Onboarding checklist for employees hired remotely

Using the onboarding checklist

When a new team member joins, the onboarding process is vital. A positive experience establishes a strong foundation and reassures the employee that they made the right choice; conversely, a poor experience can have the opposite result.

For remote hires, effective onboarding is especially important. Since you cannot greet them in person or immerse them in the workplace, you must exercise greater care and adapt some practices accordingly.

An onboarding checklist helps here: it provides a standardised template to deliver a consistent experience to remote hires and supports scaling the process as the organisation expands.

Drawing on our extensive experience of onboarding employees at Remote, below are key tasks and processes to prioritise:

Arrange introductory callsRemote employees frequently feel more isolated and siloed than office-based colleagues. Therefore, you must make greater efforts to foster belonging and team cohesion. Informal sessions aimed at building social connections deliver tangible benefits, improving engagement, productivity, and retention. They also help new hires feel welcomed, at ease, and more likely to seek support.

To-dos:

• Schedule (or ask your hire to schedule) one-to-one video calls with teammates and cross-functional partners

• Organise informal virtual team introductions, such as coffee chats and virtual happy hours,

  or virtual lunch meetings

• Assign a dedicated onboarding buddy to support your new employee’s transition

• Share personality assessments or work-style quizzes and review the results together online as a team

• Encourage “personal shares”, in which the new hire introduces colleagues to their hobbies and background

Highlight key policiesDo not simply hand over a voluminous policy manual and leave it at that. Identify the policies most relevant to remote workers, such as time off, expenses, and equipment.

To-dos:

• Compile and share policy briefs, codes of conduct, and training resources

• Arrange virtual sessions or record Loom videos to explain remote-specific policies, for example reimbursements for home office expenses

• Ensure you explain relevant cybersecurity and digital-asset policies

• Set out rules on information protection and data privacy

• Allow scope for asynchronous discussion on policy interpretation for distributed teams

It is advisable to incorporate self-service elements so the hire can complete onboarding asynchronously at their own pace. If you do so, consider providing a self-serve checklist for the employee.

Describe tools and communication flowsRemote workers depend more on software and tools to collaborate and manage workflows. Without the opportunity to glance over a colleague’s shoulder or ask quick in-person questions, new hires must achieve self-sufficiency rapidly.To achieve this, explain the purpose of each tool they will use. Again, self-serve materials and user guides are recommended.

To-dos:

• Prepare guides for logging into key systems and accounts

• Demonstrate (asynchronously, if required) how various tools integrate and operate together

• Explain how the hire’s team uses project-management systems (where applicable)

Also explain how communication channels operate, particularly if the hire has not previously worked remotely.

To-dos:

• Set expectations for online hours and availability

• Provide guidance on email, chat and meeting etiquette

• Explain norms for response times and video usage

• Share best practices for calendar management

Clarify roles and personnelNew hires need clarity on what tasks to undertake, who they'll collaborate with, and precisely what the role requires. Clearly distinguishing their responsibilities from those of colleagues will reduce confusion.Set expectations for response times, meeting cadences and availability. For example, employees working in the US typically begin their workday considerably later than colleagues in Europe. If your hire will collaborate closely with people across different time zones, explain how coordination will occur.To-dos:

• Outline regional versus centralised responsibilities

• Define expectations for response times and meetings, and include them in your handbook and welcome emails

• Identify key regional contacts and stakeholders

Promote your company’s cultureFor remote workers, the subtleties of your company’s culture — unwritten rules, inside jokes and workplace rituals — are harder to absorb. Ensure the hire is briefed on these from day one.

To-dos:

• Email new hires a staff handbook explaining the company’s culture, values and work environment

• Explain any company terminology, acronyms or traditions

• Send remote workers company swag, such as shirts with slogans or value statements

  Plan beyond the first dayRemote personnel have fewer environmental supports and natural touchpoints than in-office employees. Therefore their onboarding requires a more structured approach with more frequent check-ins.For example, remote workers miss organic learning that arises from overheard conversations or impromptu peer mentoring in an office; a structured onboarding journey compensates for this.

To-dos:

• Establish 30-, 60- and 90-day milestones and performance goals that empower new hires to take ownership of their development

• Schedule regular check-ins to review progress and any barriers the new hires must overcome

• Provide training on any new skills required for the role, such as product knowledge

• Connect new employees with a mentor to discuss acclimatisation, strengths and areas for development

• Conduct regular engagement and onboarding satisfaction surveys

Leverage data

Without in-person interaction it is harder to detect non-verbal cues and sentiment, making it difficult to judge whether onboarding resources resonate with remote staff. Remote managers are also more likely to make incorrect assumptions in the absence of data. Data offers valuable insights and reduces guesswork.

To-dos:

• Send weekly polls on experience, challenges and needs

• Use learning-management systems (LMSs) to track training completion rates

• Assess the time required for new hires to reach full productivity in their roles

• Collect feedback on new hires’ preferred communication methods

Data fills the visibility gaps inherent to remote work, helping to ensure your onboarding process meets the needs of new hires you do not interact with face-to-face.

Why is employment onboarding so important?

A personalised and well-planned onboarding process can help your new employee develop a sense of belonging in several ways.

However, success requires more than a welcome pack or branded swag. An effective onboarding programme can:

• Foster meaningful working relationships that increase engagement

• Build a stronger cultural connection in new employees and help them feel aligned with your business objectives

• Enable new employees to connect with your mission and vision and encourage initiative rather than mere compliance.

Onboard remote hires with Remote

One method to secure a consistent, positive onboarding experience is to engage a proven global HR partner such as Remote.

We manage all administrative aspects of onboarding, and our self-serve platform allows your team to access and submit required items quickly and easily. This frees you to concentrate on integrating the hire into your company’s culture and ensuring they start productively.To learn more about how we can simplify onboarding — and manage and pay your team — speak to one of our friendly experts today.