In 2020, the way of working changed dramatically overnight with the arrival of Covid19 triggering all employers to make significant changes to internal processes including onboarding, which was unchartered waters for us here at Hurren & Hope. We luckily had the infrastructure in place to operate at the same level from the comfort of our living room or home office. The next hurdle we faced was onboarding remotely!
For all companies, the onboarding process is vital for both employers and employees to establish a long-term working relationship and research shows that the first three months of employment is a key time frame for employees to get acquainted with management, and colleagues whilst starting to make sense of the day-to-day tasks. Like most companies, our onboarding process happens in person so the first question we asked ourselves was how do we make new members of staff feel welcome without the introductory breakfast to meet the team and office tour? It sounds simple, move it online!
At first, virtually onboarding seemed a daunting task, however, this hurdle was cleared by implementing the following practices and support from the team.
Communication is key!
Set clear expectations.
Break up the working week.
Make sure you have strong Wi-Fi!
Last and most importantly, if nothing else, it’s so important to show your appreciation. Working from home has now become the norm and we’ve learned that a simple “thank you” or “well done” goes a long way to boost someone’s morale.