How to Make Virtual New Hire Orientation Fun: A Step-by-Step Guide to Virtual New Hire Onboarding

Since the beginning of time (or so it seems), we have have been taught over and over again that we never get a second chance to make a first impression. If for this reason only, it’s important that companies invest into having the best onboarding programs. Luckily, companies now have the luxury of going down the recruitment funnel to hiring virtually. However, hiring isn’t the last stop — onboarding and orientation are equally as important.

Here are a few reasons why virtual onboarding and the new hire experience are crucial:

• New hires can acclimate to their roles, company culture, philosophies, and what it has to offer
• Increase new hire retention since they feel like part of a team
• Decrease in employee turnover and loss of productivity

If you need more convincing, here’s 50 more reason why.

What Is Onboarding?

Onboarding is the first impression that new hires get of a company. Sadly, companies allocate more funds to recruitment than onboarding. An effective onboarding process will convey an organizations brand and values, explain people and culture, and provide the tools the new hires need to seamlessly get settled into their new roles.

Here are a few virtual orientation ideas to make the process more fun and engaging:

1. Send letters digitally

You may want to consider investing in a software that lets you customize specific fields and send signatures digitally. A couple of options include, Adobe Sign, DocuSign, and HelloSign. After everyone signs, the onboarding process can officially begin.

2. Mail welcome packages

One the hiring paperwork is signed, surprse the new hire with a welcome package that includes company swag. Swag is anything that you can slap you company’s logo on: shirts, hats, coffee mugs, PopSockets, keycains. Take Uber’s new employee welcome kit as an example:

Keep stock of prepackaged welcome packages so that the new hires can get them within days of being hired.

3. Ship computer and tech equipment directly

New hires won’t be able to pick anything up in-person so send them everything they need directly to their home. Be sure to include computer, headphone, mouse, keyboard, and anything else related to tech or tools.

4. Onboarding paperwork

With the current climate, there have been a few temporary adjustments to the virtual onboarding process. The government is requiring many companies to hire people to work from home so they have lifted the requirement to review a new hire’s identity and employment authorization documents in-person for the forseeabe future. They do still need to provide this information within 3 days of being hired but it can be don through fax, email, or any other methods that you want to offer them as options.

5. Schedule touch base

Your goal should be to have the mangers touch base with the new hire every days until their start date. Every time someone reachers out, the new employee will strengthen their bond with the company and solidify their relationship to it. They will not only feel but see that they’re thought about and included. This will result in more engagement.

Video conferencing software such as Zoom can be the best way to make sure this gets done.

6. First day tech setup

You can only imagine how overwhelming it can be to setup new equipment and then have to figure out how to sign on to the company’s email and get into all the programs you’ll be needing to do your job.

To make this process more manageable, send the new hire first step instructions to their personal email detailing how to get signed onto their company email. Take it a step further and setup a meeting with IT to help them get setup and signed in with their company credentials. Make sure to have ta dedicated contact they can speak to anytime they need additional help setting up.

7. First day new hire orientation

Because this will be a virtual process, figure out how you can elicit the same level of excitement for the new hires as they would have walking into the building, seeing their office, and meeting their teammates for the first time.

Here are some ideas of what to include in the orientation presentation:

• Company history. This could be a company timeline detailing the journey from the company’s inception to where it’s gotten today. Include important people, locations, and shifts in the direction of the company.
• Mission. What are the future objectives of the organization? What are the brand’s values? What defines your company? The answers to questions like these can be the deciding point for both employees and customers make it clear and enticing.
• Leadership photos. Make it fun! Instead of featuring everyone’s professional headshots, consider photos where everyone is in their element. Every picture should be a conversation starter where the person viewing them can really get a feel for the personality of the person in that photo.
• Brief company overview. Include an introduction to the company, the key players, products/services, customers, location, management team, etc.
• Hr need-to-know-items. This can include benefits packages, handbooks, manuals, salary, and PTO.
• Sneak peak into the culture. Try your best to focus the majority of the orientation process on having fun and building relationships between the new hires, current employees, and management. You want the new employees to see why people love working for the company. She stories, pictures, and perks. If you offer and clubs or groups catered to special interests, highlight those. Let them know of any activities you do to keep everyone together despite the distance.

8. First day announcement

If you remember nothing else bout this step, remember this: present all new hires with the same excitement and anticipation. They will share their experiences and you don’t want anyone to feel less wanted than the rest.

Just like with the leadership photos in the orientation presentation, post a picture of the new hires full of personality and list a few details about each one: hometown, hobbies, favorite quote. Something that gives the rest of them. sneak peak into who they are outside of work.

9. Group meet and greet

A virtual coffee cant, lunch, or happy hour can be just as satisfying when it comes to having fun with your teammates. Use this time to introduce each team member and get to know each other on a personal level.

10. Establish manager one-on-ones

79% of employees say that one-on-one time with their direct manager is the most important part of any onboarding process (Enboarder, 2019). in order to be absolutely sure that this ever important step doesn’t fall through the cracks, schedule it within one week of hiring. During this time, introduce yourselves and ask questions to build a personal relationship, ask about any onboarding or orientation issues they’ve experienced let them know what to expect from the team, company, etc., and detail any goals personal development.

It’s best practice to develop a personalized 30-, 60-. and 90-day work plan for them; Hubspot has an outline of what this can look life if you need a little help getting started.

Onboarding is the key to success. And virtual new hire onboarding and orientation can be just as exciting as in-person. As long as you can remember that your goal is to get the new hires prepared, dedicated, and excited about their new roles, even virtual, then you can develop a succesful blueprint to make sure that happens every single time. Which of these steps do you think you can begin to implement right away?