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Virtual Onboarding: Best Practices Checklist for 2023

5 Minutes

January 11, 2023

As a business owner, it's important to have a thorough onboarding process in place to help new hires get settled into their roles and start contributing to the team as quickly as possible. Introducing new employees to your organization used to mean an in-person job offer, an on-site orientation and additional training at key milestones. All of these things, when done in-person, eat up a ton of your internal resources. 

These days, employees can be onboarded remotely. You may have never met the staffer in-person, and sometimes they are even on a different continent. Even if the new hire will be working in an office, virtual onboarding practices still make the most sense in terms of resource efficiency. We’ve provided this handy checklist for virtual onboarding so you can ensure a smooth and successful transition from job offer to valuable team member.

Virtual Onboarding Timeline for New Employees

Pre-Arrival

Before a new hire starts, make sure they have all the necessary information and resources they need to succeed. It starts with the official Job Offer and salary negotiations. This could include things like access to company systems, information about the company culture and values, and any necessary paperwork.

You might also consider setting up email and computer access, sharing company documents, arranging virtual training sessions, providing information on company culture and values, sharing a list of key contacts, and encouraging the new hire to ask questions.

It's important to confirm the start date and schedule and remind the new hire of any necessary preparations.

First Day

On the first day of their new role, introduce the new hire to the team and give them a tour of the virtual office. This could be done through a video conference or a series of one-on-one meetings.

Provide the new hire with a clear overview of their role and responsibilities. You might also consider setting up necessary accounts and access, reviewing policies and procedures, assigning a mentor or buddy, scheduling regular check-ins, and encouraging the new hire to ask questions and get to know their colleagues.

Setting goals and objectives for the first 90 days can also be helpful in terms of providing direction and setting expectations.

First Week

During the first week, the new hire should receive more in-depth training on their role and the company's products or services. This could include things like shadowing more experienced team members, attending training sessions, or completing onboarding modules.

It's also important to make sure the new hire has a clear understanding of the company's policies and procedures. You might consider scheduling virtual meetings with key stakeholders, setting up training sessions, assigning tasks and projects, encouraging the new hire to ask questions and seek feedback, and setting up virtual social events to help the new hire get to know their colleagues.

Providing resources and materials to help the new hire succeed in their role is also important.

Ongoing Support

After the first week, it's important to continue providing support to the new hire as they continue to learn and adjust to their new role.

This could include offering professional development opportunities, encouraging the new hire to build relationships with colleagues, setting goals and objectives for ongoing development, providing ongoing support and resources to help the new hire achieve their goals, celebrating their successes and recognizing their contributions.

It is also important to address any concerns or issues in a timely manner, and evaluate the effectiveness of the virtual onboarding process and make any necessary improvements.

Virtual Onboarding Checklist

To make things easy for you, we’ve provided a one-page virtual onboarding checklist. This inter-departmental doc will help align Human Resources, Accounting and IT with the new hire to ensure success. 

Onboarding is a multi-step process that can take weeks or even months. By following the best practices, you can onboard your employees virtually to save time and resources. 

From introducing the new hire to the team on their first day, offering in-depth training and a clear understanding of company policies and procedures during the first week, and providing ongoing support and development opportunities, you can help ensure that your new hire has a smooth and successful transition to their new role. 

Investing in your new hires and helping them feel welcome and supported is key to building a strong foundation for a productive and successful working relationship. We hope this guide will help you take those onboarding practices and apply them to today’s virtual world.

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