Despite the current economic crisis, many businesses that aren’t financially impacted are still hiring new staff. In fact, many companies have ramped-up their recruitment activity, capitalising on the opportunity to attract a new swathe of talent.
Yet traditional onboarding processes have been thrown into disarray due to state-mandated lockdown restrictions. An employee’s first day with a new organisation is incredibly important, as it will leave a lasting impression and will dictate whether said employee will stay for the long-haul. Many companies may find creating the right first impression difficult if all of their employees are working from home.
That’s why it’s essential to craft a compelling and detailed remote recruitment and onboarding experience that can match – if not exceed – your organisation’s in-person processes.
Your remote procedures – just like your in-person ones – must attract the right people from the outset, and help new starters embed themselves fully into your company culture; ensuring they get off to the best start and exert maximum productivity from day one. This will ensure success right from the start. If you don’t make this a high-priority issue, then your company will suffer.
It’s important to understand the issues that a prospective employee may face when it comes to remote, video-based interviews. They may have anxiety and/or body sensitivity issues, which make them uncomfortable seeing themselves on camera. Their internet connection may be flaky, which means the video stream may cut in and out, which they may fear leaves a negative impression of them. If they’re successful, then it can also be very lonely for them, as they haven’t had the chance to meet anyone in person and make meaningful connections with their colleagues.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. You just have to keep the above potential problems in mind, and implement methods to mitigate their impact.
Some things you can think about include:
- Create a video that is similar to the in-person onboarding process. Many workplaces have created fantastic 360-degree interactive walkthroughs of their offices as well, so new employees know what to expect when things return to normal.
- Ask managers to check up on new starters more frequently than usual, and collate feedback from new employees so issues can be rectified quickly.
- Make an FAQs resource containing common questions that new hires ask, and upload it to your HR system for everyone to easily access.
- Distribute insightful content about how to get the most out of working from home, how to manage work and childcare, and how to access mental health and wellbeing support.
- Ensure your communication is regular, honest, and effective; ensuring everyone is up-to-date about the current situation and how the company is coping. You should make use of your HR system’s built-in communication capabilities to help you do this.
If your organisation has a mission and vision statement, and a set of values, then it’s a good idea to communicate these to new starters right from the very beginning. It helps to make it clear to them what your company is all about, and gives them a sense that they’re working with their colleagues towards a common goal.
And don’t forget that lockdown doesn’t mean you can’t socialise – organise regular after-work online meetups using platforms such as Google Meet or Zoom!
It’s important to take the positives out of the current situation. Being able to see colleagues in their home environment – the very place that’s most personal and intimate to them – can help break down barriers and make everyone, in some strange way, even closer.
If you’d like to find out how Youmanage can help to transform your remote onboarding processes and communication efforts, then please get in touch with our friendly team. Or if you’d like to try things out for yourself, then claim your free 30-day trial right here.
