Canadian HR Reporter

www.hrreporter.com 17 Fadeke Adegbuyi is the marketing manager for social media and content at Doist in Edmonton, which specializes in productivity software. For more information, visit www.doist.com. Extend responsibilities Once the team member has completed a few new hire tasks, it's time to extend true responsibility. Give them a small project that is low pressure but allows them to use their expertise and problem- solving skills. Keep these points in mind when handing over responsibility: Provide context: Before giving out new projects, provide them with all the details about why the project is important and how it fits into the wider picture. Let them know if similar projects have been completed before and show them examples that may clarify the assignment. Set expectations: Don' t be ambiguous about the level of quality you expect and how quickly you might want the project completed. Give specifics about what the final product might look like and provide a concrete due date. Provide points of contact: It's rare that a project can be completed from start to finish without input from other team members. However, new employees often don't know the right person to contact for the right information. Provide them with context on the best people on the team to reach out to and make the introductions for them. At a certain point during the remote onboarding process, managers need to relinquish control and provide their new reports with tangible things to do. Make this as early as possible so they truly feel trusted and part of the team. These initial responsibilities serve to build confidence and clear room for the new hire to take on more ambitious work. Check in regularly Stay in close communication with new employees and regularly initiate conversations with them. T his establishes that they can reach out to you whenever necessary, while reducing the feeling of loneliness and isolation and building a rapport. Ask them about how remote onboarding is going, if they're encountering any issues in their role and whether they feel supported. Don't always check in about work. If they've mentioned hobbies of interest to you, bring those up or send them interesting articles or videos about something they've mentioned. During and after their remote onboarding process, request feedback so you can ultimately course correct or improve the process for the future. Let them know you would appreciate their candour in assessing their first few days, weeks or months on the team. Here are a few questions to ask to understand their experience: • How did your first few weeks here compare to your experience at other companies? • What could we have done better to make your transition easier? • What parts of the onboarding process helped you understand our team better? • So far, is this job what you expected? If not, what could we have done to communicate the role better? • Is there anything I can do to better support you? If they answer honestly and that feedback is critical, it's key not to act defensively or take feedback personally. Instead, let them know you' ll work on fixing the issue and do exactly that. If their concerns are relevant to other departments such as HR or finance, make sure to share this feedback with them. If their feedback pertains to management style, leaders should seek out relevant resources to improve or consult with their peers. If their feedback relates to other members of their team, be careful and sensitive in sharing feedback in a way that doesn' t create rifts or affect morale. Building a remote team takes careful planning and consideration. It also requires the creation of a virtual space based on trust and cultural appreciation. Sourcing talented people from across the world is one part; providing the environment they need to thrive is the other. CHRR

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