07.VIRTUAL ONBOARDING

In times of the global Corona Virus pandemic, a certain desk or corner of the house has turned into our office, catching up with colleagues and official meetings have moved to virtual platforms. Work from home has been a new experience that many of us are gradually adapting ourselves to. Apart from meetings, webinars, onboarding, companies have also been using virtual platforms to continue social engagement with colleagues.

Many challenges of virtual onboarding stem from introducing candidates to the company’s culture. With that in mind, it is critical to create an outline for the employees during their first few weeks on the job; that way, they feel ingrained in the company’s mission right away.

For organizations to retain talent, they need a consistent and structured onboarding process.

What is Virtual Onboarding?

Similar to the traditional onboarding process, the virtual onboarding process is quite simply welcoming new employees to your organization’s processes, values, mission, goals, etc., via virtual online tools, resources, and other means. This could include webinars, online resources, video conferences, virtual interactive programs, and so on, which the new hires can access using any of their electronic device. 

The two main goals on the first day should be setting expectations and introducing objectives. Employees need to have crystal clear ideas about what their job duties and responsibilities are on Day 1.

New employees at certain Sri Lankan IT Companies are taken out to lunch on the first day. "We cared enough to hire them, we want them to know we care enough to build rapport," employers say.

Organizations that don't focus on acclimating new employees to their corporate culture are at a significant disadvantage. Employees who know what to expect from their company's culture and work environment make better decisions that are more aligned with the accepted practices of the company.

Purpose of Virtual Onboarding

• Engage with new employees, irrespective of their geographic location.
• Scale the on-boarding process seamlessly and speedily.
• Encourage a culture of flexible and accountability-driven work style.
• Introduce the organization's culture, mission, and values to the new recruits.
• It helps new hires adjust to the social and performance aspects of their jobs so they can quickly become productive, contributing members of the organization.

Offline Onboarding at the Facebook Office a few years ago.