Having an excellent induction process is the best way of introducing new staff to your business. It’s the thing that sets the tone for their employment with you. So, how do run a successful induction while your team are working remotely? With more and more companies changing their working practices in favour of home working, and the likelihood of the Covid-19 pandemic continuing into the new year, we’ve compiled a list of tips to ensure your new team members fit in perfectly. 

Get their technology in place 

Making sure that new team members have the right IT and technology in place before they start their induction and new role can save them time and stress. Make sure they have the correct equipment, software, and accesses ready for their first day. This can usually be setup remotely. If they are using their own devices, ensure that they fit with your IT security guidelines.  

Send them a gift 

So, they’re working from home. There’s nothing quite like receiving a branded mug and a box of teabags to say, “hello and welcome to the team”. The branded mugs can come in handy for any team building too. 

Have a backup plan 

Accidents can happen, technology can fail, cats can completely erase laptops, so have a backup plan in place just in case. This should include any important documents and training that can be emailed or popped in the post. Additionally, you should consider looking into legally binding signature tools such as DocuSign for any admin such as signing contracts.  

Remember Video Call Fatigue 

You’ve decided to do your induction via video chat, fantastic. Just keep in mind that your new staff may need time away from the screen for toilet breaks, to make fresh coffee (possibly in a company branded mug), and generally to give their eyes a rest. There is such a thing as ‘Zoom Fatigue’, and that’s the last thing you want when you’re sharing important information and processes. 

Set up introductions between co-workers 

One of the most important parts of any induction process is meeting the people you will be working with. Sadly, the nature of remote working makes this less likely to happen in the short term, but it’s still important for new staff to meet their co-workers in order to build connections.  

The best way to do this is to set up virtual video meetings with any team members that the new staff will be working with. Additionally, if you have any internal comms systems like Slack, make sure that new staff are added.  

Host a Virtual Teambuilding event 

Training providers have also embraced the concept of remote working and there is now a plethora of remote teambuilding companies online. After all, just because your staff aren’t in the office, doesn’t mean they can’t take part in team building activities online. If you’d rather create your own, there are also loads of free virtual team building ideas out there too. 

If you would like some advice and help in running your online onboarding, or want someone to check that your health and safety policies also cover staff who work from home, contact us for help and advice.