How to Overcome the Challenges of Remote Onboarding
In remote onboarding, building connection and culture while ensuring knowledge transfer is the toughest challenges there is. Here’s how you can do it.
Onboarding is like any journey of travel. We are greeted at the check-in with smiling faces, paperwork and identification checked, taken to the waiting lounge, then to our seat. The key personnel are introduced to us, we are told the important policies and procedures, what is coming next and what to expect during our journey until we reach our destination.
The difference with on-boarding into an organisation is that rather than just knowing the emergency procedures and how to get the in-flight entertainment to work, it seems like we have to learn how the plane works, flight schedules, take off and land procedures, all within a few short weeks. We are also expected to meet and greet everyone on the plane and fit in with the culture.
What are some Challenges of Remote Onboarding?
Onboarding of new employees is fraught with difficulties when done in person. Information overload of policies, organisational charts, new work associates, product ranges to name a few. The issue of engagement and integration into the new work culture is present. Also the retention and recall of all that information.
How has COVID Impacted Onboarding?
COVID-19 has caused rapid change technologically, socially, and culturally. Impacting all organisations to come to grips with these forced changes. Throughout the pandemic, one of those forced changes in the increase in remote work. Whether that be working from home in the close vicinity of the same city of the organization or working inter-state and internationally. The world of Zoom and Teams make it all possible for us to inter-connect remotely.
With remote work, also comes remote onboarding, which accentuates the issues of in person on-boarding. How does a new employee feel part of the team without meeting them in person? How do they understand the intricacies of the organisation? How do they learn all the product and service delivery information? How do they comprehend and go beyond the policies and procedures, to learn the culture, to know ‘how we do things around here’?
How do you solve for the challenges of onboarding?
This is where Readii comes in. With a customised solution for any level of new employee role and responsibility, Readii provides an engaging gamified platform to guide new hires through all they need to know. With videos and quizzes, new employees test their knowledge before moving on, learning about all aspects of the organisations structure, history, values, vision, and mission, as well as key policies and procedures.
Another challenge of remote on-boarding is creating feedback loops for the new hire, but also for their supervisors to ensure they are on track and progressing as expected. More importantly, is to identify and address where knowledge or skills gaps may occur. Often with remote on-boarding and remote workers this can go on for months without being addressed.
With staged progression through the remote on-boarding process, new employees can easily access Q&As, FAQs and other online tools to build the confidence to feel part of the new company. Analytics provide feedback to the organisation and new hire on progress to guide and highlight where and when to progress, allowing additional instruction where needed.
The modular approach allows employees to progress through their journey with assurance and safety. New employees become familiar with the communication channels and styles within the organisation. Readii is available for employees as a resource to return at any time, to brush up on
Readii provides a tailored, engaging and successful onboarding experience to ensure information retention and recall for implementation fight from the get-go.
Get your new employees Readii for their new role, whether that be face to face or remote.
