Have you ever experienced an ineffective or downright unpleasant onboarding experience?

You are not alone if you answered yes. A recent study by Gallup has found that only 12% of employees agree that their organization has a good onboarding process. And according to the study, “The True Cost of a Bad Hire,” by Brandon Hall Group, organizations with strong onboarding processes can improve new hire retention by 82% and productivity by 70%.

So, how can you build trust in today’s remote environment? Learning and development (L&D) professionals and team leads need to make sure that a cohesive onboarding experience occurs, and new team members trust that their knowledge-building and integration into the team are a top priority. In this article, we’ll review seven keys to creating a culture of trust for remote onboarding.

1. Communicate openly — and often.

Offer acceptances often come weeks before an individual starts with the organization. During those two to three weeks between the offer acceptance and the start date, there must be consistent communication with the individual joining the organization. It’s a time of uncertainty and anxiety for someone stepping into an organization. These feelings can be alleviated by offering:

• A welcome email and a phone call from their manager. The email should contain everything the individual can expect when they receive their equipment, how to prepare for their first day and any meeting links they may need.
• Have their computer and any support equipment properly set up and shipped out to them so they have it before their first day.
• An introduction video and instructions for what to expect in training and how to access training meetings and materials.

2. Provide a buddy for support.

Assign a team member to be a point of reference and who can explain the inner workings of the team. A critical part of onboarding is having someone you can talk to about the company, culture and best practices. When possible, have the buddy send an email to introduce themself to help build rapport before the new hire’s first day. Depending on the role, the individual providing support can do the following during the onboarding period:

• Participate in training as a subject matter expert (SME) and/or in touch bases during training.
• Host remote coffee or lunch chats.
• Introduce them to team and company culture.
• Answer questions.

3. Welcome them to the team.

As soon as an offer is accepted, there is an opportunity to make the new hire feel welcome and part of the organization. There are several ways to show you are invested in them as a person and — which builds trust. For instance, you might:

• Have a welcome gift sent to their home.
• Gather some engaging/fun facts about the individual and send them out to the team as an introduction.
• Have a documented plan in place for their first day that they can access ahead of time. This shows that you want them to feel prepared and empowered with everything they need for a smooth first day.

4. Set up their technology prior to day one.

Try to avoid missing equipment or major technology issues. Having the equipment loaded with the right programs and arriving on time shows that you care about getting their experience started off the right way and can allow them to feel more present. Where possible, videos or a meeting with information technology (IT) to make sure they are set up correctly and helpful. If that’s not possible, a resource should be available to them. Provide new hires with the number to IT and email a user guide for any technology and equipment.

5. Invest in their knowledge.

New hires are invested in their learning, and they need to trust that their team and organization are as well.

• Provide resources and support for knowledge transfer.
• Set expectations on the training timeline and how the material will be presented.
• Be available for questions.
• Create a learning cohort. If only one person is starting in an area, see if there is an opportunity for them to meet regularly with other individuals on similar learning journeys. If multiple people are starting, encourage them to engage with each other through the learning process.

6. Build relationships and help them understand the culture.

In a remote environment, the breakroom talk doesn’t exist. Because new employees won’t simply meet people by running into them in the hallway, it’s even more important to set up formal and informal conversations, such as:

• “Meet and greets” with the team.
• Conversations with individuals they will work with on projects or chat and email interactions.
• Team meetings and project meetings are opportunities for them to see team dynamics.

7. Provide clear expectations and follow through.

All individuals need to know exactly what success looks like for them and the broader organization.

They should recognize not only how their responsibilities fit into the success of the team and the organization but help them to understand how they should prioritize their work for the goals of the team and the company. Here are some tips that can help:

• Have a documented success plan.
• Understand daily, weekly and monthly expectations.
• Allow time for them to ask questions about their goals.
• Schedule and attend agreed-upon check ins but don’t micromanage employees’ work.
• Provide guidance but trust that they will complete their projects and/or meet their goals.

Conclusion

New hires should feel welcomed, supported and connected to the company as well as be equipped with the knowledge and tools to understand their role and how the organization operates. If these are offered transparently and genuinely, employees can trust that everyone in the company is invested in their development and career. Without them, people will begin to question their place and are at a higher risk of leaving. It doesn’t cost much to support someone coming into the organization, and the cost of not doing so is high — not just financially but to the reputation of the organization and its leaders.