8 employee perspectives on the reality of remote onboarding

Creating stronger connections across the globe

8 min read

Remote onboarding can seem tricky, but it doesn’t have to be. Previously we talked to the managers at Reward Gateway to see which tactics they used to onboard their remote employees and about their remote onboarding strategies. 

This time around, we wanted to go straight to the source so we asked RG employees what had the biggest impact on their onboarding experience. Here are their perspectives:

It was very strange but was nice to not have any of the first day nerves! Before I started, a few people had reached out to me on LinkedIn to introduce themselves which immediately put me at ease. 

The mass of people saying hello on my first day really helped to make me feel welcome. 

I had a lot of introductory calls in the first couple of weeks and although it was full on (especially with my 15-month-old daughter running around), everyone was so friendly that I instantly felt welcomed into the RG family!

My manager also had a 30-minute catch up with me at the end of each day for the first week which helped to iron out any questions I had along the way. We also have an informal team meeting at the end of the day on every Friday, featuring a music quiz! I find this a good way to get to know the team on a more personal level. 

Stand out moment: Being added to the RG Parents channel and relating to every single post. I take comfort in not being the only person to be trying to juggle the chaos of parenthood and work! Plus, there are a lot of valuable employee perks for parents that RG offers.

The team had put a lot of time and thought into planning what my first week would be like and everything ran incredibly smoothly. I received my laptop in the mail a week before my official start date and a hand-written note, a copy of “The Rebel Playbook,” a notebook and some chocolates from my manager a few days before. This left me feeling super motivated and excited to start. 

Throughout the week every member of the RG team I met made a real point to introduce themselves and ask about me; where I came from, my previous experience as well as questions about outside of work. 

Everyone was very empathetic about the situation and offered to help in any way they could which left me with an overwhelming feeling of safety about navigating a new company virtually. 

Stand out moment: One of the best parts of the week are the daily briefings with the sales teams in the morning and at the end of the day. They’re only 30-minute sessions, but seeing everyone’s faces and hearing all the various activities quickly made me feel part of the team. The managers made sure to ask me every day to share my thoughts with the wider team on what I’d taken in and how I was feeling, giving me a voice and an opportunity to quickly get stuck in.

Prior to starting, I had all of my equipment delivered and the set-up process was done first thing on the day I started which was pain-free. Afterwards I had a catch up with my team leader, but the rest of the team crashed the call with signs saying welcome, etc., which made it feel really special.

I had catch-up meetings with a lot of people in the business, which made me feel lucky to be able to speak with everyone in the first week – which usually doesn't happen. 

My manager did a great job organizing my first week so I didn't feel lost and I knew what my focus was. 

Stand out moment: The team delivered cakes to me and I could enjoy them with my morning tea!

On my very first day, I was working from home. Luckily, I had a very structured one- month training timetable with lots of different sessions booked in to meet different members of RG that we work closely with every day.

Stand out moment: Receiving a monetary award, what we call a “Game Changer” award from my manager. Rewards and recognition in the workplace really show that your work is appreciated, especially while we navigate this uncharted territory.

It’s been great getting to know the coworkers in my sphere. I have experience working with other people in different locations but the daily stand-up and video calls in this team make me feel a lot more connected.

Stand out moment: Coming to grips with a new programming language is always tricky, but I was pleased to find out from my manager that there is a book benefit program, so I can use it to fast-track my learning.

Before I even started, RG shared an onboarding app with me that helped me to feel connected and welcomed before I even had my first day. It really made me feel like they cared about me and my experience, and that welcoming me to the team was a primary concern.

When week one began, I was given an entire welcome plan, with my schedule all laid out and was introduced to many different individuals from various departments. Every connection was a new friend and partner and more importantly, each and every person demonstrated how much they wanted to help me and share in my future success.

I was struck by how friendly everyone was, and as each day went by, I could see this amazing culture unfold before me, that mirrored what my hiring process had been as well. 

Stand out moment: I was really lucky to be included in the virtual team-building event, it was truly a massive appreciation event! I was brand new, and here I was, watching all the action and festivities from around the world. I was sitting on the Slack channel commenting and reacting to everything going on, as if I had been with the company for years! It was amazing and something I will never forget – I love my new home here at RG.

With all that's going on in the world at the moment, the whole company has made a huge effort to make me feel really welcome.

I've learned a lot about the company and, our future direction and what it’s like to work for a purpose-driven company. 

I’ve also been able to (virtually) meet a lot of people in other areas of the business. Everything has been incredibly slick and I'm very grateful to be here. 

Stand out moment: My team made a funny quiz on my first day to help me get to know the team. As we'd usually go out for lunch on a new starter's first day, my manager sent me lunch at my house. We all ate together (virtually) and went through the quiz. There was a list of stories/facts and I had to guess which member of the team it was about – like who went to a Celine Dion concert alone or who drove to the Czech Republic to pick up a dog. It was entertaining and definitely helped with team bonding from the get-go.

I joined RG in February, so I had a few weeks in the office before we went into lockdown. I felt incredibly welcomed by everyone and I had a well thought out three-week induction plan with a good range of activities and meetings to keep it interesting. The days literally flew by. 

Moving to working from home just four weeks in could have been a horrible experience, but the team has continued to help make me feel connected and at home at RG. 

The daily team calls to start the day have been good to keep visibility with the team and keep up to date with what is happening. Various people from the team have also checked in on me at different times to see how I'm getting on and everyone is always willing to jump on a call to talk through something.  

Stand out moment: Having some fun events such as weekly quizzes and other activities has also been important to help me integrate and get to know everyone, especially with missing out on the social elements that you get from being together with people in an office.

Having a strong foundation in place can help us move through uncharted territory. I’m so grateful for the culture we continue to build upon at RG – it’s made the shift towards a virtual world less daunting and we’re still able to engage our people remotely. I hope these testimonials help you along your journey to better connecting your people.

Feel free to reach out to me on LinkedIn, I’d love to hear how you’re onboarding your employees remotely – what’s worked, what can be improved and how are your people responding?