√ Define The Position Early On
Before finalising a deal with the candidate, be sure to make clear exactly what you expect of them in this position. If the temporary arrangement is for them to work at home, outline those expectations as well as what is expected of them once we are all ready to be back in the office. Be sure communicate both sets of expectations upfront.
Make clear qualities the candidate needs to possess in order to thrive in the position.One suggestion could be using performance-based job descriptions. The job description should focus on the skills the applicant should have and what they are be able to offer, firstly. Instead of focusing on desirable experience, education and personality traits. Focus on what matters - their ability to get work done, not a set of pedigree companies they have worked for.
√ Lay out the Remote Aspects of the Position
Working remotely is clearly different from working on-site. Explain what it means to work remotely and what kind of an arrangement it involves for potential new employees. Stress the necessary aspects you identify with regards to working remotely: self discipline, strong communication skills, excellent organisation and the ability to function within a team. It is vital that candidates are aware of all the aspects of working remotely before they fninalise with their application.
√ Setting Expectations
As remote-work differs from office work be sure your expectations are from the beginning. They need to know what you expect of them and what matters most to you and the company. This may be a case of being available during certain business hours to ensure effective communication. For example, if you care little about when the work is complete and more about the quality of work, relay that information. It’s important your employees know how to succeed on the job.
√ Set a Work Schedule
It could help to set your employees with a specific work schedule with times they should be online and available to communicate. However, some companies don’t mind when their remote employees work, as long as they deliver quality work on time.
Other companies have less flexible policies when it comes to set work hours.Other companies have less flexible policies when it comes to set work hours.To avoid any misunderstandings with new hires, make sure to communicateyour company’s work from home policies from the start.
√ Organize Paper Work
Before candidates can begin working with you, they will need to sign a contractual document, should they accept, which will finalise the hiring process.There are various ways in which a candidate can seal the deal remotely, such as signing, scanning and then sending the document back. However, there are online services to help quicken the process.
Remote Signing Tools to Consider:
DocuSign – www.docusign.co.uk
DocuSign Professional emails recipients an electronically signeddocument requesting review of a document after it is uploaded. It is available free of charge, and runs on Apple iOS, Google Android and Windows Phone operating systems.
HelloSign – www.hellosign.com HelloSign is a tool that lets users sign documents with legally binding esignatures.With HelloSign, you can affix signatures to documentsretrieved from various sources, including email as well as third-party applications like Dropbox, Google Drive, Box.com, Evernote, and SkyDrive.
√ Arrange Equipment
Once the paperwork has been finalised and candidates can begin working in their new role, it is essential they have the necessary tools to carry out their work duties.
Confirm they have received all necessary equipment for their work and ask your IT department to assist them with remote setup, if needed. Ensure remote workers have the following to get started:
ü Laptop with working camera, speaker and audio input
ü Anti-Malware Software (If necessary)
√ Company Essentials
Remote employees are part of your culture, despite not being in the office. To help them understand the culture, it would be beneficial to share:
- An employee handbook in digital format
- Content such as presentations on your company values
- Pictures and videos from team meetings or team activities
- Links to social media pages to help them keep up with company activity
Digital content or marketing professionals may need additional information such as:
- Logins Passwords for CMS systems
- Login and passwords for Social Media Channels
- Access to a content library (if there is one)
- Email account information
√ Company Communcation Tools
Ensure new hires have understood how to use your communication. Describe the best ways to contact team members and how totroubleshoot communication technology if needed. Also, if relevant, provide manuals on how to set up the following:
- Company Emailü Group Messaging (Instant messaging platforms)
- Video Conference Software
- Web-phone Applications
By prepping new hires understand how to communicate effectively throughout the team remotely, the necessary information can be passed to the correct personnel to ensure productivity towards task completion.
Tools to consider for collaborative team work remotely:
- Dropbox
- Slack
- Zoom
- Trello
- Google Drive
√ Check in with new hires
Once onboarding hires have settled into their new positions, it is a good idea to check in with them and see how they are getting on. Employees with proper support during onboarding are 54% more productiveas new hires. Try to keep the support consistent by creating a well thought outplan with action items and goals for each milestone.
This can be a living document and grow and change with the employee; depending on thep rogress they are making. Make sure you set your new hires up for success and helping them to avoid feeling isolated or cut off from the team or any support.They will likely have many questions and concerns after working on their own for a few days. Schedule a time to follow up with them. Discuss their performance, listen to any concerns, and answer any questions about processes, projects, and other issues. Likewise, this is also a good time to address any poor habits you notice or concerns you may have. If your new hire hasn’t met their new colleagues, it could be a good idea to setup a video conference to introduce them.
√ Evaluate Onboarding Process
For each new process you implement, you should review its impact and results. Document and evaluate how both existing and new employees react to the onboarding process. Find out what works best for onboarding remote workers by consulting those who’ve had similar experiences. After new remote workers have been at their jobs for a while, ask them how they felt and the value they got from your onboarding strategy. By constantly evaluating and improving the onboarding process, you can help remote workers adjust to their new roles easily and refine for future remote hires