Virtual Onboarding Introductions Form Good Connections

Connection is afoundational building block of successful onboarding, but many organizationsdon’t have a formal system in place to foster the interpersonal relationshipsthat drive business forward. According to TINYpulse’s 2017 Employee Engagement Report, only 24 percent of workers feel connected totheir peers. Having disconnected employees negatively impacts workplace happiness,team communication, and overall productivity. Providing for virtual onboardingintroductions can address these issues.

Many organizationsunderstand the importance of relationship building, but it’s difficult toestablish meaningful ones during onboarding. New hires might talk extensivelywith the person who conducts the onboarding process, but they aren’t always theemployee’s direct manager. It’s also hard for businesses to justify pullingother team members away from their daily tasks to interact with an employee foran extended period of time.

Onboarding an employeefrom a distance only exacerbates these challenges. While many experts encouragebusinesses to startthe onboarding process prior to Day 1, it’s even harder for new hires to forge meaningfulrelationships with their peers and manager without face-to-face contact. Videois a logical solution to this problem, but to maximize its impact, onboardingmanagers must leverage this technology in an active way.

Most organizations alreadyleverage video in different ways for onboarding, but their usage is oftenlimited to passive consumption of information. You need a video assessmentsolution that enables synchronous and asynchronous video interaction to startbuilding these core relationships before new hires set foot in the office. Hereare three ways video assessment helps employees form connections with theentire team during onboarding.

<H2>Virtual introductions

Some onboarding managersuse video assessment platforms to set up experiential exercises and measurecomprehension, but they can facilitate other processes as well. These solutionstypically leverage synchronous and asynchronous video technology, which gives auser the option of interacting with someone in real-time or on their own time

This flexibility helps newhires build connections with members of their team without pulling anyone awayfrom their daily tasks. For example, the onboarding manager might ask employeesto record an asynchronous video, when it’s convenient to them, in which theyintroduce themselves, talk about the work culture, or share a piece of advice.Once employees complete this activity, the new hire would share relevantdetails about themselves in return. Not only would it would also help themrecognize faces and feel more comfortable when they walk in on Day 1 but thisgives the entire team a chance to get to know the new hire.

<H2>Live team meetings

A synchronous videoexercise comes in handy when the onboarding manager wants to organize a livemeeting between the team and a new hire. This type of interaction can replaceasynchronous introductions, but there are plenty of otheruse cases as well. If anorganization consists of multiple office locations, it might be beneficial forthe new hire to meet people who make key departmental decisions, or who theymight work with. Another good way to make new hires feel included is to invitethem to a virtual team meeting. This can give them valuable insight into howteam members interact, what a typical day looks like, and how the organizationoperates. 

<H2>Coaching and mentoring

Studies have shownthat recent college grads crave opportunities to develop their skills, so many organizations have made a concertedeffort to promote professional development in the workplace. One of the bestways to do this from an organizational point of view is to assign coaches ormentors. These advisors foster growth by taking a personalized approach toimprovement.

Meetingwith a mentor in real-time—oreven interacting with them via asynchronous video—during the onboarding processshows new hires how much the organization values their personal development. Italso gives both parties a head start in getting to know each other and forminga successful partnership.

<H2>Continued employee growth

Building connectionswithin the organization doesn’t stop once onboarding is over. Leveraging avideo assessment solution with virtual onboarding introductions or othersynchronous elements allows organizations to further the learning experienceand foster meaningful interactions for new hires. Whether employees routinelymeet with their mentors, complete additional exercises to learn key material,or consistently refer back to recorded videos, video assessment platformsprovide the right tools and resources for new hires to grow. This push forcontinuous improvement is what transforms employees into lifelong learners.