How to onboard a “virtual” workforce

By Nic Redfern, finance director of NerdWallet

It is hard to believe that the majority of the UK’s workforce has been working remotely for the best part of a year.

Many employees believed that they would likely be back in the office in no time at all back in March 2020, when Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the first national lockdown and ordered the nation to work from home. Of course, this was not the case.

This shift in working practices forced businesses across all sectors to adapt their work processes and protocols to suit the “new normal” of working life – and most employers have done this successfully.

However, there remains one challenge, which many businesses are yet to overcome: onboarding staff remotely.

This is a pressing issue for businesses. After all, 6.1% of employed people in the UK moved jobs in the first half of 2020. At NerdWallet, we have taken on nine new members of staff throughout the pandemic period, which has prompted us to re-evaluate how we can support our new employees and help them settle into the team.

Start introductions early

One of the most important steps when welcoming new members of staff is to begin team introductions as early as possible. Luckily, there are numerous communication platforms such as Zoom and Microsoft teams on hand to facilitate this.

At NerdWallet, for example, management schedule virtual coffees or lunch meetings with new members of staff prior to their start date. Our new starters have found that making these all-important introductions early helps to alleviate some of the inevitable teething problems that come from remote working as a new starter.

Such informal meetings also allow new members of staff be able to ask their employers and colleagues questions about their role and company protocols in an informal setting, so they have a firm grasp of what is expected of them prior to their start date.

Building appropriate workstations

It is also vital that management teams help new employees to build an appropriate workstation at home.

Worryingly, a recent YouGov study revealed that over two fifths (41%) of homeworkers do not have an appropriate working environment. A similar number (39%) have even resorted to impractical and uncomfortable working arrangements, such as setting up a workstation on beds or sofas. Particularly as working arrangements like these can have a negative impact on the mental and physical health of employees, business leaders should prioritise tackling this issue.

A strong starting point is for businesses to set aside some of their budget to fund the necessary office equipment. Here at NerdWallet, for example, we introduced a home working stipend early on in the pandemic. This allows to staff to purchase all they need to work comfortably and productively from home; from desk chairs and IT equipment, to investing in wellness provisions that ensure a happy and healthy workforce.

And indeed, having such a fund in place will also assure new and existing employees that they are important and valued members of the team.

Managing workforces remotely

As all business leaders know, without proper communication, projects can be disrupted, delayed, and even fall apart.

Recent research conducted by Upios has also revealed that almost half (47%) of remote workers felt that communication difficulties were having a negative impact on their productivity. Even for long-serving employees, inadequate communication can be frustrating. However, for new starters miscommunication could be a dramatically hinder their ability to successfully fulfil their role.

At NerdWallet, management have overcome this issue by encouraging teams to communicate on a daily basis – holding a ten minute morning briefing at the very least. Doing so helps all members of the team to discuss projects and voice any concerns.

Additionally, new starters have regular 1-to-1 meetings with line managers scheduled in diaries. This ensures that team leaders can monitor the progress of new team members, as well as their general mental health and job satisfaction.

Some companies may also find it beneficial to organise organisation-wide conference calls, to ensure that all employees are engaged with the latest business developments. The frequency of such meetings will vary depending on the nature and size of businesses, but they will ultimately result in a greater sense of collaboration and company culture amongst employees, which is invaluable.

Working apart, together

Naturally, no organisation is the same, and as such employee needs will differ. In any case, ensuring that staff feel confident and happy to go about their roles as normal, even whilst the world faces some of the toughest conditions imaginable is vital.

Whether providing technical support, or pastoral guidance, employers should be as proactive as possible when onboarding new starters, and at times this might seem daunting. So long as businesses are available to discuss any concerns and employ the many technologies at their disposal, there is no reason why a remote workforce can’t be a strong one