Onboarding is the process used to integrate new employees into a company. Most HR departments are aware that remote onboarding is more demanding than in-person onboarding. The intentions, nonetheless, remain the same: to help the employee get off to a swift start, encourage commitment and engagement through professional proximity, share the organization’s culture/vision and help them understand performance expectations for the new opportunity.

From smaller to larger companies, the hiring and onboarding experience should always be friendly and welcoming.

Consequences of poor onboarding

Don’t underestimate the value of a positive onboarding. First impressions matter, for good and bad. A poor onboarding experience can create a negative long-term impact. Many Human Resources teams recognize that it lowers company’s productivity, morale, and trust, brings on greater inefficiencies and leads to higher employee turnover.

Research from Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) shows that “turnover during the first 18 months on the job can be as high as 50 percent. Organizations are realizing they must move beyond the standard new hire orientation and create an effective onboarding process. This is critical to improving employee retention.”

Starting out on the right foot is more than simplistic logistics, such as arranging a quick tour of the office, providing a laptop, and sending the employees on their way. A positive onboarding starts even before new hires walk through the front door and continues when a person is hired. There’s widespread agreement that onboarding should last 90 or 100 days.

Remote onboarding: Lessons from the pandemic

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, organizations had to adapt rapidly and embrace technology to continue their day-to-day work and maintain operations. The situation forced companies to rethink how they structure work and triggered lasting changes in the workplace. Supported by technology, society has witnessed a shift from an office-centric culture to more flexible working habits. However, from a business perspective, one of the greatest challenges is making the employees feel connected in the new world – an issue PrimeIT addressed head-on.

Covid-19 has permanently changed the way work is done. With a larger population working from home, there’s been a change in how organisations onboard new professionals.

Considering that remote or hybrid employees don’t have the normal chances to naturally blend into the company’s philosophies and culture, a positive onboarding process is a crucial opportunity to create a feeling of belonging and community among new hires. As a new team member in partial or full remote, you might ask yourself: Will people know I exist? What if I have any questions? Who will be there to help me?

Setting up a remote onboarding for success

The technology industry is no stranger to remote work. Dealing with technology and IT onboardings from day one, at PrimeIT, we go the extra mile to provide emotional support (you won’t feel alone or disconnected; we foster a sense of belonging) and job support (you won’t feel helpless, we’ve got your back)!

This is our strategy for successful IT onboarding:

• We develop a connection before the first day – we will make you feel part of the Prime family!
• We offer a Welcome Kit and provide the right technology/tools – you’ll be packed for success.
• We set clear expectations and connect your efforts to the big-picture vision for the future – we’ll share our story and goals with you.
• We invest in 1:1 relationships.
• Welcoming messages from our CEO and managers.
• We recreate in-office experiences virtually.
• We invest in career development.
• We’ll make you feel at home.