New Advice for Onboarding and Managing Remote Employees

Managing is hard. Managing remote teams might be even harder. That’s where Stephanie Reitz, MBA-HRM, SHRM-SCP, comes in. The client services director at myHR Partner, which has been recognized as a ‘Human Resources’ Power Partner by Inc. magazine, has recommendations for entrepreneurs who are navigating this ever-changing landscape.

Connecticut Innovations: Let’s start at the beginning: You’ve hired a remote employee and now it’s time to onboard them. How important is that process to the employee’s overall experience?

Stephanie Reitz: It’s critical, and here’s why: If you lack a structured and welcoming onboarding process, your employee may feel lost, unprepared to start their job and unsupported. Remote employees face greater challenges than their in-office counterparts because they lack immediate access to colleagues, spontaneous guidance and the ability to absorb company culture organically. This can lead to frustration and, potentially, resignation. Replacing an employee after a resignation is a time-consuming and challenging process, often taking weeks or months to find the right fit. The organization must invest in sourcing, interviewing and onboarding a new hire, all while managing workload gaps and potential productivity declines. Remember that onboarding is important because it is the first impression an employee gets of the company’s culture and values, as well as the expectations you have for their role. Done well, onboarding can set the tone for a successful, long-term relationship between the employee and the organization.

CI: Are there best practices for onboarding a remote employee?

Stephanie Reitz: Yes. Many people believe that onboarding starts on an employee’s first day, but it really starts before that. Because of this, planning and preparation are key. First and foremost, you want new employees to feel welcome. Sending a gift is a nice touch—you can include company swag if you have it, along with a note welcoming them to the team. You also want your new employee to feel informed. Considering that a remote hire won’t have the benefit of in-person interactions, set them up for success by providing their first-day schedule in advance. Having a well-organized library of resources ready and accessible from day one is also a great idea as it will ensure they have what they need to start strong. Just be sure to clearly communicate what those assets are for and how they’ll help the new employee as they acclimate to the company and to their role.

CI: What else can a company do before the remote employee’s first day?

Stephanie Reitz: Besides sending a welcome package and preparing resources, take the time to plan an onboarding schedule well before the first day. Include tasks, expectations, trainings and meetings with key staff members. Letting the new hire know what to expect can go a long way toward lessening any new-job anxiety they might be experiencing. It also shows that the company is invested in their success. Another nice touch is having the new hire’s manager set up a video call to welcome the employee to the team and answer any pre-first-day questions. Making sure someone is available to support the employee is crucial. Let them know who to go to with questions if it’s not their manager. Finally, make sure any required documentation and systems access are in place before they start. It’s frustrating for a new employee, especially one who is remote, to hit a snag in their deliverables because they don’t have access to the tools or information they need to do their work.

Assigning a mentor or buddy to a new remote employee is also helpful in integrating that employee into the culture of the organization. A mentor or buddy can provide support in a number of ways, such as sharing institutional knowledge, offering guidance and generally making the new employee feel more at ease because they have someone to lean on.

CI: What else can you do to get a remote employee up to speed quickly?

Stephanie Reitz: The first days and weeks for a new remote employee are the “first impression” of the company, culture and staff. Ideally, you will provide a comprehensive orientation via a video meeting that covers an overview of the company, including its mission, vision, core values, organizational chart, key policies and procedures, and benefits. You can also review the job description, introduce key staff members or convey any other information you deem important. As I mentioned, ensuring that the new employee has everything they need on the technical side is also important. Take the time to walk them through their setup and help them troubleshoot any issues that may arise.

Another tip I have is to make sure that job training is planned out and delivered by the appropriate people. Ensuring the new employee is given the proper tools and job knowledge is key in the first weeks of onboarding. Best-case scenario is that individual one-on-one meetings with team members and a mentor or buddy have already been scheduled. Assigning a mentor or buddy to a new remote employee is also helpful in integrating that employee into the culture of the organization. A mentor or buddy can provide support in a number of ways, such as sharing institutional knowledge, offering guidance and generally making the new employee feel more at ease because they have someone to lean on. A new-hire mentor or buddy should meet with the employee at least once a week during the first few months. Regular check-ins foster engagement, accelerate learning, reduce feelings of isolation—especially for remote employees—and improve overall job satisfaction and retention.

CI: Is the employee considered onboarded after the first few weeks?

