Remote Onboarding in Facilities Management – Can You Hire Someone Without Meeting Them?

Remote onboarding in facilities management has become a new trend over the last few months. But is it feasible for your company? You’re recruiting candidates for FM positions in your organisation but remote or hybrid working means you can’t go through the usual steps to onboard new hires. Can you really bring someone new into facilities management without meeting them face-to-face?

Post-COVID, remote working is becoming the norm rather than the exception. With the right procedures in place, remote onboarding in facilities management can be done safely and effectively.

Use video interviews wisely

Technology has advanced to the point that video interviews can be executed effortlessly. In fact, the interview process shouldn’t be too different to meeting candidates face-to-face.

Did you know that if you choose to work with you, you get free access to our fantastic virtual interview platform, Catch 22 Connect. It enables you to view a shortlist of candidates by them answering a series of crucial questions on video. Alternatively, they can give a brief video introduction about themselves and their experience before you decide to interview them face to face.

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Get the setup ready

Start the process with a welcome email and find out what your new recruit needs in terms of equipment. Be ready to deal with the logistics around distanced deliveries and make sure all relevant documents are available before the formal onboarding process begins and after it finishes.

Create a personalised remote plan for remote onboarding in facilities management

It can be difficult to create a personal connection without a face-to-face meeting. But a personalised onboarding process can make new employees feel welcome and give the experience a personal touch.

The HR process should give your new team members insight into company culture and communication channels. Scheduling meetings and arranging calls can help them stay focused and avoid the stress and anxiety that they may be missing something important.

Set goals and expectations

Establishing some clear goals for the onboarding process can be invaluable. After all, you won’t have the opportunity for the informal check-ins that occur when working together in an office.

What do you expect your new hire to have achieved by the end of the first week or month? And how can those goals be measured? Be clear on your expectations and create channels for feedback to improve performance. Check-in after one or two weeks, then again at four to six weeks and again at the end of the trial period, typically 90 days to exchange feedback on the onboarding process.

Meet the team

Stepping into a new team can be daunting. But making connections when the team is working remotely can be much harder outside a traditional workplace environment with its opportunities for informal meet-ups or organised events.

Schedule some digital meet-and-greet time that allows the team to spend time with your new recruit. This could be a quick call or a regularly occurring social event. Assigning a virtual partner is a straightforward way to connect a new member to the team and create a channel for hints, questions and directions.

Don’t forget to schedule a virtual tour of the organisation so that your new hire is aware of the different technologies and platforms in use. And arrange an initial series of check-ins with teams, managers and PR so your new hire isn’t left feeling disconnected.

What’s the payoff of remote onboarding?

Remote onboarding may take effort but with the right attention to detail, your integration strategy should see your new recruits working at peak efficiency meaning FM professionals learn valuable new skills that make the entire process straightforward.

If you would like to get started with recruiting for your latest job openings, find more information here
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