I interviewed my boss, Sarah Gonnella, about what it’s like virtually hire and onboard new staff.
My first day at Full Sail Partners was unlike any other first day. Full Sail Partners has always been 100% virtual. That meant that for my first day of work, I didn’t report to an office! I literally walked a few steps to the desk set up in my spare bedroom. It was a really weird feeling and a different type of onboarding process.
However, my boss, Sarah, was so organized and thought out about my initial schedule it turned out better than any other first day of work at my previous firms. This memory always stuck with me and I think it’s important now more than ever to explain this virtual onboarding process we have Full Sail Partners.
I’ve known Sarah long before I began working at Full Sail Partners, thanks to SMPS. So our personal relationship helped make the transition smoother and made for an easy conversation.
Conversation Highlights:
Here are some of the highlights from our conversation:
- The number of employees, including marketers she has virtually onboarded
- How she, as the head of sales and marketing, got involved with on-boarding new employees
- Her thoughts on how onboarding is different virtually vs. in person
- The questions she asks during the interview to make sure a potential new hire is the right fit to work remotely
- She walks me through the steps to prepare for a new hire
- What a new employee’s first day looks like at Full Sail Partners
- How other departments or people are involved in the new hire’s onboarding process
- The important factors to successfully onboarding a new employee – no matter if it’s in-person or virtually
Additional Resources:
Below are a few additional articles and resources related to onboarding marketing professionals at A/E/C firms.
- Find Your Next Marketing Coordinator
- Marketer’s Recruiting Starter Kit
- Complete Guide to Successfully Onboard Your New Marketing Coordinator
Your Turn
Are you going to be hiring new marketing team members soon? If so, will you be onboarding while still working remotely?
Let me know in the comments below if you’re hiring and what concerns or questions you have about bringing new hires onboard remotely.
