6 Tips to re-onboarding new starters as restrictions lift

With ‘Freedom Day’ marking the start of this week, our working lives will be changing again. As some of us return to the office, should we consider re-onboarding our new starters?

For those individuals that joined a new organisation during the pandemic, the return to the office may feel even more daunting than for those returning, existing employees.

So, if you have hired and inducted remotely during the pandemic, you might want to consider re-onboarding your new employees to make them feel welcome and prepared for their new working environment.

Here are 6 considerations to bear in mind when re-onboarding employees who joined your organisation remotely.

1. Meet them face to face

Make sure that if you have new starters that are returning to the office for the first time, you make every effort to meet them face to face on their first day back.

‘Meeting’ individuals remotely is very different to meeting in a face to face environment so put them at ease by making sure that you or one of your team are able to greet them face to face during their first days in the office.

2. Host interactive sessions

Allow new employees to bond with other colleagues by creating structured opportunities for them to interact and get to know each other. These interactive sessions might include icebreakers or ‘speed networking’ activities.

You could run these sessions with new starters only or encourage managers to do this in their team meetings.

3. Have regular check-ins

You will have ‘checked-in’ with your new colleague during their first few months with the organisation, but the office is an entirely different environment. It is crucial that during the early days of their new working environment, you have regular ‘check-ins’ with your new starters to ensure they are adjusting to their new way of working.

Why not take them for lunch in addition to regular one to ones.

4. Create a buddy system

Not all individuals will be returning to the office on a permanent basis. If your new starters are returning to the office but their team or manager is not, ensure they are allocated a buddy who has experience in the office and can show them around their new environment, answering any questions they might have.

5. Prepare your management team

Spread the word about how important it is to prepare new colleagues for their new working environment. Make sure that your management team are aware of these suggestions and that they allow their new team members to ask any questions they might have about the next stage of their journey with the organisation.

All teams have different ways of working, some teams may adopt hybrid working whereas others may return entirely to the office. Ensure that the manager’s approach is flexible to the needs of the individuals in their team.

6. Use effective communication channels

When providing useful information about the return to your office, make sure that this is communicated effectively. Ensure the message is clear, sent via the most effective channels, such as a newsletter, team meetings or e-mail and provide a channel through which your new employees can ask any questions that they might have.

Onboarding in a pandemic world

There are many considerations to have about onboarding in the current world of work. It is one that requires flexibility and being adaptable to change.

If you want to find out more about your approach to onboarding and whether there is anything you can do differently, please contact us by e-mailing hello@riselearninggroup.com.