How to onboard a remote employee

In the current job market, any candidate worth their salt has plenty of offers to choose from. If you don’t get your onboarding right, especially in a hybrid workforce, you may lose them before they start. Harris Fanaroff recently tweeted about the importance of onboarding remote employees successfully and we have put his findings and tips together for you in this blog, Here are five tips to make sure your new employee actually shows up on day one. 
 
The numbers
 
Employees who experience effective onboarding are:
- 30% more likely to have high job satisfaction
- 30% more likely to feel strongly integrated into their workplace culture
- 18% more likely to feel highly committed to their organisation

1. Company Swag

This sounds trivial, but it’s your first chance to make a good impression. Get that company mug and mousemat (or whatever) in the post as soon as they accept your offer–and include a handwritten welcome note from HR or from their new manager.
 
2. Welcome Emails

Your new hire probably spoke to several of your existing people during the interview process. Ask those people to send them emails welcoming them to the team. You can provide an email template they can edit to make this easier.
 
3. Video from a Senior Leader

Make your new person feel special by having the CEO or a top exec spend one minute of their time making a face-to-camera welcome video, saying how excited they are to have them on board and perhaps sharing some ideas on the company’s mission, vision, and values.

4. Employee Handbook

This doesn’t have to be a whole book–it can be as short as a one-page Google doc. Just make sure your employee has everything they need to feel comfortable checking in on their first day. Send it to them 2-3 days before they start.

5. Lunch on Day 1

Starting a new job can be difficult and isolating for someone working from home. Send them a £20-ish gift card, tell them lunch is on the company, and invite them to send you a photo of what they get. This will also give you a good chance to check in with them halfway through their first day.
 
To sum up, here are the five things you need to give your new employee to make sure they actually get (and stay) on board:

1. Company swag
2. Welcome emails from existing employees
3. Video from a senior leader
4. Employee handbook
5. Lunch on day 1