7 steps for onboarding new hires in a virtual workplace

HR 101: 7 steps for onboarding in a virtual workplace

June 30, 2022 2:28 PM

Millions of workers are continuing to quit their jobs this year, forcing employers to ramp up their search for new talent — but their recruitment and retention challenges do not stop once they’ve found a match.

According to research and analyst firm Brandon Hall Group, organizations with a strong onboarding process improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70%. Yet, a Gallup survey found that as few as 12% of employees agree that their organization successfully onboarded new hires. A poor onboarding process leaves employers at risk for a high turnover rate, and the high costs that come with it; Society for Human Resource Management estimates it costs six to nine months' worth of the replaced employee’s annual salary to get a new hire up to speed.

Onboarding can be the key to employee and company-wide success, but only if the process is done with intention and leaves room for adjustments, explains Arthur Woods, co-founder of Mathison, a platform that helps companies develop diversity action plans.

“When a new hire starts a job, it's kind of like the first day of school,” says Woods. “We are getting our bearings and trying to figure out what kind of environment this is. And in a virtual age, we have to go even further to ensure that people are connected and feel included.”

For Woods, a successful onboarding experience balances structure and flexibility. Here’s how he does it, in seven key steps:

Start with a pre-onboarding call

Woods advises every manager to call their new hires before their first official day on the job. The call offers new hires the chance to learn more about their role and what is initially expected of them when they log in or arrive that first day. More importantly, employees can ask questions before being overwhelmed by administrative work and training they have to tackle in the first few weeks, explains Woods.

“There's a misconception that by having that call, you're asking someone to start doing work before they start,” he says. “That's not the case. It’s a courtesy call, where you can build a sense of psychological safety for the new hire before they start.”

Give people time for “paperwork”

Woods points out that a lot of companies make the mistake of overscheduling new hires with back-to-back meetings, giving them little time to actually set up a working infrastructure for themselves. This includes work accounts, like email and slack, as well as any HR-related paperwork like payroll and benefits information.

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“There inevitably will be a lot of administrative work for new hires,” says Woods. “So budget ample time in the first couple days for people to just do their basic setup.”

Explain the role

While seemingly obvious, Woods emphasizes that it’s crucial for managers to take the time to formally explain what daily duties and responsibilities look like, as well as how they are expected to contribute to any long-term company goals.

“We oftentimes take for granted that [new hires] will understand the role they’re stepping into from reading the job description,” he says. “But it’s really important to reiterate what success looks like here.”

Make sure new hires know who they are working with

Especially in a virtual work environment, it may be challenging for new hires to introduce themselves to other members of their team, or even know who they are supposed to be collaborating with.

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“Sometimes we just assume that people will naturally meet on the next team meeting, and it will be super clear who they’re working with and what they need to be doing with them,” says Woods. “Those introductions and relationship-building have to be intentional.”

Woods recommends the buddy system — pairing a new hire with a team member who can help introduce them to anyone who is relevant to their role. Managers should also ask team members to make time in their schedule to meet with the new hire one-on-one, whether on a video call or in-person, says Woods.

Assert your DEI commitment from the start

Woods considers onboarding the optimal opportunity to explain how one’s company supports diverse talent, whether it’s through employee resource groups, diversity councils or DEI-focused events. Employees should feel included in their new workplace from the start.

“We really recommend having a dedicated session to onboarding to explain your diversity commitment and orient new hires in the diversity programming,” says Woods. “It should be very clear to the new hire where they can engage and how they're invited to be involved.”

Take the lead

Rather than putting the bulk of the onboarding responsibilities on HR, Woods encourages managers to take the lead.

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“If you’re a manager, you have the ability to create an environment where you can be yourself at work and feel safe to ask questions and contribute,” he says. “It’s especially important for managers to do this because we are oftentimes waiting for a signal from our new leader to know how to act.”

Managers should begin building a working relationship with their new hires as soon as possible. And there’s no better time than when onboarding. This means managers are the ones who explain their new job role, how their team communicates and initiates check-in throughout the onboarding process.

Make it a two-way conversation

Woods warns against creating an airtight onboarding process to the point that new hires feel uncomfortable asking questions or requesting help. If onboarding becomes too calculated, new hires may not feel there is time or even the ability to make their individual needs known.

“I tell managers to think about onboarding as a plan written in pencil,” says Woods. “If you hear something from your new hire that signals how you might need to adjust your plan, then do it. The whole point of this is setting them up for success.”