A lull calm has taken shape as the employees across the globe are getting ready to report to the office after working from home over a long period of time. It is imperative that the organisations create a positive atmosphere for re-onboarding employees by fostering a culture of openness and inclusivity. Let’s look at some of the ways by which businesses can enhance the re-onboarding experience for their workforce through positive employee engagement strategies.

Break The Ice
Leaders need to initiate and create a platform through open communication channels that focuses on employee welfare. Conducting multiple icebreaker sessions would help in getting to know each other better and appreciate differences. Help the remote hires in understanding the dynamics of the organization by connecting with them frequently and having regular conversations about their roles and responsibilities. Assign buddies to monitor and evaluate the progress of remote hires and provide developmental feedback for growth and career progression. The buddies need to realise the difference between in office and remote working culture and help the new joiners adapt seamlessly to the demands of working from office. Feel good factors like thank you cards, momentos can do a world of good to the new hires that would make them feel cared for and more aligned to the organizational goals.

Build the Trust
Businesses need to create a personalised re-onboarding program to build a sense of belonging and trust with all the employees. Managers need to help the new joiners understand the corporate vision, culture, values of the organisation through personal and group activities. It would also help in setting the expectations right well in advance for the remote hires and help in providing clear information regarding their roles and responsibilities. For the employer, understanding the core competencies of their workforce would help a great deal in leveraging their strengths for enhanced productivity and delivering better business outcomes. As part of orientation, get the new hires acclimated to the facilities available in the workplace like pantry, gym, conference rooms, safety exits etc. This would help the new hires get to know the office better without getting intimidated.

Team Bonding
Work on team bonding activities that can help in remediating the psychological barriers for the new joiners and the tenured staff who are joining work after a brief hiatus. Conduct open house and town halls to listen to their pain points and communicate with the teams positively that would allay their fears and anxieties. Have informal meetings and make use of opportunities like team dinners for establishing a deeper connection with the team members. Pay attention to the working arrangements for the remote hires. It would be prudent to have their workstations located well within the vicinity of other colleagues so that they do not feel like fish out of water. As part of demonstrating the organisation commitment to health and safety, follow social distancing and ensure all the safety protocols laid down by government and health authorities are compiled with fully without any deviations. Ensure safety and well being of all employees by conducting vaccination drives for employees and their extended family members to mitigate the spread of pandemic.

Conclusion
We at Xforia Technologies are committed to the health and safety of our workforce and follow our well defined re-onboarding strategies to deliver a superior onboarding experience to all our staff members.