Remote Onboarding - Candidate Perspective

Curious about the rise of remote onboarding? We talk to Grace Gold, who started her new role for a Dutch based fashion company – from her Manchester flat!

With remote onboarding becoming increasingly common, we sat down with Grace Gold, who started her role within a Customer Experience team for a popular European fashion brand totally virtually. We talked to her about the challenges and benefits of the process, and what advice she would give other candidates preparing to start their new role whilst working from home.

Hi Grace! Could you tell us a little about your role?

I have previously worked for the brand in many different sectors of the business, including retail and HR. My current role is as part of the UK customer experience team, directly communicating with customers to solve any issues they might have with their order. I have to come up with creative solutions to often complex problems, be a brand champion to ensure cohesive brand tone and surprise and delight customers, and assist in content creation for CRM and marketing. I’m currently stepping in as interim team leader, so my team management and leadership skills are more important than ever. We’re a fun and energetic brand who love incorporating unexpected and quirky content – its important for me to stay up to date on trends in the industry.

Were you apprehensive about virtual onboarding?

Yes, 100%! I was nervous that asking questions would be a lot more difficult, as you have to arrange a call or send an email rather than just asking the person sat next to you to help you with a quick problem. I understood that I would have to do a lot of independent learning as well. However, as I have worked in the head office before, I had a good understanding of the company culture – so I was less nervous about trying to fit in with my colleagues!

How did it go?

It went well – it was a continuous process. The first week we covered the basics, and the following weeks we tackled more complicate tasks. It was a slow-paced induction because of the complicated nature of the role, but this helped me fully understand what to do no matter what the situation. Regular catch-ups and team meetings helped me ask any questions I needed to.

What did you find helpful or useful?

I found that the formal presentations shown to us gave a good structure – they provided clearly written guides and databases for learning, so I always had something to refer back to. Also, I felt less overwhelmed, especially on my first day, as I was able to take regular breaks (perks of working from home!) instead of trying to acclimate to a new office environment.

Have you had any challenges?

Shadowing is important in my role – traditionally (pre-pandemic), the new starter would sit next to a more senior member of the team for a whole day to learn. However, this clearly wasn’t possible for me. It was manageable through use of video calls and emails, but naturally encouraged more independent learning which was quite daunting at the start.

Any tips for someone starting a new job virtually?

Thank you for those great insights Grace! Best of luck in your new position as a team leader!

Are you starting a new role virtually? Have you gone through a remote onboarding process before? We’d love to hear about your experiences!

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