Congratulations - you just made an amazing hire! Now what?

As we navigate the new norm of long-term remote work, we’ve had to adjust the ways in which we interact with our colleagues. The fact of the matter is that there's simply no way to replicate the experience of starting a new job a few months ago - the welcome notes placed on your desk, water cooler introductions and lunch buddies are becoming an increasingly distant memory. Now, most new hires are likely to be starting their jobs perched on their living room couches, holding an old mug of coffee. Though things are not the same, it's certainly worth a little extra effort to make new employees' first few days special and instructive.

Studies have shown that new employees are more likely to show revenue-generating results quicker when they have a good onboarding experience and, conversely, strong new talent are more likely to leave companies if they don’t feel welcomed and well-trained during the first few months on the job. It’s not just good practice, it’s good business.

So how do we help new employees hit the ground running in those critical first 30-60-90 days? Here are some key steps to making the remote onboarding of new employees as efficient, effective and enjoyable as possible:

1.Stay in touch with your new hire leading up to their start date. There are usually a few weeks between offer and start date, and this time is critical in engaging with your new hire. This starts by setting them up with a company email address, and sending them any important information to jumpstart their first day including:

HR paperwork
Access to platforms and databases
Relevant content or reading materials
Arrival time, dress code and first day schedule

Your employee welcome kit poses a great opportunity to get creative with what you send to your new employee, in addition to their company laptop. If your company has continued happy hours virtually, for example, why not send them a DIY cocktail (or mocktail) kit for that welcome virtual happy hour? Or, if you want to help them feel more connected to the company brand and culture from the jump, it's never a bad idea to send along some company merch and other fun items that reinforce your company values. That extra touch will go a long way.

One other thing to check off the list before Day 1 is filling in their calendar with recurring team meetings and anything upcoming for their first week, offering a clear idea of who they’ll meet, how to divide their time and what they can expect to learn. Most employees haven’t been onboarded remotely before, so providing as much clarity as you can around their schedule and task list will help them set their expectations for what's to come and stay on track when they’re flying solo between meetings.

2. Make sure the rest of the team knows when their new colleague is starting. Remember, first impressions are everything (and critical in the initial days of a new hire), so put the start date on the team’s calendars and set a reminder. Set aside time to make important virtual introductions between colleagues, as well. Because you’re unable to rely on the go-to “take ‘em to lunch” trick, it’s important to build a similar sense of community and allow space for those “offline” conversations. This creates another network that they can quickly tap into and feel comfortable asking on-the-job questions to.

3. Set short standing meetings at the start of every day. We’re talking 10 minutes here. A quick check-in grounds the day in goals and expectations, and makes sure your new hire feels comfortable with all of the new information they’re taking in.

4. Cap off their day with a short and simple EDO survey. For the first two weeks, have your new hire fill out a simple survey form at the end of each day capturing what they’ve learned, who they’ve met, and questions they have.

This is an effective way to not only have them think about what they did throughout the day, but it allows you, as their manager, to understand where they are in the learning process and address any questions or concerns they (or you) could be having in your one-on-ones.

After the first two weeks and for the remainder of the onboarding process, these check-ins can move to a weekly basis.

5. Deliver feedback proactively. Despite the fact that you’re setting up a great remote onboarding process with the above tools, it’s important to remember that your new hire is still doing this alone and outside of your office environment. So, while you should make yourself as accessible as possible to them throughout the day to ask questions, it’s equally as important to be intentional about giving feedback. A quick feedback form for you, the manager, creates the space for you to offer both constructive criticism or helpful tips as they navigate their new duties, and also a virtual pat on the back with positive affirmations and kudos for the work that they’re doing. These little affirmations ultimately add up to more confidence and more contributions as the person feels more and more comfortable in their new role and company.

Managers, before you can have a great remote onboarding plan, you have to have a great existing onboarding plan. What does onboarding currently look like on your team? At CFW Careers, we specialize in building scalable, inclusive talent strategy to build diverse, lasting teams. Call us for more information!