Reboarding refers to all the activities you undertake to ensure the successful reintegration of an employee. The employees who have returned to the company or have had major changes in their employment situation. Reboarding may be necessary, for instance, when:
- Your offices reopen following a lockdown or temporary suspension of operations.
- Employees return to their positions following an extended absence. This may include parental or sabbatical leave.
- Your company rehires former employees.
- The employee has been transferred to a new position within the organization.
You may have noticed that some cases pertain to an individual returning to work, while others pertain to an entire company or workforce. The outbreak of COVID-19 is a perfect example of the latter. It forced all businesses to shift their work online. The one thing that remained was boarding employees to get back to work. This will make sure they are being productive.
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Two Reasons to Re-board employees
From a productivity angle: The goal is to get employees up to speed as fast as possible. Through reboarding, you can get a clear picture of what to expect both as a team and as an individual, as well as provide answers to any questions. Because they’ve been there before, you can’t assume they don’t need any help.
It’s also important to keep all employees informed about current policies and practices. The last time they were here was a year ago and now, there must have been changes in how you work. For example, requesting a project from a colleague can now be done via a task management tool rather than in person. A reboarding is an excellent opportunity to inform the team about the change so that there is no confusion or disruption of productivity.
From an emotional standpoint: Reboarding can increase engagement among employees. The returning employee will re-connect with the company culture, realize their role in company success, and feel more at home.
It may be a little uncomfortable for them, especially if it’s been a while since they worked with you. Consider those returning to work during a pandemic, while trying to adapt to social distancing guidelines. For different reasons, employees returning to work may need emotional support and confidence building.
Reboarding checklist
You might be reboarding and retraining your employees because of the COVID-19 pandemic, or due to any other reasons. Listed below are some tips to get you started:
Reboarding is not a one-time event
It is important to check your employees now and then to make sure they are on board. To understand the situation they are in you can take feedback from them and assign them more training if needed.
Don’t rush the process
Even though employees are already familiar with certain aspects of your company. They will still need time to process the new information you provide. Train them but don’t overload them with courses. Instead, make sure they have ample opportunities to practice what they learn.
But don’t make it a lengthy process
As an example, if you rehire an employee, remove all useless details from your onboarding presentation and focus on what’s new. Do not build a comprehensive guide on remote work because you have to work remotely due to COVID-19. Consider taking short training courses explaining how to be productive working from home.
Be sensitive
Your employees need to be trained and equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge when they are reboarded. That involves a lot more than filling out forms. When reboarding occurs, a change takes place and, whether it’s a good chance. People often experience anxiety associated with this change. Get your team both emotionally and practically ready by staying close to them.
Invest in virtual tools
It is always preferable to use digital tools for training because they do not need to be present. Apart from that, online training software and virtual communication channels are useful to assist returning employees. You can also use LMS to make learning, upskilling, and reboarding easy. Ensure users with hearing or vision disabilities can also learn by opting for an LMS with Section 508 compliant. This way you can also make them feel valued.
Conclusion
Rather than spending time reviewing information they already know but need a refresher on. You could, for example, put useful documents online and create a series of short videos and presentations. As a result, employees have a convenient way to review company guidelines and prepare for new responsibilities. Keep in mind, reboarding is about setting your employees up for success and watching them thrive when they return to work.