一場突如其來的COVID-19疫情，使許多企業不得不改變日常的營運模式，在疫情之前少見的遠端工作，如今已成為職場新常態，同時也徹底改變了招募新員工、留任舊員工以及內部溝通的方式。

在這樣的遠端工作模式下，如何凝聚新進員工向心力是一項莫大的挑戰，以下是PERSOLKELLY提出的幾項建議：

規劃入職訓練

設計一個士氣十足的入職訓練能在一開始就幫助新進員工融入公司的文化、願景和使命。藉由訓練，他們可以避免因遠端工作而喪失和團隊主管以及同事建立溝通管道的機會。在報到時可以為他們分配入職導師或教練，這有助於在最短的時間內讓新進成員無痛接軌。

設立定期的視訊通話

雖然電子郵件是正式的溝通管道，但有時會因為片面的文字而造成誤解和給人一種冷淡的口吻、曲解原意。若改以視訊通話為主要的溝通方式，能使新進員工在收到訊息的第一時間，不再感到不知所措。視訊通話有助於良好的非文字交流，是無法面對面但又必須與新人溝通的首選。

接受意見回饋

為了讓新進員工有受到重視的感覺，定期的線上問卷能夠幫助企業獲得他們對於工作經驗、團隊運作、組織架構和改進之處的反饋。匿名模式也能鼓勵表達內心的真正想法，不必擔心會因此遭受批判甚至失去工作。這不僅有助於公司文化的建立，同時還能讓員工感受到工作的價值。

善用工作之餘的對話

少了線下共事和會議，新人們自我介紹的機會有時也因此受到限制。主管可以試著與新人保有工作之餘的對話，從中了解他們。設置時刻能夠順暢溝通的管道，鼓勵新進成員以彈性、開放的意見了解彼此，但切記不要侵犯個人隱私。

激勵新人

員工的積極度對於公司的成功至關重要。自主投入才會有團隊生產力和高效率，員工也會期待自己能為公司的目標貢獻一己之力。以下與您分享激勵新人的幾個方法：

• 入職歡迎禮
• 分配導師或工作夥伴
• 創新的鼓勵措施（例如：Netflix的免費會員）
• 持續給予建設性的反饋
• 線上團隊建立活動
• 每日彼此問候、確認進度
• 啟發性的鼓勵話語
• 舉辦線上派對或頒獎典禮
• 線上茶會
• 線上桌遊
• 電影放映
• 讀書會

認可新進員工的努力

大多數員工都相當重視是否得到團隊的認可和讚賞。像是頒發本月最佳員工、致電感謝或是發送祝賀信件都可以有效提高士氣。定期給予認同和鼓勵，會比等到季末或年末才頒獎更讓人感到被重視。別忘了，小細節往往可以決定人的感受。

注意非語言的交流

想像一下當我們感到迷茫卻害怕尋求協助時的狀態，新人們在遠端工作時可能要面對這種困境。因此，注意他們非語言的暗示是相當重要的。你有發現有員工在會議時格外安靜嗎？這可能意味著內部正發生紛歧，即時伸出援手了解彼此的困擾之處，適時給予新進成員協助。

舉辦娛樂活動

因為線上工作，工作與生活可能不再平衡。多數員工為了工作，可能許久未曾適當休息，這將嚴重影響心理健康進而使生產效率逐漸降低。這時舉辦像是線上派對、遊戲之夜或是線上電影等等的娛樂活動，不僅能重新提起精神，還可以讓員工感到備受重視。就像人們常說的：「休息是為了走更長遠的路。」

賦予新進員工決定權

公司經常需要花很長的時間來信任員工並且賦予員工決定權。員工需加倍付出才能獲得傾聽和信任，在遠端工作時，獲得信任又更加困難。給予機會讓員工表達想法、做出決定並提出觀點。當他們感到被重視並成為團隊中重要的一份子，將大大提高留在團隊中的可能。

事實證明，積極和敬業的員工更有效率，能按時完成並產出高質量的工作成果，他們也更有機會長期留在團隊中。除了線上研討會、線上會議和線上交流外，為您的新遠端團隊提供適當的溝通管道和支援至關重要。如此才可以加強團隊合作，並創造出有利於每個人的高效工作環境。因此，公司一開始就須積極與遠端的新進員工互動。如果在過程中遇到困難，建議可以尋求內部HR的協助，讓團隊的氣氛更和諧，績效更進步。

若您需要任何協助，歡迎與我們聯繫，PERSOLKELLY的亞太區人事方案，提供跨國招募、彈性工作方案FWS、全球專業雇主組織GPEO和人事顧問這四大服務，協助您建立強大的遠端人力。

HOW TO ENGAGE WITH NEWLY HIRED REMOTE EMPLOYEES?

