Remote work has become a norm rather than an exception these days. Luckily, as a fully remote startup, Global Talent Hub didn’t have to navigate any changes in culture, process or ways of working. Remote is the norm for us and we’ve managed to build a close-knit team that is very productive and driven.
However, this isn’t a post about the benefits of remote working. That’s been covered time and again. With the rate of redundancies during 2023 and 2024, it might seem an odd time to focus on onboarding. But if your business has paused or slowed down on hiring for a moment, it’s a great opportunity to make sure your onboarding programmes are aligned with the vision of the business. Take some deliberate time to prepare for when hiring picks up again.
A crisis of connection
Attracting, and more importantly, retaining top talent is more difficult than ever. Employees today are facing a ‘crisis of connection’ – the connection you feel towards your co-workers, the company, and its values. And according to Gartner, only 32% of employees hired in the last year feel a sense of belonging to their company. Remote work makes this connection to company culture harder. Traditional on-boarding programmes never had to take culture into consideration because we were all in the office – living and breathing it.
With company culture believed to be such an important driver or organisational success, communicating this and allowing new hires to experience it authentically in their first few months is key.
Where do you start?
We’ve put together a few ideas to kick-start your thinking around building authentic connection into your onboarding programmes.
- A well-defined onboarding process is essential. It should be able to demonstrate the company values, culture and purpose with real world examples. Regularly revisit these principles in meetings, internal communications, and through leadership examples to keep them top of mind.
- Regular check-ins with managers and team leads can help address any concerns new hires might have as they come up.
- Pair new employees with mentors or buddies. This support network can help guide them through the cultural nuances, offering advice and answering questions about how things are done in the company, making their transition in those first few months smoother.
- Build rapport. Encouraging team-building activities, virtual orientations, storytelling sessions with company veterans, and informal chat channels can help make new employees feel part of the team.
- Maintain the human connection. Regular and inclusive communication across all levels of the organisation, utilising platforms like Slack or Microsoft Teams for both work-related and social interactions. Regular check-ins, town halls, and virtual coffee breaks can help keep everyone aligned with the company’s culture.
- Gather feedback! Hearing from new hires about their onboarding experience can provide valuable insights for continuous improvement. It shows that the company values their input and is committed to making their experience positive.
