17 Remote Onboarding Tips to Build a Connected Team
Remote onboarding presents unique challenges for building cohesive teams, but implementing effective strategies can transform the experience. Leading experts have shared seventeen practical tips that address everything from personal connections to structured roadmaps for new team members. These actionable recommendations focus on creating meaningful relationships and clear processes, ensuring remote employees feel valued and integrated from day one.
Personal Introductions and Founder Connection
One practice that has proven effective for remote employee onboarding is ensuring each new team member receives personal introductions to their colleagues. Additionally, we arrange a one-on-one meeting between new hires and a founder, where they learn about our company's origin story, history, mission, and vision. This personalized approach helps remote employees feel connected to both their immediate team and the broader company culture from day one. It creates a sense that they've been part of our journey from the beginning, which significantly improves integration and belonging.
Provide EOS Framework Before Day One
The company that I founded several decades ago and which has grown into College Recruiter job search site has been 100 percent remote since 1997, so we've learned a thing or two about recruiting, managing, and retaining remote workers.
A lot of small businesses, including College Recruiter, use the Entrepreneurs' Operating System (EOS) as a framework for managing our people, running meetings, setting goals, etc. There are a number of books and other publications about EOS, but the gold standard remains, "Traction: How to Get a Grip On Your Business". Some of the people we've hired were already well familiar with EOS, others not at all. We've found it to be very important to the successful onboarding of a new employee to get them a copy of the book in advance of their start date, so they can read through it before they start or within the first few days.
EOS is all about accountability, primarily in the carrot and not the stick sense. For example, before each quarter, the employee sets measurable, attainable goals ("rocks") with their manager. Every week during the quarter, the employee tells their manager and other team members whether they are on or off track to accomplish that goal. If they are, they all know that the employee is performing at least up to expectations. If they are not, the employee and manager have the opportunity to take corrective action.
Schedule Regular, Intentional Virtual Check-ins
Scheduling regular, intentional check-ins with new remote employees is essential for successful onboarding in today's hybrid work environment. When transitioning to remote management, I found that being proactive about understanding employee needs and creating structured touchpoints helped team members feel connected despite physical distance. This approach requires managers to be deliberate about fostering relationships rather than relying on the casual interactions that happen naturally in office settings. By prioritizing these virtual connections, new employees can better integrate into the company culture and feel welcomed from day one.
Send Personalized Welcome Kits With Essentials
We start every onboarding with a personalized welcome kit that includes all the essentials and a personal message from the leadership team. This gesture creates an immediate sense of warmth and belonging. It shows new hires that they are joining a thoughtful environment rather than just another company. We have seen how such small details can leave a deep emotional impact, helping new employees feel appreciated from day one.
In remote settings where face-to-face connection is missing tangible gestures hold even more meaning. A personalized message or thoughtful item reminds new hires they are seen and valued. It turns a simple introduction into a sincere invitation to belong. These moments set the tone for collaboration helping new team members feel connected and ready to contribute meaningfully.
Create Role-Specific Onboarding Playbooks
I recommend providing each new remote employee with a tailored onboarding playbook specific to their role. This comprehensive guide gives remote team members clear expectations and resources they need to navigate their first weeks without the benefit of in-person guidance. When I implemented this approach, we found that new hires could progress through training at their own pace while still having a structured framework to follow, significantly improving their integration into the team.
Design Cross-Functional Projects for Team Integration
Create structured 30-60-90 day milestone projects that force cross-functional collaboration with multiple team members. When we onboarded a remote marketing analyst, her first project required gathering input from our content team, sales operations, and client success—ensuring she built relationships across departments rather than working in isolation.The project wasn't busy work; it was an actual strategic analysis we needed that gave her meaningful contribution opportunities while naturally introducing her to key stakeholders. She scheduled meetings, asked questions, and delivered value while simultaneously understanding how different teams operate and how her role connects to broader company objectives.This approach accelerated both skill development and relationship building. Remote employees with structured collaborative projects reported 45% higher confidence in their role clarity and team connections compared to those with standard task-based onboarding.
Connect With People Beyond Company Procedures
When we have a new colleague join our remote team at Legacy Online School, above all else, we want them to feel like they are joining people, not a company.
We always take a few moments on day one to just chat - not about work but about life. "Where are you calling from?" "What is something that has made you happy lately?" Having those small conversations creates far more connection than any manual or training.
We also share a few straightforward things: a funny team video, a playlist. I may even send a quick voice note saying how happy I am they are joining us. It's not about being polished, it's about being warm.
Years ago, when I started working remotely, I hold a memory of the moment when I first felt like part of the team. Someone sent me a random meme and said, "You need to see this." It sounds silly and asinine, even, but that small bit of laughter broke the barrier of distance created from telecommuting.
If there is anything I have learned, it is this: people do not remember if the onboarding process was flawless. People will remember how they felt on day one.
Assign Culture Buddy for Unwritten Rules
Assign a dedicated "culture buddy" separate from their direct manager—someone who can answer the informal questions new hires hesitate to ask their boss. When we brought on a remote content strategist, her buddy explained unwritten team norms like when people actually read Slack versus when they're just marked as online, or that our Friday meetings always run 15 minutes over because the team naturally transitions into casual conversation.That informal guidance made her feel genuinely connected within weeks instead of spending months decoding workplace dynamics. She told me later that knowing she could ask clarifying questions without judgment—like whether video was expected on internal calls or if the CEO's direct communication style meant she'd done something wrong—eliminated the isolation that typically comes with remote work.The investment is minimal but the impact is substantial. New remote employees who had culture buddies reported feeling integrated into the team 60% faster than those who only had manager check-ins.
