We\u2019ve all had one of those nerve-wracking first-day experiences. You leave home with an extra hour to allow time for traffic, public transportation delays, or any other unexpected occurrence. You show up at your new office bright and early, only to discover that no one was expecting you. You have no workstation or schedule for the day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those nightmare first days in an unfamiliar office may be a relic of the past for many employees. According to data from Gallup, \u201csix in ten remote-capable employees who work exclusively remotely now say they’re extremely likely to look for a new job if remote flexibility is taken away [1<\/a>]\u201d. But the importance of onboarding won\u2019t go away even as distributed teams become the norm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A new hire\u2019s early experience sets the tone for the rest of their tenure with a company. Employees who have a negative onboarding experience are twice as likely to look for other career opportunities in the future [2<\/a>]. But a positive onboarding experience can increase new hire retention by 82% and productivity by over 70% [3<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Onboarding distributed employees brings its own set of challenges. The lack of in-person interaction means you need to be especially thoughtful about creating connections and introducing your company culture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A comprehensive onboarding experience for your new hires is non-negotiable. The more time and intention you put into onboarding, the faster your new hires become engaged and productive. Keep these points top of mind when adapting onboarding for remote employees:<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important for leaders and managers to remember that a positive onboarding experience has a direct impact on business objectives and productivity. What may seem like small details in an onboarding process can change business outcomes substantially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating a comprehensive virtual onboarding process starts with rethinking how your organization welcomes and supports new hires in a remote environment. Instead of trying to replicate in-office experiences, leaders need to adapt their approach to fit the realities of remote work. This begins with understanding what effective remote onboarding truly requires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to build a successful remote onboarding program, you\u2019ll need to be intentional about every detail. How do you build relationships? How do you give new hires a proper introduction to your company and team culture? And how do you make their first few days engaging \u2014 and maybe even fun? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Remote onboarding means no office tours, team lunches, or coffee breaks (at least in the traditional, in-person sense). It won\u2019t always make sense to simply take your traditional onboarding sessions and turn them into video calls either. But it\u2019s not an excuse for dropping social activities from the agenda and hoping your new hire will figure everything out on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are a few points to keep in mind when shifting from in-person to virtual onboarding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You also want to avoid making them feel like they\u2019re bothering someone for every small question. A well-structured knowledge hub builds confidence early and keeps new hires from feeling stuck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many distributed-only companies stress the importance of helping employees build the habit of knowing where and how to find key information themselves which is a skill that becomes even more valuable as teams scale and operate across time zones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Video will often be your go-to substitute for in-person meetings. But scheduling video meetings all day, every day is a quick way to overwhelm and exhaust your new hires. Long stretches of virtual calls can make it harder to retain information and may leave new employees feeling drained rather than motivated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Be intentional about when video is truly necessary. Mix in asynchronous communication, written updates, or short voice notes to give new hires space to absorb information at their own pace. This balance helps reduce fatigue while still keeping them connected and informed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a remote setting, it\u2019s better to aim for more frequent, shorter bursts of communication. You never want a new hire to go for too long without the opportunity to ask a question, raise a concern, or share feedback. Regular touchpoints create a sense of support and prevent small uncertainties from turning into bigger frustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Short check-ins also make space for connection without interrupting deep work. They help managers stay aware of how new hires are adjusting, while giving employees a consistent avenue to share wins, challenges, and anything they\u2019re still learning to navigate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many onboarding programs feature informational sessions where you introduce new hires to your company history, values, and organizational structure. Build variety and interactivity into these sessions whenever you can. Studies show that interactive activities are six times more likely than videos or text to help people learn and retain information [5<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Organizations with a standard onboarding process see 50% greater new-hire productivity than those without a standard onboarding experience [6<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n Feedback fuels better onboarding. Make sure new hires and hiring managers have the opportunity to share their observations and suggestions for how to improve the onboarding experience. