5 Tips for Onboarding Remotely

Staring at a new company virtually can be difficult. Without the in-person training, chatting with coworkers, and the routine of going into the office, joining a team online just isn’t the same. I started my first full time job at Taplytics just over a month ago on the growth marketing team and luckily, I had smooth onboarding which made me feel welcomed and truly like a part of the team.

Here are 5 tips to help you have a great start in a remote environment.

Start early

It all began before I officially joined the team. Right after I accepted my offer, my manager set up 30 minute meetings with me each week leading up to my start date. Each meeting he covered a different topic starting with what our product offerings are, and how we differentiate ourselves from competitors. After gaining an understanding of the company, he did a deeper dive into my role and how it relates to the rest of the organization. Along with these weekly crash courses on Taplytics, he sent over articles to read to help better understand the company. I found that going into my first day with some background knowledge on my role made me feel more confident and allowed me to dive into projects sooner.

Speed meetings

During my first week, there was never a dull moment. Between onboarding sessions and training, my calendar was packed with 15 minute meetings with people throughout the company. Getting to know individuals from engineering, accounting, and customer success meant that I had a better understanding of how everyone worked together, plus it showed me just how fun my coworkers are. When onboarding virtually, it’s easy to only meet with people you work with, but I found getting to know people from across the company was not only helpful in understanding my role better, but made me feel more connected. It also meant I had people from different departments I could reach out to if I needed help or just wanted to chat!

Find a way to meet outside of work

After a week of getting settled into the role, I finally got to meet my team in person since we’re all located in the same city. Meeting in real life made joining the team feel real, plus it’s way easier to have a conversation with someone when they’re not lagging on Zoom. While it’s easy to get in touch with someone online, nothing beats the connection of seeing someone face to face. Having a team picnic also allowed me to get to know my coworkers more on a personal level which I found made chatting online easier when we went back to communicating virtually.

Dive right in

While training is an important part of onboarding, I found that the best way to learn was to dive right into the role. My team introduced me to my responsibilities and projects during my first week. Having the opportunity to try things out for myself, make mistakes and ask for help not only meant I was able to learn quickly, but allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of what I was doing since I was forced to ask questions when I was stuck. It also showed me how I can lean on my team for support from day one which is a point every company should emphasize.

Keep your team culture

Startups are known to have a lively team culture which I was worried I would miss out on. While nothing beats the rituals I’ve heard the office has in person, Taplytics has kept the culture alive by making sure people talk about things other than work. Having Slack channels on random topics, and television shows people are watching allowed me to get to know people’s personalities and interests. It’s also fun to connect with colleagues on your personal interests, and I can confirm my coworkers have stellar podcast and show recommendations. Along with having a channel for employees to chat about anything they want, Taplytics has a “props” channel on Slack which is a way for you to call out your coworkers for a job well done. I’d like to give props to the Taplytics team for the best virtual onboarding experience I could ask for!

I hope that with these tips, you can make the onboarding process as seamless as possible for  your new team members. I had a wonderful start to my role and hope other new hires can have the same experience I did. The first week of work can set the tone for someone’s career at a company, so making it as welcoming and exciting as possible can help ensure their success as they join your team. If you’ve made it this far and want to join a company where you’re guaranteed a great onboarding, we’re hiring!