How to Successfully Recruit and Onboard Your New Remote Team

10/25/2021 | By Marella Gimenez

 

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed companies’ recruitment and onboarding processes worldwide, especially in the Philippines. One of the many changes the pandemic has brought to the recruitment process is how organizations screen their applicants. Due to safety protocols, social distancing and face-to-face contact is being limited. This means that most applicants are being screened online via video calls instead of being normally interviewed at an office or onsite.

Companies are now also widening the geographic search for their candidates. With remote work on the rise, companies are hunting for talent outside their usual applicant pool. Since there is no longer any need to report to the office regularly, recruiters have embraced the remote setup and have cast a wider net on their search for talent. Bringing this process online has led to a steep learning curve for both recruiters and applicants (remote or not) as the entire process becomes digitized.

Aside from the recruitment process, the onboarding process has also transitioned online. Managers now have to find effective ways to create bonds and establish relationships with their new hires virtually.

Factors to Remember When Recruiting Remote Employees

As companies shift to virtual recruitment, traditional methods may no longer work. Having minimal to no face-to-face interactions may make it harder for you to determine whether a candidate is a good fit for your company.

Here are some factors that you should remember to recruit the right remote employees successfully:

Leverage technology to go digital
Nowadays, going digital is no longer a means to stay ahead of your competition; it has become a means to survive. Businesses have adapted and embraced the digital world if they want their operations to remain sustainable. This means that documentation, day-to-day processes, and even company-wide communications have to be done safely and efficiently online. Luckily, there are a wide array of virtual tools and productivity software that have been developed over the years that your business can use to its advantage — specializing in ways that one can work smarter and not harder.

Consider individualizing or personalizing your recruitment.
When recruiting remote employees, you should also give them the chance to book their interview schedules or choose the most convenient time for them to be screened by your HR department. Doing so shows that your company respects their time and considers that they might have other urgent matters that they have to attend to.

During the onboarding process, the working conditions of remote employees should also be considered. As part of their recruitment process, many companies have started to address the basic working needs of employees such as ventilation, light, internet speed, work desk, and a work chair. These conditions affect employees’ ability to work and can be considered a worthwhile investment.

Showcase your company culture and assess the candidate-job fit before sending an employment offer
Although virtual recruitment poses new challenges for companies because they cannot physically interact with the applicant, there are still many ways to attract top talent or candidates you are interested in joining your team. One of the most effective ways to do this is to highlight your company culture and values, so a candidate could evaluate if they would be an excellent cultural fit for your business.

Sharing stories and examples of your work culture will be a good pitch to the candidate to see if they are interested in what you have to offer, even at their early stages of the decision-making process. You could also conduct “virtual office tours” or online “meet-and-greets” to display the environment and the candidate’s teams.

Try to replicate as many of your existing recruitment processes as possible.
Going digital does not mean that you need to scrap your existing recruitment process and replace it with a new one. Bringing your current recruitment process online will help ensure sustainability in your existing processes. This will reduce the time and effort that you need to put into your recruitment process, allowing more time for other important business functions.
Use technology as a tool, not an aid.
Yes, the idea of “going digital” is attractive; but don’t get carried away by its potential.

Keep candidates informed every step of the way.
Whether they need to wait to be contacted by your team or they need to submit an assignment, your candidates should always know what they need to do for the next step of the hiring process; if the candidate fails to meet the recruitment requirements, they should also be promptly informed instead of being left to wait for a reply from your company.

Informing your candidates during the recruitment process assures them that your company respects their application and is screened reasonably.

What is remote onboarding?

This is a process where a new hire is welcomed to a company remotely through the use of virtual tools like video conferencing, email, and other communication platforms. Since Covid-19 has forced everyone to limit physical interaction, many companies now use remote onboarding to help new hires be familiarized with the company-level processes, culture, and the team members they would be working with.

Companies have done remote onboarding by using online communication platforms such as Slack, Discord, and Microsoft Teams to send introductory messages or chats and guide the new hires on the steps they should complete for their onboarding.

How is remote onboarding different from orientation?
Onboarding is a process that takes up to a month and helps train the new hires so that they could become independent in accomplishing their tasks later on. On the other hand, an orientation is usually a one-time event that introduces the company’s goals, culture, values, and background.

How is remote onboarding different from orientation?

Onboarding is a process that takes up to a month and helps train the new hires so that they could become independent in accomplishing their tasks later on. On the other hand, an orientation is usually a one-time event that introduces the company’s goals, culture, values, and background.

Importance of Having an Efficient Onboarding Process

Recruitment and Proper onboarding ensure that your company has a capable workforce to scale and sustain your operations.

• Better team member retention
  When new hires are allowed to bond with their team members during their onboarding process, it gives them a sense of belongingness that increases their desire to stay with the company longer.
• More productive, more quickly
  New hires are also able finish their day to day tasks faster when they are guided during their early stages of employment.
• Reduces anxiety
  Many new hires experience anxiety that they might underperform during their early weeks, so they constantly look for opportunities to showcase their skills and ideas. An onboarding process reduces this anxiety by allowing them to share ideas freely.
• Sets expectations
  Being familiar with the company and the day-to-day tasks help set work expectations for new hires and could be used to plan for their long-term career goals.

How to successfully onboard your new team?

• To onboard new hires successfully, you need to know the different onboarding processes involved and the challenges that accompany them.
  Organizational onboarding: In this step, documentation and handbooks are given to employees to guide them about the company’s policies. Behavior and representation practices can also be handed out to new hires through organizational onboarding.
• Technical onboarding: In this step, new hires are given the tools and trained to complete their regular tasks independently later. This helps them be confident and accountable for their duties without being constantly supervised.
• Social onboarding: Aside from equipping new hires with technical knowledge, social onboarding is also essential to connect more with their teams and other departments within the company. Informal communication and non-work-related topics are often used in conversations in this type of onboarding.

Tips on onboarding your new team remotely

The biggest tip to onboard remotely is first by making the new hires feel welcomed even at the interview stage. Working conditions must also be addressed to help new hires be productive and motivated to work for your company. Lastly, your culture should always be displayed through your existing employees or company initiatives so that new hires can also adapt and be part of the culture.

In Conclusion: Virtual is the New Normal of Recruitment and Onboarding

Virtual recruitment and onboarding have their specific challenges, but they can significantly pay off if done correctly. Doing remote recruitment and onboarding can cut off costs while still getting you the best talent possible. Virtual is the new normal, and the digital age is here to stay. Businesses that want to survive should embrace it, and live up to its challenges with creativity and adaptability.

With KMC’s staff leasing services, we handle and manage all your recruitment and onboarding needs for you, creating unique work experiences for your remote team. KMC is an ISO-certified company specializing in providing the best solutions for all your HR needs- whether working space, process, or technology.