Now, more than ever, companies have a need for successfully onboarding employees, but the process of onboarding new employees can be a challenge for any organization.
It’s important to ensure that new hires feel welcomed, engaged, and prepared to hit the ground running. One way to support a successful on-boarding experience is through the use of employee on-boarding kits.
An employee on-boarding kit is a collection of materials, tools, and resources provided to new employees during their first few days or weeks on the job. These kits can include everything from company swag to informational handouts to training materials. They are designed to help new employees get up to speed quickly, and to feel like they are part of the team.
Remote employees specifically create challenges of making them feel like part of a team, so a great onboarding kit can help them connect to a company’s goals, mission, vision, and culture.
Here are some Best Practices for Onboarding Kits for Remote vs. On-Site Employees
Remote Employees:
- Include a welcome letter from the company’s leadership team that outlines the company’s values, mission, and culture. You can have a set of challenge coins or acrylic paperweight that will sit on their desk and remind them of the company’s core tennants.
- Provide a detailed orientation packet that includes information about the company’s history, structure, and goals. The orientation packet can be incorporated into a full color folder, binder system that can have extra pages added or removed depending on the person’s position in the company.
- Schedule virtual meetings with key team members so they can get to know each other and feel more connected. Provide a branded journal or planner with a nice pen, so employees can keep track of their meetings and notes.
- Provide a gift card to door dash, or other delivery service, so they can treat themselves to a meal or coffee while they work from home. You can also provide branded utensils and lunch coolers so remote employees can take their food with them while they are working at a co-working location, or while not at home.
- Show employees you care about their health with a nice water bottle, exercise bands, or a yoga mat.
- Employees typically also need technology as part of their job. IT will typically send out a laptop for the employee, and you can add branded chargers, USB drives, headphones/earbuds, camera covers, phone stands, and bluetooth speakers. These branded items remain on the employee’s desk and help them feel like part of a larger organization.
- Company apparel can also help employees that are being onboarded feel like they are now part of the company culture. This also allows new employees to show off their employeement status while outside of work hours. T-shirts, hats, polos, hoodies, or even workout / athleisure apparel are all great options for remote employee onboarding kits.
On-Site Employees:
- The same desk paperweight or challenge coins work great for on-site employees as a reminder of your company’s mission, culture, and values.
- Provide a detailed orientation packet that includes information about the company’s history, structure, and goals. The orientation packet can be incorporated into a full color folder, binder system that can have extra pages added or removed depending on the person’s position in the company.
- We recommend individualizing drinkware for on-site employees. If everyone is bringing a water tumbler or coffee cup with the same logo, they may lose them quickly, or they will not feel as special. A drinkware item with the employee’s name laser engraved can help the employee feel appreciated and part of the team.
- Provide a list of local restaurants in a “local guide” so new employees can find easy to access restaurants. For employees looking to bring their own food, provide a branded bento box or lunch cooler with straw and utensils.
- For on-site employees, a map of the facility or campus can be provided as a print out for their desk, or if your company has a full campus, you can print the map out on a full color bandana or drinkware item.
- Provide branded name badges, badge reels, and desk/office name plates for new employees.
- The same remote tech options will be needed for on-site employees as well. USB drives, camera covers, phone stands, and chargers are all great options to surround your employees in the company’s brand and culture.
- Company apparel is also important for on-site employees. More professional attire can include polos, button downs, cardigans, blouses, and blazers, all with the company brand. Adding casual options allow your employees to represent your company while at home, at sporting events, or on vacation.
At Action Plus Ideas, we specialize in creating customized onboarding materials that are tailored to meet the needs of your unique organization. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you create a successful onboarding experience for your new employees.