every employee. While the existing employees are accustomed to handling matters in case of delayed response, for newly hired employees it becomes a challenge and creates space for confusion and chaos.
Getting familiar with new tools
For an industry, every company might be working on similar products but their work setup and work technology might vary from one another. There are numerous instances where it becomes difficult for the newly hired employee to get a hang of the tools and technology used in the office.
Apps for implementing a smooth onboarding experience
With the current pandemic situation, companies have switched to remote onboarding. On one hand, where this seems complex, on the other hand, there is a plethora of applications and software that are there to assist employees and managers in having a better onboarding experience.
Here are some tools and applications that will assist you in the remote On-boarding process.
Zoom: One of the most used platforms in this pandemic, Zoom allows the team to conduct video conferences.
Slack: It is a professional space where the employer can create channels and manage coordination with the team.
Greetbot: GreetBot assists in guiding and welcoming new employees to your Slack workspace.
Juntrax: It is an all-in-one cloud-based PSA & HR software for SMEs globally
Checklist for Smooth Remote Onboarding
Here are some of the best practices that you must include in your onboarding checklist to ensure a smooth onboarding process-
Don’t wait for the first day
Instead of waiting for the first day to give a head start to your newly hired employee, get them started beforehand. Address the distinction between onboarding and orientation. You can make use of platforms like Slack and Trello to switch to soft copy documentation that can be referred to in future. This will not only save time on the first day of their work but will also give them a precursor to the responsibilities and tasks they are about to encounter.
Give early access to tools and software
Adapting to new technology and tools is among the most common challenges that are faced by newly hired employees. Instead of delaying access, give your employees early access along with credentials and a briefing about the technology used in the office. This will give them time to engage with the system and raise their queries, confusion and concerns.
Make announcements for new additions to the team
When a new employee joins the company, it is important to ensure that they gel in with the existing team. In order to familiarize both the new hire and the existing employees, you can send our emails across the company or drop a message on your team groups. You can even make the introduction fun and engaging by conducting ice-breaking sessions where employees ask fun questions to each other and gain a better understanding of their colleagues.
Send over customized gifts
Remote onboarding has created a void in physical human interaction. One can recollect days when the newly hired employee was introduced in person and the joy you felt in building a connection. Despite the barrier created by Covid-19, you can convey your wishes through customized welcome packages like a coffee mug o a T-shirt or a welcome letter from the CEO or the manager. This gives the employee a sense of affection and belonging to the team and the company. It also builds a healthy and positive image of the company.
Regularly check in with new hires
As discussed earlier, communication is the key to a healthy and successful workspace. It is important to regularly check in with your new hires and assure them that no question is insignificant. Allow them to reflect on their work, monitor their progress, give constructive feedback, and encourage them to communicate their questions and challenges to their manager.
CONCLUSION
With the pandemic, the corporate industry learned a lot and found new ways to sustain their businesses. Remote onboarding is one of the many modern practices that will stay on trend even after everything is back to normal.
