Onboarding has always played a key role in helping employees make a successful transition to your organization. The COVID-19 pandemic raises concerns that many HR organizations have never dealt with before, whether it’s remotely onboarding newly hired employees or employees returning to the office after months of remote work.
Here are some suggestions for key topics to cover that put employees at ease and help keep everyone safe.
One of the essential elements of successful communication is to keep it simple and frequent. Changes in local or state rules may create the need for new working arrangements or office set up, so be sure to develop opportunities for employees to provide feedback on what is working (or not working) and gather their ideas on how to make everyone comfortable and productive.
After several months of remote work, current employees will benefit from a special onboarding session. While they are familiar with your company and culture, it’s likely a lot has changed. In addition to covering the points listed above, be sure to consider:
The more you plan and communicate to employees, the smoother their onboarding will be.
Another important step is to educate yourself on the legal considerations around bringing people back to onsite work. The CDC has issued extensive guidelines concerning temperature checks, mandatory masks, distant desks, and the closing of common areas as well as detailed information around communication. These do get updated, so you will want to check periodically for changes and your state may have stricter guidelines. You may wish to consult with an attorney for clarification or if you are a union facility, your union leaders.
The more transparent and consistent you are with your processes and the communication around these, the more successful your transition will be.
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