This article was originally published on eLearningIndustry.com.

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Workers are continually seeking out opportunities for remote or hybrid work. And as more and more organizations go remote, they must now address new challenges and concerns around one of the key factors for employee retention: a structured, exemplary onboarding process.

With remote work and hybrid work becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s "new normal," workers are continually seeking out opportunities for remote or hybrid work. Remote and hybrid work arrangements have now become an extremely attractive benefit and are almost essential in attracting and retaining talent.

In fact, according to a survey from GoodHire, 68% of American workers prefer remote work over in-office work [1]. In addition, 61% percent would take a pay cut to be able to continue working remotely, and 45% percent would either quit or start looking for a remote position if forced to return to their office full-time.

Further findings show that 85% of these American workers would rather apply for jobs that offer the opportunity to work remotely, and only 15% would apply for a full-time, in-office position. Lastly, 74% believe that organizations that don't offer the opportunity to work remotely will fail to acquire, engage, and retain workforce talent [1].

Additional data also shows the widespread prevalence of remote and hybrid work arrangements. 70% of organizations said they planned to adopt the hybrid work model, according to a May 2021 study from Mercer [2]. A recent Gallup poll shows that 45% of full-time employees in the U.S. work from home, and 74% of professionals believe remote work will become the new standard [3]. As more and more organizations go remote, they must now address new challenges and concerns around one of the key factors for employee retention: a structured, exemplary onboarding process.

Remote Onboarding: Essential Considerations

A strategic, successful, and outstanding onboarding process is critical for employee retention and engagement at any organization, and the statistics show this. 69% of new employees are more likely to remain with an organization after three years if their onboarding experience was exemplary [4]. New employees who participate in an organized onboarding program are 58% more likely to be with the company after three years. A thorough onboarding process can also improve productivity by over 70%, according to research from Glassdoor.

Yet so many businesses fail to make a strong first impression on new team members, thus negatively affecting retention and costing these organizations extra time and money. Only 12% of employees strongly agree their company does a "great job" with onboarding, according to a Gallup poll [5]. Employee turnover can be as high as 50% in the initial 18 months of employment, according to the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) [6]. SHRM also estimates that, on average, it will cost a company six to nine months of an employee's salary to find, hire, and onboard someone to replace that employee [7].

Onboarding new employees is already difficult enough in a face-to-face, in-person office environment, but now companies are faced with the additional logistical challenge of effectively and efficiently onboarding employees with remote or hybrid work arrangements. However, there is a clear opportunity for companies to onboard, engage, and retain talent by leveraging a tried-and-true resource: eLearning.

According to a study from Gallup, only 12% of employees strongly agree that their companies did a good job with onboarding. Knowing how to onboard a new employee is a great way to help them stay with you long term, especially when hiring remote workers.

1. Get a Head Start

Your remote employee needs to have their tech setup ready to go before their first day, so you should get a head start. Ship technology well before an employee's first day to give them time to create a productive space without the pressure of an immediate deadline. Then, they'll be ready for that first day, free from any technology stress.

2. Cultivate Connection

A major challenge with remote employees is fostering connection, but you have the opportunity to establish this right from the beginning. During onboarding, carve out time for more casual interaction, like a coffee or lunch break, where you can chat with your new hire and learn more about them. 

To support professional and personal connection, you may also want to assign a mentor to your new remote hire. These individuals can offer advice and help your new hire adjust to the company during their first few months on the job.

3. Establish Clear Responsibilities

Remote employees operate relatively independently, so it's important that they understand what their responsibilities are. During the onboarding process, you can overview the key responsibilities of the employee's role and who they report to for each task. You may want to keep this job description accessible to your employee at all times, so they have a straightforward resource for their responsibilities. 

4. Be a Good Support System

New jobs come with all kinds of ups and downs, and your employee needs to feel supported during the process. Celebrate wins and be an open ear for challenges during the initial few months to make sure your new hire feels comfortable throughout the process. Building this support system can be an excellent way to set your company apart from others, and it can motivate your new hires to stay productive. 

eLearning: Definition, Advantages and Benefits

According to the Association for Talent Development, eLearning is "a structured course or learning experience delivered electronically. It can also include performance support content. There are also many different elements that can make up an eLearning program, such as live or pre-recorded lecture content, videos, quizzes, simulations, games, activities, and other interactive elements [8]."

The benefits and advantages of eLearning are quite apparent. According to a Brandon Hall Group study, eLearning typically takes 40% to 60% less employee time than learning in a traditional classroom setting [9]. And each penny spent on eLearning results in a $30 increase in output, according to a 2020 research report from Facts and Factors.

Additionally, 72% of firms state that eLearning helps them keep a competitive edge by staying up-to-date with technological change. 42% of businesses say eLearning has improved revenue, and eLearning increases retention rates by 25–60% [9].

eLearning for Onboarding: An Intuitive Solution

Given the abundantly clear benefits of eLearning, it stands to reason that custom eLearning videos can help organizations effectively and efficiently welcome and retain new hires. Custom eLearning content can be crafted and produced to communicate roles and responsibilities, establish expectations, convey and emphasize company culture, provide context and insight into the inner workings of the company, guide new hires through onboarding paperwork, and much more.

eLearning videos and modules designed specifically for onboarding provide a streamlined and standardized approach, while also allowing organizations to ensure that the onboarding material is being understood and retained adequately, through optional assessments and other interactive features. With the workforce continuing to seek out remote and hybrid work options, organizations would be wise to utilize custom eLearning content to onboard new employees, giving them a standardized and strategic entry point to the organization while also fostering engagement and employee retention.

At Intellezy, we offer a broad range of eLearning solutions to support your remote onboarding process. Our extensive library of prerecorded training videos covers hard and soft skills, from spreadsheet functions to mindfulness. Beyond these, our team can develop custom videos based on your company's unique process for onboarding remote workers. We work with you to make sure your video resources are designed to help your new hires succeed.

Custom onboarding videos help provide structure, clarity, and a seamless, enjoyable experience for new hires who are adjusting to your company. Intellezy’s in-house production studio and dedicated teams allow us to offer custom onboarding video content, along with other personalized eLearning and training videos, to clients around the world. Learn more about our custom onboarding videos by contacting us today.

References:

[1] The State Of Remote Work In 2021: A Survey Of The American Workforce

[2] Most US employers with flexible work plans choose hybrid work, Mercer says

[3] 5 Statistics Employers Need To Know About The Remote Workforce

[4] Don't Underestimate the Importance of Good Onboarding

[5] Why the Onboarding Experience is Key for Retention

[6] Onboarding New Employees: Maximizing Success

[7] High Turnover Costs Way More Than You Think

[8] What is eLearning?

[9] Facts And Stats That Reveal The Power Of The eLearning Sector