You’ve finally completed all of the interviews, chosen your new remote employee, and had the job offer accepted. However, the recruitment process is not over yet as the employee onboarding process is a crucial component of this. We have compiled a new hire checklist for remote onboarding to make the process as simple as possible and ensure that you don’t miss anything.

What Is Employee Onboarding?

Employee onboarding is the process through which a new hire learns about and begins to interact with your organization. If you do it right, new hires will quickly learn about their new role and their position in the company. They will understand what is expected of them at work to provide them with the best chance of success in their new job.

Some companies have been forgoing this process with their remote employees because they can’t conduct the usual onboarding process in person. This is a huge mistake, as it’s even more important for remote employees to undergo an onboarding process. This is the only way that they can meet their colleagues, understand expectations, and become familiar with the organization.

If you have an excellent employee onboarding process, you will find that your new staff members become productive more quickly. You will also notice that they are more engaged, and it can also improve employee retention. So, there are plenty of reasons why you should work hard on having a fantastic onboarding process.

The Must-Have New Hire Checklist for Remote Onboarding

Here is a thorough new hire checklist that you can use for your remote onboarding processes.

Before Day 1

• Ensure all paperwork is signed – before your new hire’s first day, you must check that all the paperwork has been completed. A new hire’s paperwork may include a background check, contract, tax documents, and payroll information.

• Send the employee handbook – sending a new staff member your employee handbook before they begin working for you is a great idea. This gives them the chance to familiarize themselves with the relevant policies and procedures they will need to be aware of.

• Arrange devices and equipment – if you are providing the equipment for your remote employee to do their work, you will need to arrange this well in advance. You will have to allow for shipping time so that they will definitely receive the equipment before their first day. This may include a computer, mouse, and keyboard.

• Logins and software – the other thing you will need to arrange before day one is all of the software and company logins that the new hire will need. If they don’t have access on their first day, this can be incredibly frustrating.

First Day

• Video chat – at the time the employee starts, you will need to log on and video chat with them right at the beginning of their first day. Otherwise, in a remote environment, they will sit down at their computer at 9 am and won’t be sure what to do! So, greet them on time and have a chat about what they can expect from the day. Allow them to ask any questions they have as well.

• Team meeting – the new hire will need to meet their team members virtually on the first day. This provides them with people to ask questions of and helps them to feel at ease. Remember that if they are new to remote working, they will likely find it odd not to have coworkers to turn around and chat to. Keep this meeting informal so that everyone can get to know each other.

• Assign a buddy – it’s a good idea to assign a buddy to any new person you have at your organization. This person should be someone on the same level as them who is in the same department. This gives them a point of contact so they know who to ring if they aren’t sure what they should be doing. This buddy relationship can also introduce them to the company culture and accepted ways of doing things in your organization.

First Week

• First assignments – in the first week, you can start giving tasks to your new hire. These shouldn’t be tremendously difficult as the person is only just getting to know your systems and tools. Make sure that they know who to ask if they have any questions about what they are doing.

• Communication – check in with them every day. This won’t be necessary forever, but in a remote work environment, the first week can be the hardest. By calling them at a specified time each day, you give them the opportunity to ask questions and generally make sure they are settling in well.

• Meeting key colleagues – while the person will have met their team members in a group meeting on the first day, it’s critical for them to meet each person individually. We recommend doing it through video conference rather than over the phone so they can start to connect names and faces.

First Month Onwards

• Feedback – giving your employee plenty of feedback will be extremely useful to their development. If they don’t know what they are doing wrong, it will be difficult for them to improve. So, provide regular feedback as they submit work.

• Goal setting – after they have gotten settled, you can start goal setting with the new hire. Create goals together for what they are going to achieve in the first few months of working for you.

• Performance review – provide regular performance reviews across the year. This allows you to provide any overall feedback not given previously. You can also see how their achievements have lined up with their goals and work on setting the next batch of goals for the upcoming months.

Just because you’re in a remote work environment doesn’t mean that the onboarding process will be more difficult. By using this new hire checklist, you will have your new recruit on their feet and flourishing in no time. Set them up for success by giving them all the tools they need to do their job well and feel confident in a remote work environment.