Employers and HR departments have faced many challenges throughout 2020, trying to find workarounds to cope with the effects of COVID-19. Trying to manage remote workers is complicated enough, but when you need to hire and onboard new employees remotely, the difficulties multiply. However, if you develop a plan, you can ease your efforts and onboard with great success.
3 Items You Need for Onboarding New Employees Remotely
The practice of welcoming and onboarding new employees in a remote environment is likely to continue for many employers. Even if you’ve brought many of your employees back into the office, you might have discovered some benefits to maintaining a remote staff, such as reduced overhead, savings on equipment and increased productivity. Therefore, you might find yourself moving toward more remote staffing and hiring practices.
In any case, creating some virtual onboarding best practices can help you navigate this approach to effectively bring in new employees and make them feel welcome. With a solid plan and checklist, onboarding remote employees can run as smoothly as traditional practices.
1. Perform a Background Check
Before finalizing your hiring choice, reach out to a trusted background search company to learn more about your favorite candidates. Chances are, you might find out that the candidate is truthful and holds all the credentials he or she has claimed. If you don’t take the time to verify critical facts — such as work history and education — you might end up with an employee who offers you more problems than profits.
A background check also gives you a chance to clarify any possible misunderstandings to ensure you don’t dismiss an otherwise stellar candidate based on one anomaly. Employee verifications and background checks are essential when hiring remotely, since you don’t necessarily have the advantage of seeing someone clearly in person. You might miss important body language cues and facial expressions on the phone or video interview.
2. Prepare a Virtual Work Desk
Even if your employees work from home, you probably supply them with specific items to ensure effective work performance and comfort. Here are some items to provide for your new hire:
Laptop with a built-in camera for video calls and conferences
- Mouse
- Keyboard
- Printer/scanner
- Phone
- Wireless routing
- Office swag such as coffee mugs, baseball caps and pens
3. Share and Encourage Support of Your Company Culture
No matter how many of your employees work remotely, you should still keep a sense of the company culture in your organizational vision. Let employees know that you believe in camaraderie, encouraging a virtual buddy system with co-workers and after-work gatherings at set locations. More formally, send each new hire a copy of your employee handbook via PDF, or guide him or her to your business’s intranet page where you keep it posted. Provide new employees with the company policies on technology, confidentiality, anti-discrimination and communication.
Global Verification Network Can Help You Feel Confident in Remote Onboarding
If you’re worried about hiring and onboarding candidates without face-to-face interaction, Global Verification Network can bolster your confidence in your top candidates. Contact us to learn about our various background and verification checks to determine which of our services is best for your needs.