7 Ways of Ensuring Great Online Onboarding

Onboarding new employees effectively is crucial for their success and integration into the company. A well-structured onboarding plan ensures that both the employer and the new hire are aligned from day one. By setting clear goals, maintaining close communication, and fostering a sense of belonging, organizations can create a positive and productive onboarding experience. This guide outlines essential steps and best practices to help you welcome new team members, make them feel valued, and set them up for success in their new roles.

1. A detailed Onboarding plan – Create structure in the onboarding, so both you and the candidate know exactly what to do and when. The onboarding plan can be visualized using PowerPoint with a day per slide or via Excel – depending which tool you are more familiar with.
2. Set goals - Be very clear what the goal is for each activity, so the candidate is aware of when the activity is complete. For example, what is the purpose and goal of a specific online training, online meeting or a specific task.
3. Send flowers – On the first day of work, send flowers to the new employee’s address to welcome the new team member. This is a sign of warm welcome despite being far apart from the organization.
4. Make calendar invites – Invite relevant coworkers or stakeholders via the calendar, so everyone knows who, when and what they are expected to talk about.
5. Close communication – As a leader it is a very special situation to be in, if you need to onboard new employees online. The new employee needs to feel part of a team even though they are physically far away from everyone else. To address this consider conducting daily online meetings with the employee and regular meetings together with the team.
6. Feel the culture – Another way of having a stronger feeling of being a part of a team, consider sending a box with small organizational items after a week or two, like a key chain, cap, t-shirt or similar with logos.
7. Practical assignments – Have very well-defined assignments ready for the new employee to tackle during the first weeks of employment. It can be frustrating starting a new job, and not having a feeling of delivery. By having specified tasks ready, the new employee will get a feeling of adding value to the business.

A comprehensive onboarding process is key to retaining top talent and ensuring their long-term success within the organization. By implementing structured plans, setting clear goals, and fostering a supportive environment, you can help new employees feel welcomed and valued. This not only enhances their initial experience but also contributes to their overall job satisfaction and performance. Remember, the effort you put into onboarding today will pay off in the form of a motivated, engaged, and high-performing workforce in the future. Invest in your people, and they will invest in your company's success.