How to properly onboard your new hires remotely?
Welcome to the exciting world of remote onboarding ! You know, that critical stage where you hope to turn new hires into committed and productive team members, all without meeting them in person. Yes, remote work has changed the situation, making this mission both more complex... and perhaps more exciting.
Imagine: you welcome a new talent on board, not with a handshake and a coffee, but via a screen and a Zoom link. Do you think it's an insurmountable challenge? Think again! This article is here to show you how, with the right strategies and a dash of technology, you can not only succeed in remote onboarding, but create an unforgettable experience for your recruits.
Together, we will explore the best practices, essential tools, and some tips that will make your onboarding a real success. Get ready to discover how to turn remote integration into an engaging and productive journey. Because after all, integrating your recruits well, even remotely, is above all a question of method and creativity and tools. Let's go, let's go!
Let's start with the obvious: onboarding is essential, even remotely. In fact, it is perhaps even more crucial at a distance, where the risks of isolation and disengagement are heightened. A BambooHR study shows that companies with a structured onboarding process improve the retention of new employees by 82% and their productivity by more than 70%.
At a distance, the challenges are multiple. New hires must not only understand their role and the expectations of the company, but also adapt to a new corporate culture... without ever setting foot in an office! Imagine trying to decipher a company's culture through video calls and emails. It's not easy, is it?
Remote onboarding must therefore be particularly well thought out. It is not only about transmitting information, but also about create a sense of belonging and of connection from day one. You don't want your new hires to feel like isolated islands in a digital ocean. On the contrary, they should feel that they are an integral part of a dynamic and committed team, even from miles away.
For a successful onboarding, everything starts even before the first day of your new hire. And yes, like a good dish, preparation is key!
Set clear goals : First and foremost, it's important to know what you want to achieve with your onboarding program. What are the short and long term goals for your new hire? What skills and knowledge does she need to acquire in the first few weeks? Defining clear goals allows you to structure the process and give a precise direction to onboarding.
Create a structured schedule : A calendar detailing the different onboarding steps is essential. This schedule should include trainings, meetings, mentoring sessions, and team building activities. Good planning helps to avoid oversights and ensures that all the important steps are covered. To learn more about how to structure an onboarding, read our article on strategies and techniques for effective onboarding.
Prepare the necessary tools and accesses : When working remotely, it is essential that your new hires have access to all the tools they need from day one. This includes hardware, access to software and platforms used by the business, and required login details. Make sure everything is working properly to avoid unnecessary stress on the big day. The Didask LMS can greatly facilitate this preparation by offering a centralized platform where recruits can access all their training and resources as soon as they arrive.
By anticipating these steps, you are creating the conditions for smooth and effective onboarding, even remotely. This gets you off to a good start and ensures that your new hires feel welcomed and supported from day one.
To succeed in remote onboarding, it is imperative to equip yourself with the right tools and technologies. These facilitate communication, collaboration, and learning, turning virtual integration into a seamless and rewarding experience.
LMS platforms : A Learning Management System (or LMS) is essential to centralize all the necessary training and resources. There are a lot of them out there but the Didask LMS stands out thanks to its Educational AI that simplifies the creation of training courses. All thematic experts can participate in the design of the modules based on their raw content, without pedagogical prerequisites (watch Pellenc's video testimony). Didask's AI transforms this content into pedagogically effective and engaging modules, creating a real impact on the daily life of employees. This helps structure learning and ensures that new hires acquire the skills they need quickly.
Communication tools : Using tools like Zoom, Slack, or Microsoft Teams is essential to maintain smooth communication. These platforms allow for regular meetings, Q&A sessions, and daily check-ins, ensuring that new hires never feel isolated. These regular interactions are critical to creating a sense of community and belonging.
In addition, thanks to its educational AI, the Didask solution fits perfectly into these collaborative tools, allowing employees to benefit from coaching and personalized training directly from their usual work platforms. This promotes a dynamic and collaborative work environment, which is essential for the integration and productivity of new hires.
By combining these tools, you can create a remote onboarding experience that is not only effective but also engaging and motivating for your new hires. For more details on this technology and AI component, I recommend the article by my colleague Svetlana Meyer on How artificial intelligence can save your onboarding.
Keeping new hires engaged and motivated remotely is a real art. But don't worry, it's entirely doable with a few well-thought-out strategies.
Motivation techniques : To prevent your new hires from feeling like free electrons in the world of remote work, set up frequent contact points and regular feedback. Schedule weekly meetings to take stock of their progress and answer questions. Regular check-ins help to stay on track and show that you are there to support them. Remember, a little word of encouragement can do wonders!
Social integration : One of the biggest challenges of remote onboarding is creating a sense of community. Organize virtual social activities like virtual coffee shops, online quizzes, or even virtual escape games. These relaxing moments allow new hires to bond with colleagues and to feel part of the team. At Didask, we are convinced that social integration is a key element of successful onboarding.
Use of Didask tools : The Didask LMS can also play a crucial role in engaging recruits. In addition to training modules, it offers interactive features that keep users interested. The courses are adaptive, adjusting to the level of each user, which makes learning more personalized and relevant. So, even at a distance, your new hires stay engaged and motivated.
On this subject of commitment, I also recommend the articles In eLearning, how can you improve the engagement of your LMS? and E-learning: generative AI at the service of learner engagement
Once your new hires have survived onboarding (and are still there, that's already a good sign), it's crucial to measure the effectiveness of this process. Don't worry, it's not as complicated as it seems.
Measuring effectiveness : Use surveys and KPIs to assess how integration is going. Ask your new hires what they liked, what could be improved, and especially if they feel ready to take on the world (or at least their daily tasks). Feedback is valuable in adjusting the situation. But that's not all, be careful! You should also measuring the real impact, that is to say if your new collaborators have learned everything you have given them well, if they have acquired the skills in questions and if they are in a position to apply all this in the field. Again, a good LMS should make your task easier, and on this very important subject of impact, we give you tips in our articles. What does pedagogical effectiveness mean? and Educational effectiveness: measuring it, yes, but how?
Ongoing adjustments : Thanks to the feedback collected, make continuous improvements to your onboarding process. If an activity has not been as successful as expected, do not throw it in the trash, but refine it. The Didask LMS can help you monitor this feedback and adjust your training modules in real time, while keeping an eye on the progress of each recruit.
Continuing education : Onboarding doesn't have to stop once the first few weeks have passed. Encourage training continuously to ensure the development of post-onboarding skills. Didask's adaptive modules adapt to the evolving needs of each employee, thus ensuring a constant increase in skills... without additional effort on your part.
Remote onboarding may seem like a big challenge, but with the right strategies and tools, it becomes a fantastic opportunity to onboard your new hires in an effective and engaging way. By setting clear goals, using technological tools like the Didask LMS, and ensuring constant monitoring, you can transform integration into a positive and productive experience.
Remember: onboarding is like making a secret family recipe — every ingredient counts for success! So, invest in quality onboarding and watch your new hires thrive, even from a distance. For more tips and tricks, check out our resources on Onboarding.
Go on, it's up to you to play and happy onboarding!
Prenez directement rendez-vous avec nos experts du eLearning pour une démo ou tout simplement davantage d'informations.
Best practices
Best practices
Best practices
