Dive Brief:
- The onboarding experience for remote employees is pretty basic, Chris Byers writes for Entrepreneur, but it may lack some of the benefits that face-to-face employees receive, like team building and relationships with co-workers. He shares three ways that HR can improve the onboarding experience for remote workers.
- Employers should plan frequent check-ins with remote employees as part of their learning plan. Byers also recommends a 'buddy system' so that the remote employee has a connection to the team. It's critical for remote employees to be included in all meetings and team projects.
- Lastly, employers should invest in the education and continued learning of remote employees. Virtual conferences, webinars and other opportunities make it possible to provide career development.
Dive Insight:
It's true that onboarding takes on new importance for those who work remotely. Employees may immediately feel left out, forgotten or, worse yet, devalued if a plan isn't in place to create a positive onboarding experience for them.
Learning is a vital aspect of onboarding, and it usually happens after the initial policies and procedures have been introduced. Fortunately, MOOCs and other forms of on-demand e-learning have made virtual training much more accessible in recent years.
One element missing from this discussion is how to help remote employees learn from their colleagues, since this likely won't be part of their daily experience. Leaders need to create a central location for sharing knowledge and resources.
