Companies can ruin everything if they don't know how to get remote onboarding right
Employees who underwent structured onboarding were 69% more inclined to remain with the company for at least three years
Hello,
In today's newsletter, I'm writing my first post about the Remote Working Expo 2023, an event I covered in London for No Direction Home.
Before discussing what I learned, I want to reflect on a friend's provocation: "A remote work event that's in-person?"
It may seem contradictory, but long-time readers of this newsletter know that I'm not a remote work radical but rather a proponent of flexibility. Face-to-face interaction will never lose its value. Handing out my business card and chatting with fellow remote work enthusiasts was great.
Yes, a remote work event that's in-person. Photo: Mateus Camillo/No Direction Home
One of the lectures I enjoyed the most was "How to Get Remote Onboarding Right" by Hannah Davies, Learning Adviser at Nimble Elearning Ltd.
Aside from presenting interesting figures, Hannah detailed the significance of proper onboarding to ensure new hires learn the company's values, feel like they're part of its structure, and remain for more time.
Hannah provides many lessons for companies —and I would say that many of them also apply to in-person onboarding. Although the focus was on corporations, I found it very interesting to understand the other side of the equation so that we, current or future remote workers, know what to expect (and perhaps demand) when it's our turn.
According to research, effective onboarding procedures can increase the likelihood of retaining new employees by 82% and boost productivity by 70%. The study found that 62% of new staff members who participated in formal onboarding met their initial performance goals, compared to only 17% of those in organizations without an onboarding program. Additionally, employees who underwent structured onboarding were 69% more inclined to remain with the company for at least three years.
The perfect onboarding process starts before new employees even begin —the preboarding, which involves a series of strategies the company must already have, far beyond just paperwork.
One frequent error is neglecting to prepare the fundamentals. Equipping oneself with necessary items such as a laptop or PC, webcam, microphone, office chair, footrest, and the second screen is a relatively simple task. However, one study found that over 90% of new starters report technology problems during virtual onboarding.
Additionally, it's important to provide guidance for safe remote work, such as conducting a DSE workstation assessment, and prioritize educating employees about critical topics like data security and password policies. So, the company should create a centralized onboarding folder.
But probably the most challenging topic is how to absorb culture and values.
47% of workers cite company culture as a reason for leaving their current organization.
So she brings some tips.
Don’t be part of the 14% dedicating one day to onboarding. Don’t just share your values and document once.
This is very common. HR hands you a pile of paperwork at once and recommends that you read it, and the topic is never mentioned again. There are some companies where the values are widely known —perhaps this is what attracted the candidate. However, they may not fully understand the company culture. Or sometimes the opposite.
According to Hannah's recommendation, it's vital to reference company values frequently, especially when team members achieve notable accomplishments. Additionally, senior management should exemplify these values, otherwise they will hold no weight. However, it's important not to veer into indoctrination and instead prioritize valuing employees' experiences and strengths.
It's also essential to remember that onboarding is different from training. Training often involves transmitting tasks without mentioning cultures and values. By doing both correctly, there is an increased chance that the employee:
Build relationships
Process information
Practice skills
Although building relationships can be more challenging when working remotely, technology has enabled new ways to connect and collaborate with colleagues worldwide.
Hannah enumerates some opportunities:
Virtual team lunches or coffee breaks
Virtual icebreakers
Foster cross-team links
Buddy system (when an employee serves as a mentor or guide, providing support, answering questions, and offering advice to the new one).
Creating a chat group where informal conversations are encouraged would be beneficial in integrating everyone.
If the company has done everything right so far, that's excellent news. However, the process still needs to be completed, and it is crucial to review progress regularly. The most effective way to do this is by using data.
“How will you measure the impact of your remote onboarding program? What will success look like? Start with the questions you want to answer, not the data you have”, says Hanna.
Consider these metrics.
Time to productivity
Employee satisfaction
Employee engagement
Manager satisfaction
Employee retention rate
And elaborate questions like: “How many new remote employees leave within the first year?” or “How has this changed since we launched the new onboarding program?”
She summarizes the lecture in three points:
Don’t overlook remote onboarding as an option.
Making simple changes can have a lasting impact.
First impressions count.
Have you ever gone through remote onboarding? Tell your story.
Who is This Digital Nomad
Name: Júlia Flores
Place of birth: Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil
Age: 26
Education/Currently Job: Journalism
When discovered nomadism: When I realized, it was gone. It was a natural move.
When did you decide to be a nomad, and when did you become one? What motivated? I became a nomad during the pandemic. In April 2021, I took my computer with me on vacation to Jericoacoara, Ceará. I decided to stay there, and everything fell into place as I was working remotely. I created a different routine, fell in love with water sports, started surfing, sailing, and never returned to São Paulo. At the time, I was working as a reporter for a women's portal.
When my company decided to return face-to-face, I resigned and found a new fully remote job. I don't regret the decision and always invite friends to do the same.
My favorite place: Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
An unforgettable moment lived as a nomad: Working outside Brazil (I never thought I would).
What does nomadism mean to you? It may sound cliché, but I see nomadism as a remedy against exhaustion. When productivity reigns, it is revolutionary to have the power to determine your routine and create space for rest, personal habits, and hobbies.
Not to mention geographical freedom, a great weapon against professional regionalism (an ugly convention people have of thinking that, to be successful, you have to be in São Paulo).
What advice do you have for someone who wants to be a nomad? Understand if this is your lifestyle. Not everything is perfect, and the Instagram blogger will not show you the challenges of this lifestyle.
The choice for a nomadic life has consequences not only for the professional scope, but also for the personal one —such as the difficulty of creating and cultivating friendship bonds and support networks.
If that doesn't scare you off, go ahead and take it one day at a time. Professional instability is manageable. If you regret it, nothing prevents you from returning to the face-to-face.