Job Seeker Love Letter from “Reluctantly Remote”
Dear Liz,
I just accepted a job offer and will need to start working from home since everyone works remotely right now.
I suppose I will get training via Zoom or Microsoft Teams, but it's uncharted territory for me and I’m nervous about it. How does it work nowadays for new hires getting training and not being able to meet your new manager and coworkers in the office? Do you have any advice for managing this transition?
Sincerely,
Reluctantly Remote
***
Dear Reluctantly Remote,
Thanks for your question. Indeed, remote onboarding is uncharted territory for most everyone -- and it's perfectly normal to be nervous about it.
Starting a new job is already anxiety provoking. You want to make a great first impression, build strong relationships with your new coworkers, and get the training and guidance you need to do the work you were hired to do. On top of this, you want to enjoy your new role!
Joining a fully remote team complicates each of these goals. There’s no standard or perfect process for onboarding from a distance during normal times, let alone during the current global pandemic.
That said, there are some steps you can take to make sure that you have the best experience possible.
1. Ask about the company's plan for remote onboarding during the interview.
The company’s response to this question could provide a roadmap for your onboarding process and ease some of your anxieties.
It could also inform whether this is a company you really want to work for -- if they're thinking ahead and have developed a remote process for new hires, you know you'll be in good hands, whereas if your interview throws their hands up in the air and says "we'll figure it out as we go," you can assume the transition may be a little rockier and up to you to manage.
2. Develop an Onboarding Plan with your new manager.
Your manager may present you with a plan or you may have to engage them to build it with you. Either way, you’ll want to develop a strong Onboarding Plan before you start your new role or within your first week on the job (don’t wait until you’ve been twiddling your thumbs at home for a few weeks to get the direction you need).
A strong Onboarding Plan includes:
A list of key stakeholders you'll need to work with in your role and when/how you should meet each of them
A list of any tools or internal systems you need to learn in order to be successful in your job -- and who to contact with questions for each one
A list of documents and resources you need to review or own
Any trainings you need to schedule or attend
The dates, times, and participants of all standing meetings
Most importantly, details regarding each of your responsibilities and the results expected of you in your first 30, 60, and 90 days on the job.
3. Kick off strong with your new manager.
While building your Onboarding Plan, schedule weekly 1:1 video check-ins with your manager, or even twice-weekly meetings for the first few weeks, to make sure you're onboarding as effectively as possible and getting the support you need.
It is also wise to have an open conversation about communication preferences -- in particular remote work communication preferences:
How and when does your manager want to communicate between meetings?
What communications or reports do they expect from you on a regular basis?
How and when do they want you to reach out for help if you get stuck?
What is your manager’s situation or setup while working from home and is there anything you need to be aware of to help set them up for success (e.g. any time windows that are off limits, a need to stay flexible and reschedule last minute because of kids at home, etc.?)
4. Get to know your coworkers -- remotely. :)
You won't be bumping into your new colleagues around the office, but you can schedule 30-minute Zoom "coffee dates" or phone calls to get to know them.
Use the time to ask about their background, their role, why they joined the company, and how you'll be working together. Similar to the conversation with your manager, you can ask about their communication preferences while working remotely, how their family is faring in the face of COVID-19, and if there’s anything you can do in the context of your role to make their lives easier.
Mostly, you want your colleagues to leave these conversations excited to work with you. If you show up as warm, interested, and respectful of their availability and stress during this difficult time, you'll be set up for a strong working relationship (and hopefully some new friends, too!).
5. Become your own “Office Manager”
If you haven’t worked remotely before, it can be a challenging transition. You have to do more than just do your job -- you have to create the conditions that will allow you to do your job well.
Some of these conditions are administrative and technical, such as:
Where (physically) will you be able to get your best work done every day?
What resources do you need (e.g. desk, computer, printer, or other materials), and will your new employer cover the cost of any of those resources?
Where will you set up for video calls (ideally with a clean and professional background and minimal background noise)?
Where will you store work-related receipts for tax season or employer reimbursements?
You also need to set yourself up mentally and emotionally for working on your own:
What kind of structure or schedule will set you up to be most productive?
What boundaries will you set with your manager and colleagues so that you leave work “at the office” and resist falling into the “always-on” work from home trap?
What self-care, social, or mental-health routines will you pencil into your day to fuel your tank and prevent burn out?
When you’re a member of an office, many of the above are handed to you. But as the new Office Manager, you get to take the reins and craft the work life and work space that best fit you.
6. Don't expect perfection (from yourself or anyone).
Again, starting a new job is an anxiety-provoking experience even when there isn't a global pandemic. I typically advise my clients to expect a 60-day bumpy transition period as they settle into any new role.
In the face of COVID-19, the transition may very well take longer. Priorities and constraints are constantly shifting, which you and your colleagues will continue to be affected in unanticipated ways at work and at home.
So give it time, and don't expect perfection. Give everyone (including yourself) a nice long leash and assume that everyone is doing their best. Do what you can to fulfill the 30, 60 and 90-day goals that you and your manager set out in your initial Onboarding Plan. Communicate openly about your needs and fears, ask for help when you need it, and learn your way forward. Stay warm, interested, and respectful. Things will start to settle and make sense over time.
If you follow all of the above, you’ll have done what you can to set yourself up for the best transition possible -- and hopefully the start of a long and happy adventure in your new role.
If you've started a new job remotely recently or in the past, what other tips or strategies have been helpful to you?
Or what other questions do you have about starting a new job or working remotely today?
Please chime in via the comments -- your guidance and stories will be helpful to me and others!