Onboarding is crucial for building relationships with a new manager and team. 

However, onboarding can also be very challenging. Gallup showed that only 29% of new hires feel fully prepared and supported after being onboarded, a whopping 10% of employees left their companies because of their poor new hire experience, and 88% needed better onboarding experiences.

The latest data from Owl Labs also showed that 32% of new hires require at least 1-3 months to get up to speed fully at their new jobs.

According to statistics compiled by Click Boarding, 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they receive great onboarding experience, and new hires who underwent a structured onboarding program were 58% more likely to be with the organization after three years.

These statistics show onboarding is never a walk-in-the-park process, especially now that hybrid work models are the norm.

As HR leaders, you need a comprehensive onboarding guide for your hybrid and remote teams. Let me guide you through it.

What Is Onboarding?

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression," this old saying rings true with the onboarding process. So what is onboarding, again?

Onboarding is the process of bringing new employees into an organization. It includes orientation and allows new hires to learn about the company's structure, culture, vision, mission, and values. 

How Long Does Onboarding Usually Take?

While some companies complete onboarding in just a day or two, others extend it over several months. However, Christie Hoffman, an expert in employee experience, told me she doesn't believe in such a thing called "one-day onboarding." 

"It takes employees at least two to three months to fully ramp and be running." – Christie Hoffman, host of the highly popular Flip Flops & People Ops podcast and an expert in employee engagement.

Onboarding Is Definitely NOT Orientation

Onboarding is often mistaken for orientation. While orientation covers paperwork and routine tasks, onboarding is a more thorough process that involves management and coworkers and can last from weeks to months, depending on the complexity of the role and the organization. 

More specifically, onboarding includes continuous support, training, and resources to help new hires become productive, engaged, and stay with the company. 

A BambooHR survey found that 89% of employees said a great onboarding process significantly improved their engagement at work. Those employees are also 30 times more likely to feel highly satisfied with their jobs than those with a poor onboarding experience.

"The faster new hires feel welcome and prepared for their jobs, the faster they will be able to successfully contribute to the firm's mission," Talya Bauer, Ph.D, HR expert.

The Unique Challenges of Hybrid and Remote Onboarding

The hybrid and remote work models have created unique challenges for onboarding new employees, as displayed in the following symptoms:

Communication Barriers

One of the most significant and obvious hurdles in hybrid and remote onboarding is the lack of face-to-face interaction. 

If your new hires are sitting in the comfort of their homes, they won't be able to have casual conversations by the water cooler or observe cultural norms. This can lead to a sense of isolation and disconnection from the team and company culture.

Regular video check-ins, virtual coffee breaks, and team-building activities effectively bridge the gap and foster a sense of belonging. 

Christie also suggests that having lunch together, whether the participants are remote or in-office, can be particularly beneficial. She said that companies should invest in bringing hybrid or remote employees together for in-person experiences, such as lunches.

"Even if you're remote, you can schedule a lunch and send everyone a gift card for Grubhub, DoorDash, or something similar. The company pays for the lunch, and both new hires and current employees join. The rule is that you're not supposed to talk about work. Just learning people's stories and letting them talk - it's a mix of onboarding and current employees, which is a great way to build bonds. Bonding happens when people care about what they're talking about and need a break from work conversations. Just give them an excuse to eat and chit-chat." – Christie Hoffman.

Technology Hurdles

Remote onboarding relies heavily on digital tools and applications, which can present their own set of challenges. 

Your new hires may need help setting up equipment, accessing essential systems, or navigating multiple communication platforms. Without on-site IT support, resolving technical issues can be time-consuming and frustrating.

Providing clear instructions and support for technology setup is crucial to mitigate these challenges. Creating a comprehensive digital onboarding package with step-by-step guides and access to virtual IT support can help smooth the process.

"Technology plays a vital role in facilitating hybrid onboarding. Platforms like Microsoft Teams, Slack, and Zoom are essential for connecting new hires with their teams and delivering training sessions." – George Wentworth, Group Wentworth's founder.

Cultural integration difficulties

Perhaps integrating new hires into the company culture is the most complex challenge in hybrid and remote onboarding. BambooHR found that nearly all (96%) new employees want and expect their onboarding to include an introduction to the company's mission and values.

To overcome this, we need to be more deliberate in communicating and demonstrating company values. This might involve creating virtual culture-building activities, assigning mentors, or developing a buddy system to help new hires navigate the organization's cultural landscape. 

A 2013 study commented that "one of the most important objectives of onboarding is to introduce organizational culture to a new employee and to assist to become a part, a valuable member of it."

"Culture refers to how well new employees understand their organization's norms, values, stories, and symbols. Onboarding is one of the key ways organizational culture is formed, maintained, and changed," – Talya Bauer, PhD, HR expert.

Creating a Structured Pre-boarding Process

A well-structured pre-boarding process is crucial to set the stage for a successful onboarding experience. You can't discuss onboarding without mentioning the pre-boarding process. 

