Virtual Employee Onboarding: 7 Steps to Success

Employee onboarding is a process that involves introducing new employees to their new work environment and culture. It is one of the most critical steps you can take in the hiring process as it is all about inclusion, and providing the tools needed by the employee to become a dynamic team member.  

So, does that change when you are working virtually? With many people now working from home, or between their home and the office, many businesses may find it hard to manage their onboarding programs.

Getting this step right ensures that new employees feel welcomed as part of the team, get to know their colleagues, understand the organization's policies, regulations and give you a better chance at retaining your new hire.

Through the process, new employees can learn and understand their job descriptions and set clear objectives for the first few months at work. They get a better understanding of their new company’s culture and values to create meaningful and professional relationships with their new team – even if they have never met them in person!

Successful Employee Onboarding Process

When hiring a new employee, make sure you get started on the right foot! Get our FREE download 'Employee Onboarding Checklist' for a step by step guide.

Download 'Employee Onboarding Checklist' to get started!

Employee onboarding plays an integral role in employee retention and helps new employees feel welcomed within your organization. Many companies have some type of onboarding experience, but few employees would refer to it as great.

The employee onboarding process is the first step in welcoming new team members and can often make or break the likelihood they will stay. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, employee turnover can be as much as 50% in the first 18 months of employment.

A successful employee onboarding process ensures new team members gain clarity on their roles and what is expected of them, and prevents them from leaving as soon as they can!

ONBOARDING BEST PRACTICES FROM A TOP TRAINING COMPANY

Onboarding Best Practices: How to Decrease Your Employee Onboarding Time

When new hires show up at your company on their first day, eager to get started in their new position, how are they greeted? Do they spend most of the day doing paperwork, waiting for their computers and cellphones to be set up, given documents to read while their managers are busy in meetings? Or do you have a formal employee onboarding program that makes them feel welcome and reinforces the decision to join your company?

TIPS FROM YOUR TRAINING COMPANY

How Effective Is Your Employee Onboarding Process?

Congratulations, you’ve finally found that perfect new recruit and the organization is excited to get moving.  This person should bring great value to the bottom line, ignite the team culture and help achieve the overall goals of the organization.

TIPS FROM YOUR TRAINING COMPANY

I’ve personally worked in a number of organizations where I’ve seen some of the best and some of the absolute worse onboarding processes play out!  Considering the cost and time that goes into the recruitment and hiring process, one would expect business leaders to spend the extra time on developing a strong employee onboarding process, especially since statistics show that companies lose up to 25% of their new hires in the first year!

Employee Training vs Employee Onboarding

TIPS FROM YOUR TRAINING COMPANY

Here are some creative ways to implement some onboarding techniques into your organization.

Netflix

Netflix’s top executives, including CEO Reed Hastings, meet with all new hires when they join the organization.⁵

The Difference Between Employee Onboarding and Corporate Training Programs

There are a number of managers in successful organizations globally that still struggle with the difference between onboarding and training and development of new hires.

Why Effective Employee Onboarding Is Critical

Think back to your first day at your current job.  How was it?  Did you get a formal introduction to the team?  Were your work station, technology and passwords all set up and awaiting your arrival?  Did you know where the closest bathroom to your desk was located?  How about the great places to grab a bite at lunch or a cocktail after work?

TIPS FROM YOUR TRAINING COMPANY

Congratulations, you’ve finally found that perfect new recruit and the organisation is excited to get moving.  This person should bring great value to the bottom line, ignite the team culture and help achieve the overall goals of the organization.

Nisha Amin, Director of Marketing, TrainingFolks

Enhancing the New Hire Training Experience with Gamification:

New hire training is a critical step that companies take to ensure that their new hires develop the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to be successful. Companies invest heavily in hiring new employees, which is one reason why it is so important to have an effective training program. Each new employee will represent the company’s brand, displaying their culture and values, as well as being expected to perform at a required level in their job. Gamification is a rapidly growing approach to ensure your new hires are getting the most out of their training.

The Onboarding of the New Employee including New Employee Orientation

Meet Joe from Toronto, Ontario. Joe has just started with his new company and he is nervous. He is nervous about how he will get along with his new boss, his new colleagues and what it will be like. Most new recruits go through this kind of thought process when it comes to making a new start with a new company. It can be an unnerving time. Forty percent of employees who left their jobs voluntarily in 2013 did so within six months of starting in the position, according to Equifax. Did you know a training company can help in this area? One such way is by having a training consultant design an onboarding program to ensure that new employees are effectively welcomed to the company and the team.