We all know what’s it’s like to start a new job. Anxiety, excitement, and that feeling of being slightly lost. One of the many challenges we have faced as we pivoted to a remote working environment is how do we take care of a new member of staff.

Usually, we would be with them in the same office, walking them through how the company works, socialising with other members of the team, and just making sure they feel as conformable as possible. All of this isn’t as easy when you are depending on Slack to deliver all this information. 

Well, we want to pass on a few ways we have found that get new team members onboard and interacting with the team!

Pre-Calls:

We have all been at a new job where the first day is overwhelming. The week before a new employee starts you can arrange a group call with everyone from the team. This will familiarise them with new faces, learn the products and services you use, and maybe even play a game to get the team chatting. This also helps to remove hurdles on the first day, making sure you hit the ground running. 

Get Everyone Involved:

If you are all working remotely, the best way to start the day is to have a video or voice call with the whole team to run through tasks, discuss collaborations and get everyone in the right frame of mind for the day ahead. We have found this to be a great way for the team to dispel any uncertainty for the day ahead.

Lets go back to Basics: 

This is something I have struggled with both myself and other members of the team. When you are not in an office you communicate without body language, you may also miss out on other visual or aural queues that would show if someone is feeling frustrated. The best way to combat this is to check in with your team throughout the day to see how their mood and work motivation are, or if they need any help with a task. Beware, this doesn’t mean micromanaging. When you are checking in, make sure that it’s not too regularly.

Video is your friend:

While it’s great to use software such as Slack and Messenger, just like in the point above, it can be far more productive to see each others’ face. Let’s be honest, we all need a to see a face if you are at home all day. Using video is also important if you see a disagreement happening in written communications channels. When typing opinions or instructions, tensions can escalate quickly without the context of intent and it can easily be avoided and resolved with a quick video call. 

Eye Contact: 

During video calls, try to remember how you treat your colleagues when you are at work in the office, you might talk over each other from time to time but remember to listen and use eye contact. It can be all too easy to lose that human connection. 

Learn the New Language: Emoji’s 

Believe it our not, researchers at the University of Chichester have discovered that using emojis at work helps team members decode the tone of a message. Emojis can be a good fill in for the missing body language and tone of speech you don’t get working remotely. 

Meet Up when you can!

You are still a team. It’s still important to try and meet up and spend time outside of work together. While the world is very different now, its still possible to meet at the beach or park for a BBQ, Play mini-golf or find a venue with outside for a few drinks. Try not to use video calls as a substitute for social events.

Find a Buddy:

Your new employee is going to feel overwhelmed and nervous to message other members of the team. Assigning them a buddy to guide them, be on joint calls with other employees for the first time, and understand the company dynamic is a great way to ease them into the team.