This phase begins as soon as a candidate accepts the job offer and continues until their first day. The goal is to make new hires feel valued and prepared before they officially start.

Companies that use pre-boarding are far more likely to retain most of their first-year hires than those that don't, said Kate Pavlina, an HR business partner at Amazon in San Jose, California, on SHRM. 

New hires should not feel disconnected or forgotten in the weeks leading up to their start date. Instead, preboarding should fuel their excitement, introduce them to key contacts, and provide the necessary tools and resources to hit the ground running. 

Some key practices are as follows:

Sending Welcome Packages

A great way to start the pre-boarding process is by sending welcome packages to new employees at home. These packages help show the company's culture and values. For example, you can include branded items like t-shirts, hoodies, or office supplies representing our company. 

Adding a personal note from the hiring manager or team leader makes it even more special, helping the new hire feel valued and part of the team from the very first day. 

Moreover, if possible, "leaders at all levels need to be welcoming employees in every format, all hands. The CEO always has time to send an email, even if they have an assistant helping them make sure it happens," Christie told me.

Setting up Necessary Accounts

To make sure everything goes smoothly, it's important to set up all the needed accounts for the new employees before their first day. This includes creating their work email, giving access to cloud storage, and setting up project management tools. You should also make sure their devices are ready with the right company settings and security measures. 

Taking care of these technical details ahead of time lets new hires focus on learning their role and getting to know their team, instead of dealing with IT problems.

Scheduling Online Meet-and-Greets

In a hybrid or remote setting, building connections can be tough. To help with this, you should set up virtual meet-and-greets before the new hire's first day. These informal video calls let new employees meet their team and start forming relationships. 

However, as advised by Christie, onboarding a hybrid or remote employee requires structure, such as time-blocking the day for new hires and ensuring they take breaks. Regular check-ins during the day, such as meeting in the morning to set the agenda and again in the evening to debrief, can be highly effective.

By using these pre-boarding steps, you, as HR leaders, can create an excellent first impression and help make onboarding a success in your hybrid work environment.

Implementing a Long-term Integration Strategy

To ensure new hires thrive in your hybrid work environment, you need to implement a long-term approach supporting their growth and development. Let's explore three key components of this strategy.

Regular Check-ins and Surveys

Consistent communication is crucial in onboarding new hires in hybrid and remote teams. Christie advised the use of surveys and check-ins with new hires on a weekly basis during the onboarding process.

"These practices are to gather feedback about the process. The surveys should ask new hires how they feel about having too many meetings and if they feel overwhelmed. This feedback helps improve the onboarding process for future employees while demonstrating that the company cares about their well-being and mental health." – Christie Hoffman.

Moreover, Christie also suggests that HR leaders should have an "escape hatch" where employees can reach out anytime if they feel overwhelmed. This approach allows employers to support employees better and address any concerns quickly. 

Mentorship Programs

A robust mentorship program is needed to foster professional growth and create a sense of belonging. This initiative pairs new employees with experienced team members, providing guidance and support throughout their journey. 

Mentorship significantly impacts employee engagement and retention, especially in remote settings where building relationships can be challenging.

Ongoing Training Opportunities

Continuous learning is essential in today's rapidly evolving work landscape. It would help if you offered new employees a variety of virtual training sessions and workshops to help them develop new skills and stay current in their roles. 

These opportunities enhance job performance and demonstrate your commitment to your team's professional development. 

“It's like a full circle. At the end of the day, nobody knows what they're doing. Everyone needs feedback and training,” - Christie Hoffman.

By focusing on these three areas, you can create a comprehensive long-term integration strategy that supports your hybrid and remote teams – all started with the onboarding process the correct way.

The Bottom Line

By focusing on clear communication, leveraging technology, and prioritizing cultural integration, you can create a welcoming and engaging onboarding experience for your hybrid and remote teams.

One of the most important takeaways is that onboarding is not a one-time event, but an ongoing journey. It extends far beyond the first few weeks of employment and is crucial to employee satisfaction, productivity, and retention. 

To recap, I've covered several key aspects of effective onboarding for hybrid and remote teams:

1. Creating a structured pre-boarding process to make new hires feel valued and prepared before their first day.
2. Designing an engaging virtual orientation that introduces new employees to the company culture and their colleagues.
3. Implementing a long-term integration strategy that includes regular check-ins, mentorship programs, and ongoing training opportunities.

As a Finnish study about how to onboard hybrid employees effectively concluded: supervisory support and mentorship are crucial to easing the onboarding duration for your new hires, structured hybrid work schedules (e.g., three days in the office, two remotely), while social integration and clear role expectations are crucial for a successful onboarding experience.

I hope this guide is helpful as you navigate through the onboarding process for your talents in hybrid and remote work models.

If you need anything else or would like to leave a comment about this topic, feel free to reach out to me here.

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