Best Practices for Virtual Onboarding

Onboarding is an important step for both the employer and employee during the hiring process. It gives the employer the chance to provide a broad overview of the company, its values, and the job's expectations. The process also allows the new employee to take in their surroundings — from how the office looks, to how people interact with each other, to setting up their desk. But what happens when an employer can no longer onboard face-to-face?

This is an issue many businesses and organizations faced when the coronavirus pandemic hit. With many employers still needing to hire despite COVID-19, many adapted their processes to fit a virtual setting. Below are some best practices to take into consideration when virtually onboarding new hires, as we continue to work around stay-at-home and social distancing restrictions.

1. Ensure the entire process remains virtual.

To provide consistency, keep the entire hiring process from start to finish virtual. This means conducting virtual interviews through platforms such as Zoom, following up through phone calls, signing offers electronically, and so on. Don't keep just the onboarding portion virtual — maintain a fully virtual experience throughout.

2. Keep organized.

• As you're helping the new hire get up to speed, use programs such as Google Sheets or Google Docs to share files and information. You can easily share documents and make edits where both of you can see the comments and changes.

• Have training videos or links readily available for them to reference.

• Set up their email and provide an alternative means of communication, such as your phone number, to ensure they are able to easily connect with you.

• Use programs like Zoom and have them share their screen with you so you can check whether they are understanding certain procedures and processes correctly.

• - Communicate with them daily — even more than once a day — to ensure the transition is smooth.

3. Be flexible.

• Every employee is different, so ensure that you ask for feedback on the process.

• Do they need you to go over something again?

• Do they need a few extra days to review some training materials?

• How are they managing technology in this new virtual working environment?

• How are they adjusting to working from home?

• Do they want more projects to work on?

4. Make sure to emphasize company culture.

It's hard enough as a new employee to get used to a new working environment, but it is even more challenging now with many new hires starting virtually. Make new employees feel welcome by introducing them to others in the company through email or video conferencing. Talk to the new employee about the types of things the company used to do, whether it's office potlucks or casual Fridays. You can also try setting up monthly meetings that focus on team bonding to help the new employee get a feel for the company culture and to help everyone feel less isolated during the pandemic.

Click here to watch Marc Belaiche, CPA, CA, President of Guhuza, discuss this topic.

Guhuza is created in partnership with TorontoJobs.ca.

Guhuza is the new way of recruitment. It is an innovative Canadian platform that goes beyond the features of a traditional job board. It uses breakthrough technology to instantly match employers and job seekers for the ultimate hiring experience. Our advanced technology matches job seekers' profiles with jobs on our site and ranks them for employers based on the skills required for the position. Once a match has been made, live interviews can be conducted right through our platform.

Visit Guhuza.com or our Knowledge Base to learn more.