The pandemic has completely changed how businesses operate. Remote work used to be a rare concept before the pandemic; but suddenly, all employees are forced to work from home. It completely revolutionised the way companies hire, retain and communicate with new and existing employees.

Here are the PERSOLKELLY recommended practices for engaging with newly hired employees in your company:

Plan an onboarding process

Designing a cohesive onboarding process helps employees align with the culture, vision, and mission of the organisation. During this process, they can build connections with their team members and superiors, something that is often missing during working remotely.  Checking in with the new employees and assigning them a mentor can help them become an integral part of the team right away. 

Set up regular video calls

While emails are the formal mode of communication, they are often misleading, cold and can distort the essence of the conversation. Instead of emails, making video calls the primary form of communication to ensure information does not get overwhelming for the new employees.

Video calls are a wonderful way to establish a personal connection with newly hired employees. While you cannot meet or connect online, video calls help with non-verbal communication and develop a connection with them.

Take feedback

To make new employees feel valued, conduct virtual surveys regularly to take feedback about their experience, team functioning, work roles and ideas for improvement. Build an anonymous questionnaire to encourage them to respond without the fear of being judged or terminated. These feedback forms will help strengthen the company culture and make employees feel valued.

Be available for outside-of-work conversations

Not seeing or meeting in person limits personal introduction. As managers, try to engage in non-work conversations with the newly hired employees and try to understand who they are. Create frequent touchpoints with them and encourage the idea of flexibility and openness to understand each other. Make sure not to overstep any boundaries and invade their personal space.

Motivate them

Employee motivation plays a key role in the success of a company. When employees are motivated, they put in their best work for the team and increase team productivity. They look forward to the work and contribute to the company’s success. Some great ways to motivate new employees are:

• Welcome gift hamper or goodies
• Assigning mentors or work friends
• Innovative incentives (like free Netflix subscription)
• Continuous constructive feedback
• Virtual team building activities
• Daily check-in
• Inspirational quotes
• Virtual dance or award parties
• Virtual breaks
• Online board games
• Team movie screening
• Book clubs

Recognise their efforts

Most employees have high regard for recognition and appreciation from their team members. Awards like employee of the month, thanking them on online calls, and sending a congratulatory email are all effective in boosting their morale. Recognise their work regularly instead of waiting till the end of the quarter or the year. It is all about trivial things.

Pay attention to non-verbal communication

Imagine feeling lost, but being afraid of asking for help. While working remotely, new employees might not be able to ask for help when they are stuck. Therefore, it is important to understand what they are not saying by paying attention to the non-verbal cues. Has an employee suddenly become quiet during meetings? This could be a sign that they are dealing with an internal struggle. Reach out and try to understand what is bothering them.

Organise recreational activities

With virtual work, work-life balance has taken a backseat. Most employees have been working for days without taking a proper break. This could be a serious blow to their mental health and productivity. Organise recreational activities like virtual parties, game nights or simply a virtual movie night. This will not only refresh them, but also make them feel valued. Some time off can go a long way!

Empower new employees

Companies often take time to trust new employees and enable them to make their own decisions. They must work extra hard to be heard and trusted. While working remotely, that trust is more difficult to come by. Therefore, it is important to empower new employees to pitch their ideas, make their decisions and put forward their points of view. When they feel valued and becoming an integral part of the team, they are more likely to stay with the organisation.

Motivated and engaged employees are proven to be more productive, meet deadlines and produce high-quality work. They are more likely to stay in the organisation for a long time. It is critical to have proper communication and support for your new remote team beyond just webinars, virtual conferencing, and online communication. Creating a meaningful connection for employees will strengthen collaboration and a productive work environment that benefits everyone. Therefore, it is important for companies to engage with newly hired remote employees right from the start. If companies experience any difficulty in engaging with them, perhaps it is good to seek HR advisory to address any the concern so that the whole team dynamic will be fully optimised.

Contact us at info_twk@persolkelly.com and we’re happy to help you build a strong remote workforce through our Regional Talent Solutions that provide services such as Borderless Recruitment, Flexible Workforce Solution (FWS), Global Professional Employer Organisation (GPEO) and HR Advisory.