Virtual and In-Person Onboarding Your New Hire: Policies, Practices, and Processes

We're on a new world now creating new challenges in the way we do our work including how we welcome and engage our new hires virtually.

We have new challenges now with the pandemic - how do we onboard a new employee virtually? Onboarding virtually creates new opportunities that we may continue to use even when the pandemic is not as much of a threat. Whether you call it Onboarding, Induction, Enculturation, or New Employee Orientation (NEO), the process used to welcome and train your new employees while capturing their excitement of a new job and reducing their new job jitters is critical to their success. Conducting the process virtually just adds a bit more innovation in providing the same information.

NEO is not a one day event, but rather a process that begins after their acceptance of the job and extends through the first year of their employment. Studies show that the new arrival's primary concerns are three things my job, my boss, and my coworkers.

Dealing with new employee jitters and uncertainties is a high priority in orientation programs. How long this mental mayhem lasts may depend a great deal on employee orientation. Onboarding is a strategy and a process that extends well beyond their first day on the job. It is a critical process to get the new hire off and running in their new environment - their new virtual environment, their new virtual position, and with new virtual colleagues enabling them to enjoy their work and their employer.

Onboarding needs to include fun activities, using “buddies” to streamline the new hire's experience, beginning from the point of the job offer. All of these efforts can be done virtually. It is one of the most important elements an employer should invest in.

Areas Covered in the Session:

Sample checklists for the manager/supervisor, HR, and the Buddy are provided

Tips on orienting the virtual employee

How to evaluate your Onboarding process

To discuss importance of Checklists for what to accomplish the first day, first week, first month, and the first 90 days

To list suggested lists and topics for the onboarding portal

To examine onboarding portal systems

To Tips on how to select and utilize a Buddy

Orientation Evaluation forms for the new hire, HR, the buddy, and management

Tips on the manager-new hire “expectations” discussion

Learning Objectives:

To describe onboarding tactics for virtual new hires

To discuss the intricacies of onboarding the new hire including such things as getting them their new computer, technology, and having a virtual lunch, and dealing with I-9s

To identify HR, the supervisor, and the Buddy's roles in welcoming and training the new employee to a virtual environment

To discuss the new employee's role in her or his orientation

To differentiate between the orientation to the organization and the orientation to the department

To assess, develop, implement and evaluate your Onboarding strategy

To examine virtual Onboarding best practices

To assess, design, and develop, implement, and evaluate your department's NEO strategy

Who Will Benefit:

All industries - Human Resources – Generalists and Managers

Supervisors and Managers of Departments or Units in any Industry

Instructor:

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer, consultant and a recognized expert on workplace and school harassment and bullying. She conducts harassment and bullying investigations and functions as an expert witness in harassment and bullying lawsuits. Her clients are from business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector.

Dr. Strauss has conducted research, written over 30 books, book chapters, and journal articles on harassment,bullying, and related topics. She has been featured on television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles.Susan has a doctorate in organizational leadership. She is a registered nurse, has a bachelor’s degree in human services and counseling, a master's degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development.