9 things that helped in my remote onboarding
By: Svitlana K.
Tags: Amazon, Remote Working, Onboarding, Recruiting, Onboarding Process

Face to face meetings, lunches, coffee breaks and small talks in the kitchen — I still cannot believe we live in times without all of this physically. These things make a fresh start so much easier, so we have to rely on ourselves now first! And technology of course :)

I have experienced my first ever remote onboarding at Amazon and want to share some thoughts and learnings on what helped me and still helps to stay mindful, focused and productive during this period.

Waking up early and having a morning routine not connected to your job — helps to increase productivity!

Whether it is a cup of coffee with a book on a balcony; 10 min. meditation or even a 15 min. exercise — it actually helps you to wake up your body and mind on a positive note. Distinguishing personal time and private time is always a good idea and if you have possibility to switch rooms — that’s even more perfect! You normally start your working day at 9 am? Well, try to wake up earlier and have at least 1–2 hours for yourself and your routine first! Plan and structure your day and tasks.

Help your brain not to get overwhelmed with the amount of information. This might sound not new to you, but believe me, if you have a lot of trainings to do and you really want to make use of them — combine them with some other activities.

And plan it! It is much easier to follow an agenda than to hectically jump from task A to task B. I really enjoy exploring new techniques and Eat a Frog technique — is one of my favorite ones! The idea here is that you tackle the biggest, hardest, and least appealing task first thing every day, so you can move through the rest of the day knowing that the worst has already passed. Ask for help if you feel like

Got lost in defining your priorities? — Don’t be shy to speak up! Communication is the key! Continuing step 2, check-in with your teammates or manager on what they find crucial for you to complete first and do not overwhelm yourself! There are certainly some things that can wait and you do not need to be a superman/superwoman and complete the whole trainings in 1 week. Have an onboarding buddy program in your company? Make use of it!

For example at Amazon majority of trainings are defined with priorities. We also have an “Onboarding Ambassador” program — 2 peers, one within your team and one outside your team that help you with onboarding. Super useful, can save a lot of time and help to connect with your peers! Have a break during the day!

Our brains need to rest, even if we don’t feel like. I remember when I just started my career, I did not have a habit of having actual breaks, going out for lunch and I once had a burnout. Now, within my 6 years in recruitment, I learned it is necessary and really follow the rule of having a proper break during the day. This study shows that 38% of employees are not into taking a break, although it can actually increase your creativity and improve mental well-being!

Easy as it sounds — just block some time in your calendar, so you make sure to have it as a reminder and no-one can steal it with a meeting :) Leaving your phone in another room before you go to bed!

Scrolling the news or social media on your phone in the bed and doing this as first thing in the morning — is a real waste of time and will only hurt your mental health in the long run. You don’t believe me? Well, check your “Phone screen time” and see how long you spend time on it. Although, sometimes it feels like 5 min., I know :) Our crazy brain is constantly asking for dopamine’s and all the addictive tools just make us want to use them more. Get the vibe of the company culture or “Every day is Day 1”

“Every day is a new day, every day the world changes, and we must look for the change, create the change, and adapt to change. It’s a lesson to every manager and leader. It’s the meaning behind Forever Day 1”

Learning and trying to get into the company culture is an essential thing to everyone who wants to set themselves up for success. Do not ignore all the resources, blogs, videos you get during your onboarding and get the most of it! There is a reason why employees put a lot efforts in creating this content.

My Day 1 at Amazon. WFH setup

7. More and more culture or “Learn and be curious”

Yes, apart all the content you get at work, if you are into reading — try to find some literature or blogs that can either help you to learn about the business or the industry. Before my start at Google, I read “Work rules” by Laszlo Bock and this book really helped me to onboard and better understand how the company operates and why certain things work the way they do. So try your best to keep the curiosity with all that you do when you start a new journey.

So I went to Amazon.com and purchased a book a book about Amazon :)

With all the love to my Kindle, I wanted a paper version of this one!

8. You need to give yourself permission to be human!

“We learn, we make mistakes, we fix them and we move on :)” I absolutely love this phrase and I got it once from my manager. Allow yourself not to be perfect with some things at the very beginning. When you feel like you did something wrong, try to remember all the other things you did right — and move on! When you’ve acknowledged your mistake, think about what you could do to prevent it from happening again. For example, if you didn’t follow a process properly, consider introducing a more robust checklist or a clearer process document.

9. Recognize team support and be grateful!

Last but not least! I got really lucky to get into a team at Amazon that is quite unique in a way. Since my very first days they care a lot about me and always ask how I feel and if any help is needed. Every one of them are ready to jump on a quick call and explain something, even if their days are full of calls and meetings.

Most of us are based in different countries and cities, and with all the remote onboarding I have not met my team in person. With that being said, the team vibe I get is just fantastic! So if you see someone investing their time in you — be thankful and appreciate these efforts!

Happy onboarding to all the folks who start their new journeys!