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How to Onboard, Remotely
Now that we’re trying to keep calm and carry on, many teams are back to hiring employees and facing the question of how to integrate a new team member when everyone is working remotely.
On the plus side, you don’t have to worry about the security badge not being ready on time.
On the downside, there’s no opportunity to decorate the newbie’s cubicle or do the meet-and-greet walkabout (now that I think about it, that might be another upside).
One way or another, we’re going to need to find creative ways to onboard new team members during work from home.
Set Your Orientation Objectives
Everything I’m going to say in this section holds whether you’re onboarding a new team member during a global pandemic or just on a typical Monday in June. Below, I’ll get into how to modify this given a remote work environment.
First, start by articulating the goals of the orientation process. Define that by stipulating what you want the new person to know, to think, to feel, and to do at the end of the orientation period (whether that’s in 2 weeks or 2 months).
Next, break the objectives down into the know, think, feel, and do for each week. Based on your objectives for the week, plan the activities that will help the new recruit end the week with…
