How to onboard a remote hire

@principal.name's first day is approaching fast. Here's what to do in the week before their start date to set them up for success in a remote role. 

Send them a personal welcome note

Email @principal.name to let them know you’re looking forward to having them join the team! 

Here's a sample email:

Hi @principal.name, I'm excited to have you start next week. On your first day, we'll be meeting over Zoom for a general catch up and to go through your 60-day plan. You'll see it on your calendar for 10am. I've also organized a virtual team lunch! 

Throughout your first week I've arranged for you to meet with several people, including: [Name of person, role, team, and time of meeting] 

We can't wait for you to start! Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Otherwise, we'll see you on [Monday].

Ensure you have their 60-day onboarding plan completed

You've already received a Pyn with information on how to fill out @principal.name's 60-day onboarding plan. Make sure this plan is ready on their first day!

One of the most important components to include is a clear first project. You should outline what they are responsible for and the ideal outcome. It should be a project that helps the new hire get acquainted with the company, and provides a feeling of accomplishment at the same time.

It's also helpful for you to send a first week schedule (get our template here) with concrete details about their first week of work. It’s great to share with employees who may not have access to their calendars right away.

Set up one-on-one’s for their first week

• First Day 1-1: Schedule a one-hour meeting with @principal.name on their first day. This should be a time to welcome them and to share their 60-day plan.
• End-of-week 1-1: Check in on how their first week is going, and continue the conversation around their 60-day plan. 

Pick a few people @principal.name should meet with and/or find them a buddy

As referenced in your pre-start email to your new hire, you'll need to line up some colleagues for them to meet with. Reach out to a few teammates or cross-department collaborators and ask them to set up a meeting with your new hire via video chat in their first few weeks. 

⚠️ Pyn note to HR: If you have an onboarding buddy program, reference that here for managers. 

Inform your team and relevant stakeholders

Send an email to your team and relevant stakeholders a few days out with a quick message to inform them of your new hire's upcoming first day. Your new hire might also want to send their User Manual out with this email. User Manuals (template available here) help the team get to know their new hire and understand the conditions they need to do their best work.

Hi all, I'm excited to have @principal.name start on [day of the week] as our new [position of new starter]. Thanks in advance for helping them feel welcome! I'm sure they would appreciate you reaching out in their first week to say hello and share some of your knowledge. Thank you!