We’ve got two newbies about to start at different companies, and they’ve both woken up a bit earlier than normal (or maybe they didn’t sleep at all). However, their onboarding experiences couldn’t be more different.
Sarah’s journey is a chaotic mess. It leaves her frustrated and disconnected.
But things are far different for Jake, who’s very happy with the smooth process and welcoming vibe that makes him think, “I’m here long-term.”
Read on as we track their first days and weeks, compare experiences, and spotlight the essential role IT equipment plays in the remote onboarding and offboarding of employees. See, things can either go right—or very, very wrong.
Day 0: The Pre-Boarding Prep (or Lack Thereof)
Even before Sarah and Jake have a chance to log in, their onboarding stories are going down different paths. Jake’s is a well-planned itinerary, while Sarah’s is more of an improv exercise in ‘How many emails does it take to find the VPN details?’
The night before her start date, Sarah received a generic email with vague instructions. (She’s reading it on her own laptop, because she guesses that the company laptop will how up tomorrow…) It’s all very basic, containing little other than the client’s default meeting invite titled “Sarah Watson: Onboarding Day 1.” There’s no welcome message, no details about what to expect, and also no tracking number to tell her when her work laptop will show up.
A week before Jake’s first day, he received a detailed pre-boarding email filled with personalized instructions, a welcome video from the CEO, and a virtual tour of the company’s remote collaboration tools. He also received company-provided equipment three days before his start date due to the company’s seamless electronic shipping.
Inside is a pre-configured laptop. Simple, but this allows him to explore the company’s internal resources and get familiar with the tools he’ll be using, safely and securely and builds his confidence in the company.
Day 1: The Morning Welcome
Sarah does receive her device on her first day (hooray!). Upon logging in, however, she’s greeted by…silence. There’s no message from anyone yet, and the IT department is unresponsive when she asks about configuring her VPN.
She has to troubleshoot herself, making login attempts to company resources using her own, unsecured device, and digging through endless knowledgebase chains to find the necessary information. She feels lost and overwhelmed, and it’s not even lunchtime yet.
Meanwhile, Jake’s set up with a personalized onboarding session. He meets with his manager and the IT team to ensure his equipment works properly (it does!) and is comfortable navigating the company’s digital workspace. Jake’s calendar is already populated with introductory meetings, and he’s even invited to a virtual coffee chat to get to know his teammates.
Week 1: The Difference Between Missing Tools and Seamless Access
Throughout Sarah’s first week, she faces one problem after another. The company hasn’t set up all the necessary software licenses, so she’s unable to access crucial tools.
She has to wait hours for IT to assist her. And because she’s only given partial solutions, her productivity crashes. She’s already got this tense feeling somewhere between ‘I should be doing more’ and ‘I can’t be bothered if they can’t be bothered to help me.’ To make matters worse for asset management, she discovers halfway through the week that she’ll need to fill out a cumbersome form to request additional peripherals, which her gut says might never arrive anyway.
Most people will envy Jake, whose company has an efficient IT asset management system. It’s managed by the same department that installed all the required software on his device. He’s also introduced to a digital help desk where he can chat with support staff in real-time, ensuring his productivity remains high.
Week 2: Feedback Overlooked vs. Feedback Valued
There’s no request for feedback on Sarah’s onboarding process. She’s not even sure who to approach with her questions, as it seems onboarding remote employees isn’t a coordinated effort. The HR department is managing the paperwork, IT is managing her tech problems (sort of), and her manager… is Jamal, she thinks? Or might it be Katie?
Meanwhile, Jake’s feedback is actively solicited. Before week two starts, he receives a survey (which is simple but effective) about how the company did when welcoming him. His company’s IT and HR address administrative and technical issues promptly, with Jake’s manager checking in regularly, making him feel supported from all sides.
A Calm Conclusion vs. a Chaotic Goodbye
Fast-forward to offboarding—an often-overlooked part of the employee lifecycle.
Sarah’s last day feels a lot like the first: disorganized and stressful. There’s no clear procedure for returning her company-issued equipment, and she’s left guessing how to ship it back. Even weeks later, she still has the company equipment. Worse, her access to company accounts isn’t revoked promptly, creating potential security risks.
Jake’s not going anywhere. He’s feeling supported and satisfied. But if he ever did leave, neither he nor his company would lose sleep over his IT equipment. For colleagues that have left, the company outlined all the steps for returning IT equipment, complete with prepaid shipping labels and scheduled pickup services.
Resignees also lose access to each concerned department one by one. That’s because the IT and HR departments work together to ensure a secure and clean break.
Lessons Learned: How IT Shapes the Employee Experience
The contrast between Sarah and Jake’s experiences highlights several critical elements that companies should consider:
- A warm welcome isn’t just about making new employees feel good; it’s about making them feel like they belong.
- With remote onboarding, the IT equipment is key. Their hardware is their main connection to the company, and without it they can feel lost and overwhelmed.
- Pre-boarding is as important as onboarding itself. Without it, employees like Sarah are left to scramble on their first day, often feeling unprepared and overlooked.
- Sarah’s struggles with accessing tools underscored the need for well-thought-out IT provisioning. Asset management should be proactive, not reactive.
- A successful onboarding program requires collaboration across the departments concerned, which mainly include IT, HR, and team leaders, but should align with each individual company’s needs.
- Solicit feedback. If you don’t, your employees may never tell you what’s not gone so well.
- A chaotic offboarding experience leaves a bad taste in departing employees’ mouths (and a dent in your reputation.
- Not dealing with correct IT equipment retrieval and disposition can lead to security risks.
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