Sympathetic leadership is important for this group of new hires . Juliana Martins , who started a new job at a healthcare firm during the pandemic , spent most of her first two days reading through self-guided onboarding documents that she found hard to digest . She was confused and overwhelmed with this solitary setup . But once she began working on projects with her new team , she learned more on the fly . The company ’ s lack of open communication and personalization stuck with her , however . She found it hard to form bonds at work , which left her feeling isolated .
“ Everyone was nice , but I believed most people were too busy to talk to me . It ’ s daunting to send an email to someone higher up , asking for their time just so you can ‘ get to know them .’ In person , the dynamic might have been better understood ,” says Martins , who quit after six months and changed industries .
73 %
of people from various industries want permanent flexible remote-work options .
SOURCE :
2021 WORK TREND INDEX
“ Remember , these new hires are unable to observe how other colleagues are behaving in a physical environment and unable to pick up on nonverbal cues ,” says
Amanda Augustine , career expert for
TopResume , a résumé consulting agency . There ’ s also the basics of business communication and logistics . She recommends sharing any ground rules in the first one-on-one meeting with a new hire , including start time and end time , how and when to communicate about days off , rules for contacting someone outside office hours , and the preferred method for messaging and communication . Managers should also discuss the type of impact a new hire should have on the organization , any 90-day objectives , and expected behavior with clients and colleagues .
There are three key aspects of onboarding someone remotely , according to HP ’ s Duarte . First , the social aspect focuses on how a team connects and builds a digital community . This is especially important for Gen Z , who left their former communities ( often college ) behind and now look to the workplace for friendships and relationships . Second , there are the nuts and bolts of doing the job : clear expectations , tools and resources available , and support mechanisms . Third is mentorship , which provides a less formal version of guidance , full of feedback and pointers . Mentorships encourage employees to develop in their careers while allowing
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