The current global pandemic has changed the way most businesses operate. For many, the change in consumer behavior has led to layoffs and company restructuring. However, some companies have luckily been unphased by COVID-19. For those brands, it’s business as usual as they navigate these uncertain times.

 

With teams working remotely and almost all offices closed, it does present some unique challenges. The most complex of these challenges is hiring new employees and then onboarding them into your company. This can be a difficult task considering that you are obligated to hire someone you have never physically met. Then, this new employee is being asked to work alongside people they have never worked with in-person. This is why today we wanted to provide a few suggestions on how to hire and onboard new employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Hiring New Talent

 

The Job Description

As we have covered in the past, making the wrong hire can cost a company thousands of dollars. Therefore, it’s essential that you take every step necessary to get it right the first time. This starts with the job description. The odds are higher than usual that the individual applying to your job is unemployed. This means they have the time to read the entire job listing and determine if it is the right fit for them.

 

Since your new hire will not be available for in-person training, you may want to rethink what you list under the required skills. For example, if there is a specific software program they will use often, you may want to make sure they have experience using it. In the past, you may have made this optional and figured you could always train them on what they didn’t know. However, since you don’t know when in-person training will pick back up, it’s best to be certain they have the knowledge they will need on day one.

 

The Virtual Interview

 

Conducting the entire interview process virtually is new to most companies. It can be difficult when you are used to making hiring decisions based on meeting people. However, the virtual interview is here to stay. When setting up the interview, be sure to point out what virtual meeting platform you will be using. Encourage the interviewee to test out the link 15 minutes beforehand to avoid technical difficulties.

 

Also, inform the candidate who they will be meeting with and provide a link to their LinkedIn profile when possible. This way, they can prepare for who they are meeting and put a face to the name. As for your team, make sure to block out time in their calendars for the interview. Be sure to e-mail them the resume ahead of time since the candidate will be unable to present it themselves. Lastly, take note of what the candidate is wearing, their posture, and overall attitude in the interview. Hopefully, this will make up for the information you lose when you don’t get to meet them in person.

 

Onboarding New Employees

 

Communication Tools

Starting at a new company can be complicated and overwhelming. Add in the fact that you have never met your co-workers, that everyone is working remotely, and it can start to feel impossible. Therefore, it’s critical you have a standard communication tool like Slack or Microsoft Teams that everyone uses for internal communications. Be sure your new employee has an account waiting for them on their first day.

 

You can take this a step further by creating a company directory that includes each employee’s name, position, department, phone number, e-mail, and how to find them on Slack or Teams, or whichever platform you use. This document will help new employees get their questions answered and figure out who is the best person to talk to for each task or project.

 

Intro and Weekly Meetings

 

When everyone is working remotely, if something doesn’t get scheduled, it most likely will not happen. Working from home means employees can no longer stop by a new team member’s desk and introduce themselves. As a manager, it is essential you encourage team members to schedule time with new employees in their first few days. This will make the new employee feel more comfortable and give them a chance to ask questions and learn the ropes.

 

Ideally, you are already conducting weekly one-on-one meetings with each of your direct reports. At the very least, you should plan on meeting with any new employee at least once a week for the first two months. Furthermore, you should also be conducting weekly team meetings where everyone can provide status updates on their work. New team members will be able to learn what everyone does and get a feel for how the team operates.

 

Processes and Procedures

 

Creating and following standard processes and procedures has never been more important than now. If there is a task that is done every day or a program that is utilized often, there should be written documentation that outlines each step. After their initial training, a new employee should have access to a document that reminds them how to complete the task. This prevents them from relying on other employees and possibly missing an important deadline.

 

Each department head should write down every process and program they use. Then, they should take the time to create a detailed step-by-step outline. This outline should also include who on the team is the best person to contact if they have a question. These documents should be organized and stored in a file-sharing program such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Managers should show all new team members where these documents are located on their first day and encourage them to ask any questions if something needs to be clarified.

 

Conclusion

 

Remote work isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Therefore, businesses must be prepared to hire and onboard talent accordingly. These tasks no longer need to be challenging. The key is to be prepared by supplying your new employee with all of the information and support they need to be successful right from the start.

 

Let’s Talk

The HR Agent can help you implement the HR processes and procedures you need to hire and onboard the right talent during this global pandemic.

 

Book your FREE intro call by sending us a note at connect@thehragent.com

 

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