Remote Onboarding: Keeping the Human Touch in a Hybrid World

We are living and working in a hybrid world.

The days of full-time office work, long commutes, and a company’s workforce needing to be in not only the same country, but the same physical space are long gone.

So with our modern ways of working, how can businesses ensure they are hiring the right people remotely? New hires need to feel a part of the community, and also align with the company’s mission, vision, and culture.

Becky Read, VP of People, Focal Point Positioning offers her insight.

Process, process, process

Remote onboarding has become the norm over the past few years, but to ensure this happens successfully, even with the hybrid virtual world we find ourselves in today, effective processes need to be in place.

Becky says: “Implementation of an ATS system before COVID significantly helped streamline our hiring processes. Over the last year, we now also offer a one-off, work from home allowance to provide employees with the opportunity to create their own comfortable setup.

“Whilst small perks can have an impact, it's the continual communication and opportunity to speak with various stakeholders across the business that make our remote onboarding a success."

Mission, vision and culture

When attracting new talent from both the UK and internationally, businesses need a USP in the candidate-driven market; a greater understanding of what sets them apart.

Becky says Focal Point’s vision is “To improve every positioning solution”, but as a business, Focal Point has its own internal goals as a company too.

“Our values are the pinnacle of what we stand for and we regularly remind our staff of our purpose. Whether it’s on Slack, in our company-wide State of the Nation meetings or in focus groups.

“When working for a startup, it’s imperative to discuss what culture means both at a strategic and operational level. At Focal Point, we keep it simple - giving people the flexibility and right tools to perform their role, supporting our staff and creating a working environment that they can thrive in and confidently speak up.

“A lot of our staff members were working flexibly before COVID. So for us, there were no major issues during the transition to online working."

Staying on top of wellbeing

“I think from a wellbeing perspective, especially in startups, ensure you're supporting people, ensure you're offering that flexibility and continually check-in with team members. Startups largely work in an agile manner and burnout can impact people and performance, if not monitored.

“During the pandemic, we transitioned from healthcare providers to Vitality Health. They are an innovative, wellbeing organisation that aligns well with Focal Point’s purpose. We set up an Employee Assistance Programme, offer full mental health cover, a core package and the dental/optician/hearing cover. This has been a significant success resulting in a +60% uptake from previous years."

Stay consistent 

“When it comes to hiring, how that all fits in, and how you grow in that culture, we've replicated a lot of our benefits in the UK across to Spain and the US as part of that model for fairness and consistency where we can,” Becky says.

This notion focuses on the sentiment that no matter where you or your colleagues are in the world, there is a feeling of cohesion, of unity - a feeling that Becky says herself and Focal Point fully stand behind.

She says: “Regardless of where you are in the world, yes, there are challenges of how to continue growing culture in the right way? How would you keep that fair across the board?

“There are always challenges and lessons to be learned, but that’s the great thing. Whilst our Executive Team are the drivers behind the change, our people are at the forefront and the recent implementation of our Culture and Comms Committee is a great way to have the right conversations to continue growing an engaging, positive culture.

“Irrespective of your size (startup or scaleup), an organisation should always have a clear vision. Your people are the spokes of a wheel and your leadership team acts as the rim that supports the operating function. At Focal Point, for us to achieve our vision and goals, our people are our biggest asset. We work together, gain feedback and continue to grow and develop in the right way to achieve success.”