Amy O'Donnell | Source | Chief Talent Officer at MBO Partners

The first 90 days is a critical benchmark for any new employee, but with a remote worker, it is important to check in even sooner to ensure demonstrated alignment with both competencies and with corporate culture. Within 30 days, you should expect to see an employee introduced to key members in and outside of their department, making measurable progress within their required job learning within 60 days and able to successfully articulate both corporate goals and how their own job role fits into this by 90 days at both an internal and external level.

Regular, face-to-face communication is critical. In our organization, we encourage all employees to use video during meetings; with appropriate Zoom backdrops to maintain privacy in the home as needed. The use of review technology, both in pulse surveys, which allow for anonymous feedback, and in regular ‘check-ins’ between manager and employee, ensure that nobody slips through the cracks. A robust and in-place corporate training department also helps deploy necessary knowledge for success.

In today’s world, managers should expect some degree of a blended workforce, where they work with onsite, remote, and even contract talent. Managers should demonstrate strong communication skills in a variety of mediums, as well as the ability, particularly if the work is in a technology capacity, to work with agile frameworks.