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Onboarding new workers remotely for a better experience

22 July 2021

Due to the global pandemic it is now essential that we can operate effectively in a remote capacity. Organisations have to be nimble with online tools that can assist with attracting the right talent through to the first crucial weeks of induction and support new starters on their ongoing journey.

The onboarding stage is vital to making new workers feel a sense of purpose and belonging in their new working community, particularly if they are working in isolation. The sophistication of an organisation’s onboarding program will be a key factor in whether new recruits choose to stick around, or not.

Proactively approaching your remote onboarding experience will pay dividends

Onboarding is often thought of as a box-ticking exercise and in today’s working environment this is wrong, even more so when managing a remote workforce. Get this right from their start date on day one and you’ll set up your new hires for success. This translates in part to higher retention across the organisation, which in turn will lead to a more positive workplace culture.

What’s involved in remote employee onboarding?

Typically devised for those new recruits that will be working remotely, the onboarding phase should be staged over time to not overwhelm and be comprehensive enough to hit the mark quickly.

New workers can slot into the culture of the organisation from week one and be clear about the expectations of their role with regard to responsibility, output and reporting processes. For the organisation, this means new recruits can be productive faster. There is also more clarity on navigating key contacts within the organisation that they can lean on for queries and direction in those confusing early stages where information overload is common. Video one to ones with the direct line manager along with online team meetings will be helpful as well as an employee announcement organisation wide message to welcome the new member, introducing them to everyone as a valued future contributor.

Verifying documents on the individual will need to be uploaded such as ID, qualifications and insurances.  This exercise can be laborious. By placing the responsibility on the new starter to upload these online via a secure contractor management system will speed up the process for both parties. For further pointers on approaches to document verification, our blog will steer you in the direction that works best with your onboarding strategy  Contractor pre-qualification – self-managed vs outsourced

Key stages of a robust onboarding experience

The duration of your onboarding should be defined by organisation goals with feedback and ongoing support for the new recruit. An agenda for the first stage will help them to feel comfortable and enthused about getting started and being able to produce value from an early stage.  The company history and an organisation chart should be shared.  Introductory meetings to team members will help to join the dots of where they fit into the picture and to understand shared objectives.

At this juncture the new team member will be absorbing a lot of information so make sure to only schedule what they need to know right away - WHS, compliance and team building information should be on the checklist.

We recommend that for the first phase you should incorporate:

  • The ability to capture important documentation at the pre-commencement stage. An online facility such as a contractor management system will save you time and expense. You can send invitations to your new starters so they can effortlessly connect, access and complete their onboarding and training verification requirements before they advance to the next stage.
  • site inductions. A roadmap of what to expect as and when the onboarder needs to attend the site, along with an ID pass for visitor management purposes.

Digital workforce training to onboard new starters seamlessly

Elearning is a great way for the new team member to build knowledge on what they need to know to be safe, compliant and to feel included. In the main, this form of training is relatively short in duration and can be adapted to suit the needs of the individual with engaging rich learning content that transfers information efficiently. Deliver training by adding titles and assign them to your new recruit via your learning management system (LMS).

The categories of workplace digital training in the onboarding phase typically include:

  • workplace familiarisation training. Online tools for contribution and management of projects, reporting and ease of use with team messaging with the encouragement of regular check-ins with colleagues and supervisors for transparency and also to manage possible feelings of isolation if the work is exclusively remote based.
  • Work health and safety training. Tailored to the needs of the new starter and this should include support and training for their wellbeing.
  • corporate training. What is deemed necessary from the outset of a new role? Key compliance topics include the likes of Bullying & Harassment, Infection Prevention Control, COVID-Safe workplace, Information and Cyber Security should be undertaken in this initial stage (depending on the nature of the onboarding requirement and working environment)

Beyond the onboarding phase, learning should be a vital part of the new team members ongoing professional development journey and this should be made clear from the outset. 

Deloitte reported on the importance of learning in a mass scale workplace survey they conducted, concluding that: “Employees at all levels expect dynamic, self-directed, continuous learning opportunities from their employers.”

And leading HR analysts; Fosway Group’s David Wilson, stated: “Learning is the #1 reason people want to join an organisation or leave it.”

Getting this right from the outset could be a make or break so take care to include an continuing professional development and regular check-ins from human resources, team leaders and colleagues on expected work ethic, work projects and etiquette with group communication, have regular stand up meetings for daily and weekly goals and a staggered evolving developmental program.

Is it time to spruce up your onboarding program for a better employee experience? We’re here to help, get in touch to discuss your needs with our team.

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