Remote-first companies are transforming the world of work, tapping into unparalleled flexibility and creating exciting opportunities for new and existing team members.
But there’s a catch. As HR leaders are quickly discovering, creating an exceptional remote onboarding experience is no walk in the park.
The stats tell the story—37.4 percent of HR professionals name remote onboarding as their biggest hiring challenge. And when you consider that only 12 percent of people say their company handles onboarding well, it’s clear there’s room for improvement.
However, there is a huge upside to this, as when organizations get onboarding right, the benefits are substantial. Some 70 percent of people who experience exceptional onboarding say they have “the best possible job,” and they’re 2.6 times more likely to feel “extremely satisfied” in their workplace.
These benefits play out in the long term, as strong onboarding can increase retention by 82 percent.
So, how are forward-thinking companies creating these positive first impressions without meeting their new team members face-to-face?
Let’s explore some proven remote onboarding strategies that really work—and learn from those who are already getting it right.
<<Download our essential onboarding checklists to create an engaging onboarding experience for your people >>
Breaking down the biggest remote onboarding challenges
Remote work is reshaping how companies welcome new hires, and it’s not without its obstacles.
Before we dive into some best practices for remote onboarding, let’s zero in on the biggest hurdles keeping HR leaders on their toes:
Setting expectations from the start
Setting clear expectations impacts every aspect of a new team member’s job experience, from how they approach their role to how they connect with colleagues and understand their place within the team.
HiBob research shows that only 40 percent of people feel their current role aligns with what was discussed during the interview, leading to confusion and uncertainty. Furthermore, 25 percent of people report starting their jobs without critical information about their roles.
In remote settings, where scheduled video calls replace in-person training, casual conversations, and spontaneous interactions in a physical space, aligning expectations early becomes all the more important.
Building culture without a physical space
Research shows that some 88 percent of organizations consider it critical that “people believe in what the organization stands for” during onboarding.
In remote settings, where culture doesn’t naturally permeate through daily interactions, creating a sense of connection requires thoughtful and inventive strategies.
Remote-first companies are finding ways to make their values tangible, bringing culture to life in ways that help new team members not only understand the organization’s unique DNA but feel part of it from the outset.
Establishing communication rhythms
In an office setting, new team members tend to naturally pick up on communication practices—when to send emails versus when to tap someone on the shoulder or how different teams prefer to collaborate.
Remote work requires deliberately teaching these unwritten rules. Successful remote organizations ensure that communication norms are transparent, helping new team members understand how to engage in everything from urgent questions to casual conversations.
Remote onboarding success: How modern companies transform the experience
Successful remote-first companies transform onboarding through a blend of strategic planning and modern HR technology like Bob, setting the scene for productive long-term working relationships.
Here’s how forward-thinking organizations are mastering their remote onboarding strategies to build genuine connections from day one:
Automating the administrative onboarding flow
A clunky, manual onboarding process can quickly temper a new team member’s enthusiasm. By contrast, smooth, automated workflows signal professionalism and care, allowing HR teams to focus their energy on creating meaningful connections rather than chasing paperwork.
Payapps, a 150-strong team across five sites, illustrates these principles in action, having transformed their manual onboarding processes into a smooth digital experience with Bob.
First, Payapps built an automated onboarding system that aligns with the company brand, ensuring new hires across all locations receive a consistent experience. The onboarding process is customized for each site by incorporating region-specific paperwork and requirements.
Once onboarded, new hires can easily share their personal interests and hobbies with the team, making it easier to connect with colleagues.
Additionally, interactive materials—think team intros and short videos—bring new hires into the fold, building instant rapport that extends beyond the usual formalities.
Throughout the process, Bob’s automations handle key administrative tasks, allowing Payapp’s HR team to create an intentional and human-focused experience.
“The onboarding process is our introduction to the business and leaves a great first impression,” shares Tiffany Karsten, Chief People Officer. “We have had regular feedback from new starters that the onboarding process is great, and they feel excited about joining the team.”
The goal of automation here isn’t just to improve efficiency—it’s to create time and space for the essential human elements of onboarding to take center stage.
Creating a central knowledge hub
New team members need quick and dependable access to everything from policies and procedures to company values and compliance documents—information that form the foundation of the company and their role.
When key information is crystal clear and easy to locate, it’s a win-win for HR and new hires, making onboarding smoother and setting everyone up for success.
