It’s safe to say that we can all agree that Covid-19 has thrown the traditional office work life into complete disarray. Workplaces have closed with employees encouraged to work from home as much as they possibly can. Entire work practices have been moved online, from recruiting and inducting new recruits, to hosting weekly updates and team meetings. While the prospect of employee onboarding during a pandemic might seem daunting and sometimes impossible, we have some helpful tips listed to help make the process as easy as possible.
Office Work
If you are finding yourself in a position where you need employees to return to an office, it is essential to ensure both their and your safety. Putting in practices such as social distancing and limiting the numbers in an office at one time, will both go a long way. Giving the office a deep clean prior to members of your team returning, will provide comfort to the employees that the environment is safe to be in. Rather than running around with disinfectant yourself, outsource the job to a professional disinfection service, who can ensure that every nook and cranny of your office has been cleaned. Staggering the start and finishing times of your employees will also contribute towards a safe working environment, meaning that there won’t be loads of people trying to get in that elevator at once!
Remote Work
Two words which many of us are now familiar with. If you can do your job from home, the guidance from government officials around the world says you should. Recent surveys have shown that 44% of people are now working from home for five days or more a week. If you are in the process of recruiting more employees – particularly, remote employees – and if you are not up to scratch on how to recruit during a pandemic, we are here to help.
Prepare New Recruits For A Unique Experience
As a business leader, you want to start onboarding your team by ensuring that your new recruits have been contacted prior to their employment date, to ensure that there is a narrative opened so any questions can be dealt with as soon as possible. Clarify a schedule for their first few weeks, detailing some information about what they should expect in their first few days. This will eliminate worry and anxiety that the employee might be feeling pre their employment. Ensuring that the employee has the facilities to successfully complete their job is paramount. You can’t have someone working from home if they don’t have access to a computer. Will you be supplying the equipment, or does the employee have to source one themselves? This is something that should be detailed from the word go.
It seems obvious but ensuring that there are clear channels of communication for your employee at all times will help to develop a working relationship between you. Checking in on the employee regularly and assigning them a member of the team who they can contact, will ensure that the induction process runs smoothly and successfully.
