It will soon be a year since new recruits, managers and junior staff alike, integrated their new organizations in "remote" mode, and given the recent measures for 16 departments, there's every chance that this will continue!
Onboarding is all about getting new recruits to integrate into an organizational culture. This integration is crucial to the newcomer's success, which is the culmination of the recruitment process. How many failures are due to a botched induction! This is already a challenge in "normal" times, so in times of health crisis, imagine how difficult it is to guarantee a smooth and successful integration!

We can see from the testimonies of professionals who have just taken up their duties that the subject is a sensitive one. A few weeks after taking up a telecommuting post, one of them mentions " the difficulty of finding my place in the team, of knowing where I'm expected, when everyone is already busy with their own missions ", while another stresses " the complexity of fetching information without being able to move from office to office, and the discomfort of contacting my new colleagues directly if it's not urgent ".

First and foremost, we need to avoid isolating the new employee, after having extolled so much during the recruitment process about your organization and your team. I think recruiters are well aware of this, at least we are at Yourvoice. We keep in touch with our recruits throughout the first year of their integration. But this is not the case everywhere: according to a 2019 People Onboard study, more than 65% of companies have still not created an induction process, and only 46% of executives feel they have had a real induction course, according to a 2019 Cadremploi study. What's more, 1 in 3 executives has already resigned following a poor integration, and all the more so among 15-24 year-olds, among whom 46% of permanent contracts last less than a year (DARES, 2015).

Over the past year, the situation of social distancing has amplified these risks, particularly in companies that were not sufficiently prepared, either through lack of resources or lack of attention. We can legitimately assume that the current context will lead managers and HR to take the matter seriously, and to encourage intelligent and skilful use of digital tools.

A few tips and best practices
Communicating the date of arrival, the position and the scope of responsibilities in advance of an arrival already helps to avoid misunderstandings within a team. Today, and this is still possible, a physical pre-appointment meeting between the future employee and members of the team in a friendly atmosphere will enable him or her to project him or herself, and regular contacts before arrival will provide information before taking up the post. Communication needs to be reinforced when working remotely, to present the roles of each person, but also to encourage assimilation of the company's culture, and even discovery of the job.

We are currently observing with interest the emergence of good practices such as the introduction of a systematic "welcome pack" (which may contain a presentation of the organization, the teams and everyone's role, as well as administrative details and information on the use of internal tools, the calendar of meetings, etc.), end-of-day calls, but some go even further with the delivery of home packages including accessories recommended for telecommuting, such as a computer booster seat.), end-of-day calls, but some go even further with home delivery of packages including accessories recommended for teleworking, such as a computer booster seat, and in which personalized messages from team members can also be slipped.
We can even go one step further by introducing informal rituals to forge links between professionals, organizing daily or weekly virtual cafés, or even e-apéros at the end of the week. These techniques, which have been tested and approved internally within the firm, help to foster convivial exchanges, even at a distance!

Another concrete proposal, according to a 2019 HBR study, the implementation of a mentoring system in the integration process is a satisfaction criterion highlighted by 23% of new arrivals. It's easier to get to grips with a new environment when accompanied by someone who can act as a coach and mentor, as well as a direct contact in the event of difficulties.

An executive recruited at the beginning of the year explains that although his organization has put in place a restrictive work schedule, " with lots of calls during the week with my manager, and video lunches at lunchtime, this is necessary when you are 100% teleworking. I also benefited from a tutoring system they set up when I arrived, which made me feel supported and enabled me to quickly make contact with my colleagues. "

The key to successful integration, especially at a distance, is to ensure follow-up over several months. It may be a good idea to carry out a satisfaction survey among new employees, or to ask them for a report on their state of mind. This could provide valuable feedback and identify areas for improvement in the HR process.
Finally, a word of advice for newcomers to teleworking: it's important to go out and "meet" members of your organization to gather information, but also to dare to call directly if you need to. While this year has seen a substantial influx of e-mail exchanges, this mode of communication remains impersonal, even cold, not least because of the lack of attention paid to the form of messages. It's vital for everyone to continue to give priority to human contact, and to pick up the phone!

Alice David