Many of our clients are working from home due to Covid restrictions. This meaning that many of their new-starters have been onboarded virtually. Papilio Talent was launched this year, and our Recruitment Manager was onboarded virtually. See what she had to say about her experience followed by key tips for employers to ensure smooth onboarding:
“I started the interview process in February before the pandemic had reached Malta, so I was fortunate enough to meet the Directors and see the beautiful office before joining. Throughout my notice period the pandemic hit and Malta went into somewhat of a lockdown – this resulted in having to start my new job from home! This was challenging as I’ve always been an office-based person and I was joining a brand new company.
To prepare for this new way of working, I created a working space that was separate from my bedroom and my kitchen, and made sure that every morning I stuck to a routine; getting dressed, breakfast and being in my new office on time – leaving distractions outside.
Every morning at 9am I had a Teams call with my Director – this was to get to know the company and my Director, and to lay out daily, weekly and monthly progress plans. It gave me the opportunity to understand what was needed from me, and to discuss my plans and visions with my Director. We agreed on tasks and objectives, how I would achieve them and within what timeframe – calls following on from this would be discussing the outcome.
I was introduced to a key point of contact within the business that would be my “buddy”. They were there so I could bounce ideas off, ask advice about anything from setting up my email to office policies, and to speak to informally in between my calls with my Director. It was a perfect set-up!
Thinking back, despite 2020 being a difficult year, this has been the easiest transition into a new job that I have ever had. The Teams calls every morning allowed time for uninterrupted discussions which may not have been possible in a busy office, as well as setting a structured working day that I definitely didn’t have in my previous job. All in all, it was (and still is) a fantastic experience!”
Onboarding virtually can be tough, however, sticking to the simplest of things can be extremely rewarding for companies and for new-starters. Think about the below:
- Have a recurring meeting in your calendar, example; 9am every morning. This will naturally start with training, then lead onto catch up calls in the future. Constant communication is key for the employee to feel supported and guided in their new transition.
- Create an onboarding manual that you give to new employees – big or small, it doesn’t matter. An online PDF manual that highlights your company, the internal structure, the team leaders/department managers, and contact numbers. This manual is great for helping your new employee understand your company, it can also help them with administrative things like updating their signature, their LinkedIn and keeping everything in line with your brand.
- Set smart objectives – it can feel very limiting starting work from your own home, so agree on Smart Objectives to give your new starter a focus and ultimately giving you some time to focus on your work too.
- A buddy system is fantastic – someone you can speak to for any small question you may need answered immediately, or to ease you into the company informally. With the instant messaging on Teams / Skype / Zoom – this is very easy to maintain quick communication.