ManyPets demonstrates the importance of centralizing onboarding processes and knowledge. After moving to a remote-first model, this 600-strong team recognized that scattered information wasted time and created unnecessary HR friction.
“When you grow quickly, you can end up with info all over the place, such as in Slack, Dropbox, and emails,” explains Julia Ingall, Chief People Officer at ManyPets. “Having a central repository to pinpoint and point people in the right direction for policies, guidelines, and information is super helpful.”
ManyPets also use Bob’s dynamic Org Chart to help new joiners visualize team structures and understand their key points of contact, adding another vital layer to their onboarding experience.
Don’t underestimate the impact of upfront transparency—it helps people quickly grasp team dynamics and fill any gaps in their knowledge, no endless back and forth required.
Personalizing the preboarding experience
The time between accepting an offer and the first day of work presents a golden opportunity for engagement. Forward-thinking companies recognize this preboarding period as perfect for building excitement and reducing first-day anxiety.
Kustomer, a growing company with offices in New York, Durham, and Spain, uses Bob’s onboarding workflows to offer a personalized preboarding experience that prepares new hires for their role while building confidence.
“We wanted a platform that supported our goals and could grow with us,” explains Alyssa Henriques, Senior Manager of People Operations.
Once an offer is accepted, Bob activates automated tasks for key team members in various departments, ensuring that hiring managers share warm welcome messages while IT sets up the necessary equipment.
Before their start date, new team members have the opportunity to immerse themselves in Kustomer’s culture by reviewing company values, exploring photos, and connecting with future colleagues.
Then, on their first day, the HR team leverages information from each new hire’s profile to publicly welcome them and record their pronouns in Bob, promoting an inclusive environment for all.
Drawing inspiration from Kustomer and other leading remote-first organizations, here are the key ingredients for cooking up your own personalized preboarding experience:
- Engaging welcome videos featuring team members and leadership
- Access to company social channels and special interest groups
- Detailed guides about what to expect in the first week
- Early introductions to direct team members and key collaborators
- Clear setup instructions for essential tools and platforms
By thoughtfully combining these elements, you can create a preboarding experience that sets the stage for lasting engagement. The secret lies in striking a balance between providing enough information to build confidence without overwhelming new team members.
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Building a warm company culture in a remote environment
Successful remote-first companies create intentional touchpoints throughout the onboarding process to create a vibrant and supportive environment that endures well beyond onboarding itself.
While managing these touchpoints manually would be tricky, Bob enables organizations to streamline this process with dynamic communication and engagement features, ensuring new hires feel connected from the get-go.
For example, Bob’s Shoutouts feature enables companies to publicly celebrate achievements and introduce new team members, while Bob’s Kudos provide an easy way for colleagues to recognize each other’s contributions.
Romain Delebecque, Director of Employee Experience at SmartRecruiters, shares that using Bob helps new hires feel more connected: “When people started using Bob, we got really positive feedback, like, ‘now I can see my team’s schedule,’ ‘I can see people in the Org Chart,’ ‘it’s really easy to use,’ and, ‘now I finally know who these people are.’”
Nanna Kvist, HR Coordinator at Lunar, echoes Bob’s benefits for remote teams: “Even though we are working remotely, we try to maintain our vibe. Having a tool like Bob helps us keep the communication going while everyone is remote.”
Effective onboarding strategies ensure that new hires feel welcomed from the start and provide ongoing opportunities for collaboration and communication as they settle into their roles.
Create exceptional remote onboarding processes that grow with your business
It’s abundantly clear that effective remote onboarding establishes a strong foundation for successful, long-term relationships among all individuals involved in the business, including the organization as a whole.
By combining the right tools with a strategic mindset, organizations can transform a potentially fragmented digital experience into a vibrant and engaging journey that sets the scene for productivity and engagement.
As demonstrated by successful remote-first businesses, the key lies in establishing strong foundations, designing effective processes, initiating connections early, and crafting meaningful touchpoints throughout the onboarding experience.
With modern HR platforms like Bob supporting these initiatives at each step of the onboarding journey, virtual onboarding for remote teams evolves from a challenge into an opportunity.
Ready to transform your remote onboarding experience? Start by downloading our essential onboarding checklists to create an experience that engages and retains your team members from their very first interaction.
