Remote jobs and distributed companies have been around for many years, but these have become the new normal, especially during the age of the pandemic. As such, companies started moving away from their physical offices because they can no longer require their employees to be physically present.
Women who have just started forming their families or those recovering from their delivery are the ones who benefit most from online jobs for moms. This is because it gives them more time to focus on their family and children while earning an income simultaneously.
However, many people are still new to this significant change, most particularly the new working setup. Employees find it hard to adjust from the comfort of their offices to the makeshift office at home. Even the Human Resource department faces challenges in hiring new employees with mediated interviews while managers are still trying to figure out how to make new hires feel like they belong in the company.
With that being said, here are five helpful ideas on how you can welcome new employees digitally:
Organize an onboarding plan
After hiring a new member to the company, the goal is to let everyone know and make the new hire feel known and recognized. You hire a new employee to provide additional support to the company, and they must feel like a valuable addition to the team.
For this reason, you should organize a virtual welcome party or a presentation. Provide the new hire with a list of things that must be set up to get started and introduce them to the department. The first day is basically an orientation, but make it fun and lively for the new hire.
Make it special
You may clear your schedule on the onboarding day of your new hire. You may also schedule a welcoming virtual party during a preferred time when everyone is not busy with their tasks. You can even create a “#welcome” Slack channel where the employees can share something about themselves along with their photos. A Zoom meetup may also be done, but instead of the usual and boring introduction, you can ask employees to show up with something that can best describe their personality, or it can be their pets!
Nothing beats a physical token of appreciation, but due to the current world situation, you may send a welcome package instead. Set it to come a few days before the new hire’s first day, or if they are far away, a digital gift card will do.
Apply a buddy system
A buddy system is simply pairing a new employee with a tenured one to help them through their adjustment period. Ask the buddy to check up on the new employee from time to time and encourage the new hire to ask and consult their buddy for any concerns.
Ask for feedback
Adjusting to the new normal will take time, and it’s the same for your company. While new employees appreciate this effort, there may still be more room for improvement. Prepare a set of questions to get the feedback of the new hire regarding the onboarding process. Is she adjusting well? Is he being assisted by their partner? With that, gathering accurate feedback will help you improve your future onboarding processes.
Strengthen Connections
Friendships in the office are usually formed in the cafeteria, where employees get the chance to eat together, but the remote work setting is entirely different. Today, you may foster connections by having virtual games and fun presentations once in a while that may not be related to work. Ultimately, this will help improve the relationship between employees.
Conclusion
If this is your first time welcoming a new employee remotely, then you have nothing to fear. Just focus on the goal of making the new hire feel welcomed and on track even when it’s done online. This will make them feel valued and that they can offer something for your company.
The workplace is rapidly evolving, especially with the current world situation. Skilled Moms is a platform that can connect you to the best jobs for stay-at-home moms in Ontario. Equip yourself to suit the new working environment and talk to us today to see how we can help!
