Ensuring Consistency In Remote Onboarding Experiences

Most HR teams think their onboarding is solid. → Laptop ready. → Paperwork completed. → First day meet and greet? Check. But here is the truth we see behind the curtain: Most teams skip the parts that matter most for long-term success. Here are two steps most teams forget during onboarding and what to do instead. 1. 𝗖𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 Telling someone your values is easy. Showing them how the team 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 works is the magic. New hires do not struggle with the handbook. They struggle with the unwritten rules. Give them real language instead of vague gestures. For example, instead of asking… "Do you use Slack?" Try saying… "Our team lives in Slack during business hours. We expect same day responses for most messages and a quicker reply if it is from your manager or during core hours." Other examples to spell out clearly: • How often leaders drop in for updates • When cameras are expected on • How people give feedback • When it is okay to block focus time • Preferred communication style (short pings or detailed notes) And pair them with a culture buddy. Someone who can answer real questions like "Is it normal to send a calendar note before messaging the VP?" That saves so much social anxiety and avoids awkward first month missteps. 2. 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 A job title is not direction. People want to know exactly how to succeed. → Get specific. → Paint the picture. Instead of saying… "You will lead onboarding." Try… "In your first 30 days, you will run onboarding for three new hires. Success looks like zero missed system access steps, plus a feedback survey score of 4.5 or higher." Then schedule a 30 day check in. Not to judge. To support. Ask questions like: "What has been clear so far?" "What has been confusing?" "Where do you need resources or examples?" And tell them one thing they are doing well. Everyone needs a confidence anchor early. Strong onboarding is not fancy. It is clear, human, and consistent. Which onboarding detail made the biggest difference for you in a new role? If this sparked ideas, share it with another HR pro building better onboarding. #OnboardingTips #HRLeadership #PeopleFirst ♻️ I appreciate 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 repost. 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗥 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? Click the "𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗺𝘆 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿" link below my name for weekly tips to elevate your career!

I’ve onboarded remote hires across time zones, continents, and cultures. And here’s what I’ve learned: Remote onboarding doesn’t ⭐fail⭐ because of location. It fails because of assumptions. Assuming someone will “just speak up.” Assuming they’ll know what success looks like. Assuming they feel like they belong. Without hallway chats or shadowing, remote employees miss all the informal context that makes onboarding feel human—not just functional. Here’s how I’ve made it work: 💬 Over-communicate expectations and priorities 🎥 Use video, even for 15-minute check-ins 📅 Create a rhythm of connection—1:1s, team intros, buddy syncs ☕ Encourage informal conversations (yes, even virtual coffee chats) Remote doesn’t have to mean disconnected. In fact, with the right systems, it can feel even more inclusive. It took me many years of learning the hard way to build this out. And I’d like to share it with you, no strings attached. (see link in comments) That’s why I built these practices right in our Manager Onboarding Kit—to help leaders support their teams with intention, no matter where they are.

I sent laptops to 7 remote hires. 5 quit within 90 days. Costly mistake.  Brutal lesson. I thought I was onboarding them. They felt abandoned. And the data proves I wasn’t alone: 🚫 63% of remote employees say onboarding was inadequate. 🚫 60% feel lost and disoriented after their first week. 🚫 Remote hires take 3-6 months longer to reach full productivity. A laptop in a box isn’t onboarding.  It’s a fast track to disengagement. So I rebuilt our process—and retention jumped 82%. Here’s exactly what worked: 🔥 The Buddy System ✔ Assign a mentor (daily check-ins for the first 2 weeks) ✔ Encourage “silly” questions—zero judgment ✔ Make support feel human, not bureaucratic 🔥 Connection Before Content ✔ Virtual coffee chats before training starts ✔ Executive welcome video on Day 1 ✔ Remote-friendly team social event in Week 1 🔥 Digestible Learning ✔ 90-minute training modules (no info overload!) ✔ Spread onboarding across 3 weeks, not 3 days ✔ Live discussions > passive video watching 🔥 Tech Readiness ✔ IT setup completed before Day 1 ✔ Test systems with the hire the day before ✔ Provide a digital “emergency contact” for tech issues 🔥 Culture Immersion ✔ Virtual office tour with real team stories ✔ Inside-joke dictionary (every company has one!) ✔ Daily connections between work tasks & company mission 🔥 Strategic Check-ins ✔ Week 1: "What surprised you?" ✔ Month 1: "Where do you need more clarity?" ✔ Quarter 1: "How can we better support your growth?” 🔥 Early Wins = Early Buy-In ✔ Assign a small, meaningful project in Week 1 ✔ Recognize their success publicly ✔ Show them how their work makes an impact Remote onboarding isn’t about dumping information. It’s about building confidence, connection, and commitment. Do this right, and your new hires won’t just stay. They’ll thrive. P.S. What’s one thing you wish you had in your first remote onboarding? ♻️ Repost this to help HR teams fix onboarding before it costs them top talent.

