Skip links

Pre-Boarding Your New Hires

Pre-Boarding Your New Hires

Before COVID we would have said there seem to be two major forces impacting hiring practices – the higher turnover rate that places so much more pressure on businesses to recruit, hire, and onboard new people and the higher expectations that new hires have to make an emotional connection in their working life.

But now we add another monkey wrench into the mix:   We’re now trying to do it all remotely.

If yours is an industry that’s still hiring, you’re not going to be parading new hires around to meet the team any time soon, taking them out to lunch, or having them “shadow” a veteran employee (“social distancing” remember!).  So how do you connect them to your cause?  Teach them the ropes?  And create for them the type of experiences that will help them feel like they’ve become a part of something bigger than themselves?

It’s a “virtual onboarding”.

And by “onboarding” I don’t mean the 20-minute breakroom speech that you or your HR team puts on to welcome newbies.  I mean the entire enculturation process of welcoming people into the values and norms of your tribe.  How do you do the job?  Sure, but also, how do you all dress?  How do you communicate and connect?  What are the goals and values that drive performance and enjoyment?  What are the stories and legends that bind you all together? 

Good news – you can do it all remotely.  You can provide a virtual orientation and it can be effective.  You simply need to think it through, use DIY video (like your phone) and house those assets someplace secure and easy to access for the newbie.

Here’s a short list to consider and I’ve broken it into two parts – culture and compliance to keep it simple:

Culture:

·      Company history or timeline

·      Key players – leadership interviews

·      What it’s like to work here – interviews with team members

·      Company goals, mission, vision, and values

·      Products and Services

·      Ideal Client profile

·      What to Expect (Your first day, first week, first 90 days)

·      Glossary of Terms

Compliance:

·      Payroll and Benefits

·      Paid Leave and Holidays

·      Social Media Policy

·      Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Policy

·      Dress Code

·      Main Software Types

·      Code of Ethics

If you’ve gone to the trouble of finding someone great, are willing to pay a competitive salary and offer good benefits…go the extra mile and take the time to ensure their success.  Make a few short videos. Tell a few stories. Connect them to the HOW and the WHY of your business.  And welcome them aboard with a wow experience they’ll never forget.