Stephanie Reitz: No, and that’s a common misconception. Onboarding doesn’t stop after the first week or even the first few weeks. Managers should regularly check in on new employees after the first week. Human resources or other key staff members should also check in regularly to keep the lines of communication open, gain feedback, answer questions and stay ahead of any potential challenges. Investing time in a thorough onboarding process ensures new hires have a positive experience, fosters long-term commitment to the company and sets them up for lasting success.

CI: Many people who support remote work also believe that nothing beats face-to-face interaction. For that reason, is it necessary to hold meetings in person once in awhile?

Stephanie Reitz: Yes. Holding in-person meetings for remote teams can be beneficial. In-person time encourages teamwork, strengthens relationships, boosts morale and ultimately fosters deeper connections among team members. The frequency depends on a company’s culture, size, geographic factors and the financial feasibility. Depending on the logistics, companies may hold meetings quarterly, semi-annually or annually. If you organize an in-person meeting, it is important to communicate the expectations and value of these meetings to staff ahead of the event.

CI: How do you keep remote employees engaged?

Stephanie Reitz: Communication. Having transparent processes is key. Chat platforms like Teams, Slack and the like are great for collaborating and holding informal check-ins. Keep those lines of communication open to solicit ongoing feedback. Remember, when employees feel heard, they feel valued. And feeling valued improves motivation, engagement and overall job satisfaction.

Another great way to engage remote employees if you’re not going to hold in-person meetings, or as a way to stay in touch in between those meetings, is to hold fun virtual team-building activities. You could host a virtual escape room, trivia or something similar.

Offering learning and development opportunities for remote employees is another way to engage them. It’s also a wonderful way to invest in their growth and drive the business forward. When employees are given learning and growth opportunities, they can see the investment the company makes in them. That goes a long way toward helping them feel engaged and seeing a path forward within the company.

Finally, employee recognition programs are great for employee engagement, especially when you have remote teams. These can be peer to peer or manager to peer or any other configuration. I like these tools, because when an employee feels valued, they’re happy, and when they’re happy, they’re engaged. For many employees, feeling valued is just as important—if not more—than salary and title. Competitive compensation matters, but without a sense of purpose and recognition, employees may feel disengaged and seek opportunities elsewhere.

CI: How do you ensure effective collaboration with remote employees?

Stephanie Reitz: Using the right tools is important. I mentioned that chat platforms like Teams and Slack are great for collaborating. For strengthening personal and professional connections and avoiding miscommunications, video meetings are ideal. For document collaboration and project management, tools like Google Docs, SharePoint, Asana, Trello, etc. can be very effective and a great way to collaborate remotely.

To manage remote teams, you must adapt traditional management practices to a virtual environment. A proactive and empathetic leadership style where employees feel supported, appreciated and heard will ensure remote teams remain motivated and productive. Above all else, establishing and communicating a collaborative culture will build a cohesive and connected team.

CI: Any other tips for managing remote employees?

Stephanie Reitz: Set expectations. Make sure to clearly communicate your business hours, your expectations for response times, tools and your out-of-office protocols. It’s also important to set clear video meeting expectations, including appearing on camera to enhance connection, maintaining a professional presence and ensuring appropriate backgrounds, and your expectations around engagement.

CI: What’s the one mistake you see people make most often while working with remote teams?

Stephanie Reitz: I have two, actually. One: Lack of communication, which can negatively affect employee engagement, morale and productivity. Make sure you’re communicating well and often. Two: Micromanaging. Don’t do it. It opens the door to distrust and can easily lead to disengagement.

CI: Is it true that it’s harder for remote employees to advance?

Stephanie Reitz: In-office employees may have more opportunities for spontaneous conversations, face-to-face networking and direct mentorship, all of which can contribute to career growth. However, this doesn’t mean remote employees can’t advance—it just requires more intentional effort to stay visible, communicate accomplishments and build relationships within the organization. Companies that prioritize equitable evaluation criteria, focus on results rather than presence and create structured growth opportunities for all employees can help mitigate this bias.

CI: Any other advice for our audience of entrepreneurs?

Stephanie Reitz: To manage remote teams, you must adapt traditional management practices to a virtual environment. A proactive and empathetic leadership style where employees feel supported, appreciated and heard will ensure remote teams remain motivated and productive. Above all else, establishing and communicating a collaborative culture will build a cohesive and connected team.

CI: Thank you, Stephanie.

Stephanie Reitz: Thank you for the opportunity!

MyHR Partner, Inc., is a human resources outsourcing firm committed to making professional HR services and strategies accessible to small and mid-sized organizations, private foundations and nonprofits nationwide. Learn more at myhrpartnerinc.com.

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