The pandemic is still in full swing all over the world, and many companies have shifted to remote work. While this turn of events has several important benefits (for example, getting more sleep in the morning), it also brings many challenges.

Limited communication with your colleagues, increased procrastination, lack of motivation, and remote corporate training are incredibly hard for many people. But for new employees, today’s situation is especially challenging.

For many people, face-to-face interaction and instructions were a possibility to get to know their co-workers and team leaders better, feel the office vibe, and get used to a new environment. With the onboarding process moving online, that became almost impossible – and now you need a new solution.

Good onboarding is essential for your employees’ happiness and career success. To make the remote process work, you need some innovative and effective solutions – and we’ve got your back. Take a look at these five best e-learning practices, and find out how to create a successful remote onboarding experience.

Keep Everything Clear

The main rule when onboarding remote employees is to make yourself understood. Learn from the teachers: they know how hard it is to explain new material to the students. During e-learning, they usually send their students PDFs or links to the resources and give clear instructions. This way, everybody can get familiar with new information and ask questions later.

When implementing this technique, remember several helpful tips:

• Don’t use much data. Utilize only one or two resources per meeting, so your new employees don’t get information overload.
• Keep everything clear. If something is written in a foreign language, make sure everybody understands it. If not, use professional translation services. Check how accurate is Google Translate, and never trust AI with business translations again.
• Spend enough time writing instructions for the tasks. Remember that the fewer instructions you give, the harder it will be for the new team members to understand them.

Have a Thorough Plan

Just like teachers write their e-learning plans, you should write one, too. Don’t skimp on it: create a detailed project, and set exact goals based on your needs. What do you want new hires to know by the end of their onboarding process? Which systems do they need access to? Who do they have to meet? Which trainings do they have to complete?

Give your new employees a weekly and daily agenda so they know what to do from the beginning. And always tailor the experience for everyone. Individual touchpoints are essential for any e-learning process – they show people that you care for them. Your employees have different learning needs and speed – customize their plans according to their work hours and abilities.

Onboard in Groups

You don’t have to meet with everyone individually – instead, try onboarding in groups. This will save you time and effort and allow your new employees to socialize. It’s also easier for the team members to work things out together, so you won’t have to explain the same thing over and over again.

Besides, group onboarding helps your new remote employees to deal with social distancing and isolation. It makes them feel welcome in the team and gives them all the tools to develop their autonomy.

Keep New Hires Engaged

Remember that learning can be quite boring, so try to make onboarding fun. Don’t worry; you don’t have to make up quizzes. Instead, immerse your new hires in the company’s atmosphere and help them feel like a part of the team.

On their first day, give them a video tour around the office – if possible. Invite them for a virtual conference about the company’s main goals. Make the software training easier by giving them checklists. Implement various engaging practices – for example, weekly PPP meetings – and use a project management tool of your choice to evaluate the process.

If onboarding allows, you can also try gamification or virtual simulations. It’s creative, it’s fun, it’s revolutionary – and we promise, your new hires will love it. 

Make Space for Personal Connection

Start building personal relationships with new hires from the first week of the onboarding process. Arrange monthly one-on-one meetings. If the pandemic allows, spend some time together at the office or have lunch. Or, if you keep working remotely, organize online meetings with the team from time to time. 

You can also hold an orientation and allow your new hires to meet with the rest of the team. This will help them connect with other co-workers and feel like a part of the company.

Conclusion

Remote onboarding can be quite challenging. It keeps you and your new hires isolated, doesn’t give them a natural insight into the company’s culture, and messes with communication. Fortunately, e-learning was there before you, and you can pick up a lot from teachers or other companies who had to switch to the remote mode to explore new business opportunities.

Keeping everything simple and clear, making a detailed plan, onboarding in groups, using engaging techniques and connecting personally with everyone – these are five key steps for any successful remote onboarding.

Follow them, use project management tools to keep everything organized, ask for feedback – and make sure that your new hires have an amazing remote experience.