Hit The Ground Running With Your New Remote Hire

Having gone through the recruitment process and found the right person, it is critical to get them settled into the business and operationally effective as quickly as possible – especially if you are against a deadline on an important project. 

Even under normal circumstances, depending on the complexity of the role, this can be an intense time for both the candidate and hiring manager. 

While typically you may be used to having new employees go through an induction process, a lot of the onboarding happens naturally just by being in the office – being in a team environment, soaking up the culture, and regular face time with the manger, these are all very important aspects of settling in. 

This doesn’t happen in the same way with remote working. With the additional pressure of the current pandemic, how can you make the process as smooth and efficient as possible?

We have a few key steps that will help you though the transition ensuring you and your new employee hit the ground running and you maintain that all important operational efficiency.

Be Prepared

Before they “walk through the virtual front door” of your office, you should have them set up on your network, the relevant technology and accounts accessible to them. It is a good idea to have a checklist for both you and them including all of the incidental learning points that would normally be covered by being in and around the team if they were in a physical office. 

It is also worth setting up an accessible shared drive folder with access to all of the company policies, health and safety documentation, relevant contact points etc, as well as something they are able to sign to confirm they have read and agree to the above. 

Good Communication 

Having good lines of communication is always important in a business, but absolutely crucial when building new relationships remotely. To really get the best out of your new employee and have them up to speed as quickly as possible they need to be able to get hold of you easily, clarify any issues, and update you on their progress. 

We recommend for the first week or two to have a daily zoom/google hangout to catch up and prepare for the day ahead. As the candidate settles into the role and feels more comfortable with what is required then the meetings can become less frequent – this way you are able to manage the balance of support, guidance, and encouraging them to gain independence. 

Team Integration & Collaboration

This ties in closely with good communication. It’s not only important that there are open lines of communication between you and your new hire, but also ensuring that they are integrated into the rest of the team. As mentioned above it is often through the team environment that a new hire is able to pick up important and frequently overlooked aspects of the onboarding process. 

Building team rapport early on will enable the new team member to integrate quicker and helps them to understand the company culture, values, mission and objectives.

Starting off with a group introduction is good but it is also worth encouraging one on ones with the immediate team and introducing other departments to give a wider understanding of the business and how the different departments add value. 

Continued On The Job Learning

Provide them with the opportunity to learn, check-in with them regularly, and discuss your processes with them, you will find that a good hire will have a quick uptake and understanding while also providing you with a different perspective. 

Have a good set of metrics in place to monitor their progress and performance as with any normal hire, this will quickly allow you to judge when to take a step back and feel confident that they are able to take the reins on their own. 

Self-sufficiency is the ultimate goal and hopefully implementing these steps will help you get you new hire there as quickly as possible while remote working is such a big part of our lives and seems to be a trend that’s set to continue. 

Of course, this process is always easier when you know you have the right candidate from the get go, and here at Foundations we work tirelessly to find the right match for your business – not just skill wise but also getting a good understanding of your business culture and approaches to ensure that your next hire is the best fit for your organisation. 

For more information on how Foundations Executive Search can help you

find the industry’s most driven candidates see more of our Latest Insights,

or Contact Us directly.