Imagine you’ve hired two new employees: one remote, and one local. The local employee arrives on-site at your office to a fully furnished workspace:
- A new laptop with a stand
- Dual monitors
- Wireless keyboard and mouse
- Speakerphone and external camera
- Ergonomic chair
- High-speed connectivity
The remote employee received a repackaged laptop in the mail.
After 35 years in the IT industry, we’ve seen first-hand how employee onboarding shapes an individual’s first impression of their employer and their place in the ecosystem.
As hybrid and remote work have become more prevalent, we’ve also seen how easy it can be to unintentionally create inequities like in the example above.
How Does Remote Work Change Employee Onboarding?
We’ve written before about how a hybrid work environment creates a dispersed network that introduces new security challenges.
In a similar vein, hybrid work has also introduced complexity when it comes to new employee onboarding. As we review our processes, we now must ask: “How will the employee’s physical location affect their experience?”
When 20-50% of employees quit within their first 100 days of a new job, we have to let go of intentions and accept that their perception will be their reality.
How New Hire Expectations Have Evolved Post-COVID
Now that we’re well beyond the pandemic-era rushed transition to remote work, remote workers have come to expect:
- Seamless remote access
- Professional home office setups
- Equal treatment regardless of location
- Clear communication norms
- Reliable bandwidth and video tools
If your onboarding process is still rooted in the premise of in-office work, you are sending a message to remote employees that they are an outlier.
What Should Be Included in Remote Onboarding?
Modern employee onboarding requires thinking beyond laptops. Consider all of the following.
Core Hardware
- Laptop (standardized models)
- Docking station
- Dual monitors (or monitor + laptop stand)
- Keyboard and mouse
- High-quality camera
- Speakerphone or headset
Environmental Factors
- Bandwidth and connectivity
- Privacy and freedom from distractions
- Comfort and ergonomics
- Video conferencing norms
Security Precedent
Remote environments increase phishing risk, device mismanagement, and shadow IT. Based on your risk tolerance, consider:
- Immediate security awareness training
- Enrollment in mobile device management
- Acceptable use policy acknowledgment
The Hybrid Onboarding Goal
When hybrid onboarding is thoughtful:
- Remote employees feel included
- In-office employees feel supported
- Productivity accelerates
- IT issues decrease
- Culture remains cohesive
We’ve seen this in action for many of our clients and would be happy to explore whether we could help you achieve similar results. If you’re looking for premium IT service, let’s chat!