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Remote work has become an expanded practice that’s likely to continue into the future. During these times, it’s no longer just seasoned employees working from home—it’s also new hires, and employers are being challenged with the task of onboarding increasingly more remote employees than ever before. This includes planning an effective technology experience, acclimating remote hires to their new roles and sharing the necessary knowledge for a new employee to succeed within your remote environment. This checklist outlines steps for employers to consider as they plan a remote onboarding process.
Onboarding Tasks Before Remote Employee’s First Day
| Confirm the employee’s start date. | ☐ |
| Confirm the start time and any other expectations for the employee’s first day. | ☐ |
| Send the new employee a request to complete new-hire paperwork, including Form I-9, tax forms, a direct deposit form and emergency contact information. | ☐ |
| Plan the employee’s orientation, initial training and assignments. | ☐ |
| Contact the employee with a detailed schedule and itinerary for Week 1. | ☐ |
| Plan the employee’s workstation and technology. | ☐ |
| Communicate technology and workstation expectations of the employee ahead of their start date. | ☐ |
| Order equipment and plan for necessary software. | ☐ |
| Add the employee to relevant email distribution lists. | ☐ |
| Add regularly scheduled meetings to the employee’s calendar. | ☐ |
| Email the employee’s department with relevant information about their new team member—such as his or her start date, role and a brief bio—and copy the new employee, if appropriate. | ☐ |
| Select and meet with the new hire’s mentor, if applicable. | ☐ |
| Set up meetings with critical people for the employee’s first few weeks. | ☐ |
| Order any necessary training materials. | ☐ |
| Order business cards for the new employee, if necessary. | ☐ |
| Arrange pertinent training required for the job. | ☐ |
Remote Employee Workstation Environment and Setup
| Adequate space within the employee’s home for an office | ☐ |
| Desk or work area with sufficient space for equipment | ☐ |
| Comfortable and ergonomic office chair | ☐ |
| Workstation area that complies with ergonomic and safety guidelines | ☐ |
| Environment with minimal noise and distractions | ☐ |
| Workstation in a location with broadband network able to download and upload at a minimum of 1.5 megabytes per second (Mbps) | ☐ |
Remote Employee Workstation Technology
| Desktop or laptop, either provided by the employer or employee | ☐ |
| Internal network access given to employee for all necessary job functions | ☐ |
| Adequate hard drive capacity and memory on computer to perform necessary job duties | ☐ |
| If video calls will be part of the employee’s job responsibilities, computer includes a webcam | ☐ |
| Arrange for employee phone service and/or phone plan | ☐ |
| Headset with microphone | ☐ |
| Power cord | ☐ |
| Mouse | ☐ |
| Mouse pad | ☐ |
| Keyboard | ☐ |
| Virtual private network (VPN) established for employee’s computer | ☐ |
| Other technology as required by the roles and responsibilities of their position | ☐ |
Remote Employee Onboarding – First Day
| Introduce the employee to the virtual workspace. | ☐ |
| Show the employee team sites, employee intranet and necessary tools. | ☐ |
| Review the outline of duties and expectations for the first week. | ☐ |
| Review hours of work, and explain policies and procedures for overtime, use of vacation, sick time and holidays. | ☐ |
| Be available to greet the employee on the first day. | ☐ |
| Introduce the employee to others in the workplace and their mentor. | ☐ |
| Explain how to get IT support. | ☐ |
| Explain how to utilize HR. | ☐ |
| Provide information on setting up voicemail and their computer. | ☐ |
| Ensure that the employee has a fully functioning workstation. | ☐ |
Remote Employee Onboarding – First Week
| Give the employee their initial assignment—something small and doable. | ☐ |
| Briefly check in with the employee each day to address any questions or concerns that may arise. | ☐ |
| Explain the annual performance review and goal-setting process. | ☐ |
| Review the process related to the probationary period, if applicable. | ☐ |
Remote Employee Onboarding – First Three Months
| Conduct regularly occurring one-on-one meetings while giving timely, useful feedback. | ☐ |
| Meet for an informal three-month performance check-in. | ☐ |
| Create written performance goals and professional development goals. | ☐ |
| Meet with the employee’s mentor to review the initial stages of mentorship and answer questions. | ☐ |
| Make sure that the employee is a part of ongoing conference or video calls on a regular basis. | ☐ |
| Ensure the employee has attended all scheduled training and is signed up for any future training sessions that may be needed. | ☐ |
| Provide information about continued learning opportunities, if applicable. | ☐ |
Remote Employee Onboarding – First Six Months
| Conduct a six-month performance review. | ☐ |
| Review progress on performance goals and professional development goals. | ☐ |
| Review the status and performance of the employee’s remote workstation and technology. | ☐ |
Remote Employee Onboarding – First Year
| Celebrate successes and recognition of the employee’s contributions. | ☐ |
| Continue providing regular informal feedback, and provide formal feedback during the annual review process. | ☐ |
| Have a conversation with the employee about his or her experience to date. | ☐ |
| Discuss potential goals for the next year. | ☐ |
| Discuss the employee’s professional development goals and identify relevant learning opportunities. | ☐ |
| Survey the employee about their onboarding experience. | ☐ |
Use this checklist as a guide when planning the remote onboarding process for new employees joining your organization.
© 2022 Zywave, Inc. All rights reserved.
Having the right human capital management technology in place will make your onboarding process seamless and efficient, regardless of whether your employees are in the office, working remotely, or you have a hybrid work environment. isolved, GTM’s HCM platform, provides a streamlined process and allows any new hire to enter information directly into the platform, avoiding duplicate data entry. The system also notifies the appropriate personnel and walks them through each step, task, and form that are part of your company orientation.
Learn more about GTM’s onboarding process and then request a free quote to see how else we can help you run your business more efficiently.