Document All Processes With Visual Resources
The biggest mistake I see with remote teams is undertraining and underutilizing new hires — and then being frustrated when performance doesn't match expectations. Remote employees can't absorb culture or workflow by osmosis; everything has to be intentional.
The key is structure and documentation. Every process should be captured in writing, supported with videos, walkthroughs, or screen-share tutorials that show how things actually get done. Pair that with visual roadmaps or checklists so new hires can see where they fit in and how their work contributes to the larger picture. This gives them confidence and reduces that feeling of "guessing" their way through the first few weeks. We worked with our first remote closely, and they developed these materials for us.
Equally important, tasks must be assigned clearly. In a remote setting, ambiguity kills momentum. People need to know what's expected, when it's due, and who to go to with questions.
Finally, make onboarding feel personal — schedule regular check-ins, introduce them to teammates beyond their immediate tasks, and give them an early win to build momentum. When training, documentation, and engagement are all done right, remote employees don't just adapt — they thrive and become some of your most self-sufficient, high-performing team members.
Assign Small Projects For Early Code
The first two days of remote engineer onboarding should begin with assigning them to perform a small actual project. The team achieves faster connection through early production code deployment than any Zoom introduction could provide even though the task remains simple such as UI component updates or unit testing.
The first week of my remote team experience became more welcoming when someone explained the deployment pipeline and branching strategy to me. The team provided me with essential work context through this process while demonstrating their belief in my ability to contribute beyond passive observation.
Use Profile Pictures With Organizational Charts
One basic step that can be a lot harder with remote onboarding is connecting names to faces. This is why I'm a big believer in using profile pictures and other signifiers within communication platforms. It makes it much easier for new hires to jump into the conversation. Combine that with an org chart (also with pictures) and a mentor to answer questions.
Send Heartfelt Voice Messages of Welcome
The simple gesture of sending a heartfelt five-minute voice note about their welcome made a substantial impact on me. The message contained genuine warmth instead of following a robotic checklist format and the speaker's smile became audible through their voice.
I make it a point to establish genuine human connections with new team members through spontaneous unstructured greetings. The welcome process extends beyond formal documents because it requires actual human interaction to establish meaningful connections. The emotional connection serves as a vital lifeline for remote workers to establish a sense of belonging.
Balance Real-Time Conversations With Independent Work
Find a way to balance real-time communicating with them and individual work on their end. It can be a lot for even the most extroverted to deal with having to Zoom with someone the entire day while onboarding, and similarly it can be difficult to not talk to anyone and all and feel like you have to figure everything out on your own. So, you need a mix of the two. Communication via video chat is important especially for making new hires feel welcomed and integrated, but independent work is also important for giving them the space to get comfortable on their own.
Provide Structured Roadmap With Department Meetings
For a remote workforce, effective onboarding begins with clarity and connection. It's not tools, but a context that they most need. I've found that presenting new hires with a STRUCTURED ROADMAP for the first 30 days along with specific outcomes, milestones and an easy-to-understand introduction to our brand voice really empowers them in their initial transition. It minimizes uncertainty for them and helps deepen the understanding of how their work contributes to bigger things. I also make sure that in the first two weeks, I focus time on one-on-one meetings with each head of department so they are able to create connections beyond their immediate team.
In one of my remote leadership role, a personal welcome meeting was prepared for me by my direct report with her team, where they shared with me their current struggles and aspirations, not only introducing themselves. It humanized the experience and presented me with a real picture of the culture. That gave me an idea for how I could pay it forward in future hires — prompting managers to introduce their team members with a real story and a win or two as opposed to having them recite bios. From doing that, I've observed a speedier integration and better cross-team working. New hires will not only learn what to do, but also why we do it.
Implement Story Circle Tradition
One effective approach we've implemented for remote employee onboarding is our "Story Circle" tradition during a new hire's first week. Team members share personal stories about their company journey, including their reasons for joining, initial challenges they faced, and what they appreciate most about our culture. This tradition helps new remote employees understand the human side of our organization and creates meaningful connections despite the physical distance. I found this experience particularly valuable as it helped me quickly develop a sense of belonging and understand the company's values through authentic personal narratives.
Be Intentional With Remote Face-Time
As someone with a hybrid workplace, what I've learned is that in order for remote employees to feel equally as integrated as in-person employees, sometimes you have to do a little bit more. The onboarding process might take slightly longer simply because of logistics, so plan for that. Make sure to be very intentional about allowing remote hires to meet their team "face-to-face" via video chat. Check in with them regularly.
Pair New Hires With Cross-Department Buddies
One onboarding tip that's worked really well for our remote employees is assigning them a "buddy" from a different department during their first week. When we first tried this at Tecknotrove, the idea was to help new hires feel connected beyond their immediate team. What surprised me was how quickly it built cross-functional understanding and comfort.
The buddy doesn't just help with formal introductions but also shares small cultural cues — like how we communicate, the tone we use in meetings, or the unwritten rules that make work smoother. This makes the new hire feel included faster and helps them grasp the company culture organically.
When I joined remotely myself, what helped me feel most welcome was when a senior teammate took time to walk me through how our simulators tie into real-world applications. That small gesture made me feel part of something bigger from day one. It taught me that onboarding isn't about documents or checklists, it's about creating personal connections that make someone feel seen and valued.