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There may be gaps or areas where you\u2019re falling short \u2014 especially if virtual onboarding is new for you and your organization. <\/strong>A post-onboarding survey, for example, allows your new employees to rate their experience and make suggestions for improvement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n People and team managers can take it a step further. Stef Miller, Senior Director of Demand Generation at Udemy Business, recommends sharing a document with all new hires where they can jot down their feedback. About two weeks into a new hire\u2019s tenure, they\u2019ll go through the document and discuss what they\u2019ve observed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ask about your employees\u2019 preferred work and communication style (and share your own). For example, they may like to have dedicated work blocks when they\u2019d rather not have meetings scheduled. They might have caretaking or other duties that mean they\u2019ll be offline at certain points during the day. Or they may have personal preferences about the default mode of communication. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When you establish team norms around work style, you foster a sense of belonging and psychological safety on your team. This is critical for creating an environment where employees feel like it\u2019s okay to genuinely be themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A strong remote onboarding program doesn\u2019t happen by accident. It requires clarity, consistency, and a commitment to helping every new hire feel supported from day one. Organizations that invest in thoughtful virtual onboarding see stronger culture, higher productivity, and long-term retention \u2014 outcomes that matter even more in today\u2019s distributed workplaces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why intentional, structured onboarding is essential for every team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Download the full ebook<\/strong> to access the complete virtual onboarding framework and discover how skill-building through Udemy Business can help new hires ramp faster, stay engaged, and contribute to meaningful business outcomes. Learn the advanced strategies that elevate new-hire experiences, strengthen culture, and set your people up for lasting success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We\u2019ve all had one of those nerve-wracking first-day experiences. You leave home with an extra hour to allow time for …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"single-post-seo-gated.php","categories":[],"resource_type":[27],"event_status":[],"class_list":["post-6516","resources","type-resources","status-publish","hentry","resource_type-ebooks","post","without-featured-image"],"acf":{"archive_thumbnail":"https:\/\/business.udemy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/The-Definintive-Virtual-ONboarding-Guide-for-Distributed-Teams.png.webp","marketo_form_id":"2653","custom_terms":"","marketo_form_custom_header":"","video_cta_type":"","video_cta_action":"","pdf_report":"https:\/\/info.udemy.com\/rs\/273-CKQ-053\/images\/Udemy-definitive-guide-virtual-onboarding-ebook.pdf","resource_image":12580,"choose_resource_hubs":["default"],"publish_to_selected_resource_hubs":["yes"],"resource_topics":["integrated_learning","l_d_best_practices","learning_culture"],"hero_subheading":"","hero_background_graphic":"option_4","hero_background_color":"indigo","hero_image":"https:\/\/business.udemy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/the-definitive-virtual-onboarding-guide-for-distributed-teams.jpeg.webp","hide_h3s_in_toc":false,"content_summary":"","mobile_cta_button_label":"Download now","marketo_form_heading":"Download the free ebook","enable_modal_form":false,"form_completion_redirect":"thanks","event_name_datalayer":"resourcesSuccess","event_action_type_internal_eventing":"Conversion","event_name_label_internal_eventing":"Resource Content","custom_submit_button_text":"","allow_personal_emails":false,"hide_legal_terms":false,"create_cookie":false,"marketo_form_clone":{"marketo_form_id":"2653","webinar_options":false,"enable_modal_form":false,"show_modal_on_load":false,"marketo_form_custom_header_modal":"","marketo_form_custom_subheader_modal":"","form_completion_redirect":"thanks","custom_thank_you_header":"","custom_thank_you_message":"","form_completion_redirect_relative_url":"","open_redirect_in_new_tab":false,"form_completion_redirect_custom_url":"","event_name_datalayer":"resourcesSuccess","event_action_type_internal_eventing":"Conversion","event_name_label_internal_eventing":"Resource Content","custom_submit_button_text":"","allow_personal_emails":false,"hide_legal_terms":false,"additional_legal_terms":"","create_cookie":false,"cookie_name":""}},"yoast_head":"\nThe importance of a quality virtual onboarding experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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How to start creating a comprehensive virtual onboarding process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
How to get comfortable with remote onboarding<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Put information at employees\u2019 fingertips<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Empower employees to be self-reliant whenever possible. Create a central hub where you document frequently asked questions, contact details for key departments like HR and IT, and other information new hires are likely to seek out. The goal is to reduce guesswork and give new hires a clear path to the resources they need.<\/p>\n\n\n\nResist the urge to over-index on video meetings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Strive for short, frequent check-ins<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create interactive moments<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Gather feedback to supercharge your onboarding programs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Find a communication style that works for you and your new hires<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Master virtual onboarding experience with Udemy Business<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Sources<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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