How Remote Onboarding Can Help Your New Hires
Georg Beyschlag, President Americas at TeamViewer.
While the way we work continues to evolve, it’s clear by now the concept of remote work is here to stay. And employees seem to like working from home, with more than 70% of people who work remotely noting improvement in their mental health, work-life balance and personal well-being. With that, effective remote onboarding has become a critical factor in business success. Luckily, there are technologies for remote onboarding that go beyond just video conferencing, such as augmented reality (AR) and secure access solutions that help experts train employees from anywhere in the world.
In general, companies with effective onboarding see 2.5 times the profit growth than those that don’t, and have up to an 82% higher retention rate. However, great onboarding practices and remote work don’t always go hand in hand. The lack of in-person interactions and face-to-face relationship building can quickly lead to feelings of disconnection, both personally and technologically.
The Challenges
The main challenge of organizations onboarding remotely can be summed up in one question: How do you effectively integrate new employees who may never step foot in your physical office? Traditional onboarding methods include ad hoc desk visits, in-person training sessions, team building, chatting with colleagues at lunchtime, etc. For those working remotely, these practices have been replaced by digital alternatives aimed at delivering the same results.
On average, it takes around three months for a new worker to be fully onboarded and operating independently. Furthermore, with nearly half of U.S. organizations reporting lower salary budgets than the previous year, managers are under pressure to get new hires up to speed as quickly as possible, with less resources—time is truly of the essence.
Technical challenges can significantly extend this timeline, with new hires losing productivity and momentum when they encounter IT issues they can’t easily resolve in a remote environment.
The Key Elements
Successful remote onboarding strategies combine technology, human connection and comprehensive training. Having a secure remote access and support solution is key to ensuring new employees can access necessary files, applications, company systems and training materials in just a few clicks. Organizations should implement comprehensive assistance programs that include virtual mentorship and remote technical support.
IT disruptions during onboarding in particular can be damaging to new employee confidence and productivity. That’s where immediate remote support capabilities come in and allow experts to diagnose and resolve issues in real time by accessing the employee’s system, rather than trying to troubleshoot over the phone.
Additionally, with technologies like AR, more experienced staff can guide new employees through procedures or IT issues. This is especially helpful in more industrial environments as experts can overlay visual instructions directly onto the employee’s field of vision, making it possible to train workers on machinery or processes without requiring the expert to be physically present at the same location.
Removing the barrier of location and granting new employees access to experts ensures that new hires can get help exactly when they need it, maintaining productivity and engagement throughout the onboarding process.
The Business Impact
Successful remote onboarding accelerates productivity by reducing the time it takes for new employees to reach their full productivity potential.
Further, organizations that manage onboarding remotely can realize substantial cost savings through reduced travel expenses, lower training costs and optimized resource allocation.
Lastly, and maybe most importantly, strong remote onboarding programs have a direct impact on employee retention. When the onboarding experience is well-structured and smooth for new hires, they develop stronger connections with their teams, have a better understanding of their potential career trajectory and show overall higher levels of job satisfaction.
The Best Practices
First and foremost, the onboarding process should start as early as possible—when the employee accepts the offer, rather than on their first day.
Organizations onboarding employees remotely should focus on structured digital learning paths that blend self-paced training with interactive, real-time collaboration. Tools that enable screen sharing and hands-on engagement help new hires learn at their own pace while still hitting key milestones and building connections with colleagues. To support this, companies must implement secure, intuitive and reliable technologies that provide access to essential resources and minimize technical barriers. A strong remote support system is also critical, enabling IT to resolve issues directly on a new hire’s device, thereby avoiding delays. Security should also remain a top priority, with onboarding processes aligned to best practices such as secure access protocols and regular audits.
The Way Forward
Remote onboarding isn’t just about getting employees up to speed, it’s the foundation for long-term business success. Organizations that invest in mastering this process will benefit from increased productivity, improved retention and reduced costs.
As remote onboarding becomes more refined, companies may find it easier than ever to welcome new talent from anywhere. With the right tools and processes, every new hire can work at their own pace, connect with colleagues and thrive—no matter where they live.
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