Every once in a while, we like to let a team member at Intranet Connections take over our blog and share their own story working at IC. In this blog, Tyler Miller details how onboarding as a remote hire was made more efficient and enjoyable thanks to purpose built software. Read more to find out…
It’s a cool 32 degrees Celsius in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. Feet are in the sand, I’ve found my nice quiet desk in the corner of the Selina, and my iced coffee is sweating. I am also sweating.
I’ve been away from home for about 6 months. Traveling through Central and South America as a digital nomad. Whilst on the road I switched jobs to find a great fit with Intranet Connections. As an established Intranet provider located in Vancouver that supports remote and hybrid teams all over the world, of course my remote onboarding experience was excellent.
We obviously saw a boom in remote work during Covid-19. This, along with low unemployment and the highest turnover rates seen in years, means it’s a challenging time for organizations. Many understand the importance of working to accommodate this shift. A smooth onboarding experience for remote workers will be based on different needs than those in the office.
Here’s what stood out.
I felt connected to our social purpose from the first day
Even with a fast ramp up, orgs need to accommodate evolving expectations in the workforce. The best onboarding experiences ensure productivity, but new hires expect to be connected to the company’s purpose and values from the beginning.
When the new hire is thousands of miles away it’s critical to create a feeling of connection. Increasingly (for millennials at least), this is found within a company’s social impact. And it’s about how culture informs that process from the first day.
I wasn’t just handed some cool motto’s while onboarding, I was taken through IC’s history. Our CEO Rob took the time to detail how and why we’ve landed on our values (Simplicity and Positivity to name a couple) and how they evolved over 20+ years. And this is the first box to check for every new hire on the onboarding site within the intranet. Yes we use our own software.
Informal, virtual hang outs are great
There’s no water cooler. Those casual conversations between real meetings go a long way in making someone feel a part of the team.
I was kindly surprised to have little 10 minute invites popping into my calendar from others across the company. Many were formal introductions to those I would be working with closest. But the fact that many whom I would not be working directly with took the time to get to know me helped solidify that connection early on.
I was supported to hit the ground running
It was easy to locate the comprehensive resources I needed to do my job. As available as the team was, I was shocked at the difference the onboarding form, departmental sites, playbooks, and well-governed, searchable intranet, made during my first week.
Being the new sales hire, I was able to quickly search any technical product questions while quickly understanding the nature of our sales process. I was making calls on day two and booking meetings on day three.
These early wins not only aid momentum, but show how onboarding ensures employees quickly gain confidence, align with culture, and fulfill their role. Onboarding really just leans into ongoing development and when the starting point is clear it’s simple to evolve and improve then on out.
Remote work offers opportunities for both employers and workers. It doesn’t come without some challenges, but there’s plenty of talent (and employers) out there ready to figure out how to make it work for both sides.
You can support remote onboarding too with great software
With tried and proven internal comms software like ours at IC, we know that you too can embrace the evolving workforce and bring everyone together towards your common goals.
Ready to help build a bridge and unite your own team? Book a demo today!