Just published: "Modernizing Onboarding at Accenture with Immersive Learning" in MIS Quarterly Executive: https://lnkd.in/gGWYmwkj If your company is still onboarding employees with asynchronous training modules, you'll want to read this article. Jeff Mullins and I share how Accenture delivered a globally consistent onboarding program, the New Joiner Experience (NJX), featuring extended reality (XR). Launched in 2021, NJX centers around One Accenture Park, a virtual campus where new employees collaborate, explore company innovations and career paths, and build their Technology Quotient. This immersive onboarding experience has been very successful, with over 400,000 employees participating as of December 2024. Employees consistently rate it over 4.6/5, and Accenture has achieved a positive return on investment, initially driven by reduced travel costs. Beyond financial benefits, XR-based learning has improved knowledge retention and strengthened employee engagement. Accenture’s journey offers five key lessons: 1.       Scale Will Not Happen Without Senior Management Support 2.       Make XR a Part of a Larger Immersive Learning Experience 3.       Web-Based Access Is Effective, for Now 4.       Unsolicited Social Media Posts Provide Insight into Employee Sentiment 5.       Deliver an Immersive Learning Product, Not a Project Thank you to all the Accenture leaders for sharing your journey and lessons with us: Aaron Saint, Jason Warnke, Katy Geraghty, and Olly Jeffers. Shout out to to Yorke Rhodes III of Microsoft for being a fellow XR traveler in and outside of the classroom. Thank you also to the MISQE team: Iris Junglas, David Kimble, and Joaquin Rodriguez. Brian Fugate--this collaboration happened because of you! Thank you for serving as our Associate Dean for Graduate Programs and Research at the University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business! Feeling grateful.

Onboarding remote teams doesn’t have to be hard. It’s unprepared onboarding that creates all the trouble. Here’s how I keep onboarding simple, clear, and effective for everyone at Globy: 1/ Start before Day 1. - The key to onboarding success is preparation. - Before your new hire joins, create a single, well-structured document. Include: → Responsibilities: Define what their role involves, so expectations are crystal clear. → Tools: List all the tools they’ll need, along with access credentials. If they’re unfamiliar with any, link to quick guides or tutorials. → Company Info: Add key details about your team, structure, and communication tools. E.g., Slack for daily chats, email for reports. 2/ Build clarity with step-by-step guidelines. → Think about the specific tasks the new hire will handle. → For complex processes, record step-by-step videos or make screenshots to show them exactly what to do. → If it’s a junior role, more detailed instructions save everyone time later. 3/ Define early goals and expectations → Don’t leave them guessing. → KPIs and deliverables for the first week, third week, and the first month. Example: If it’s a creative role, set broad goals but adjust tactically over time. Why this matters? Skipping the prep can mess things up for days, especially with time zones in the mix. Getting onboarding right upfront saves everyone from delays, confusion, and a whole lot of frustration. Effective onboarding is more than just a best practice. It’s how you set your team up for success. ➡️ Follow me for more insights from entrepreneurs building global-first companies!