There are many ways working remotely is different from working from home, or working from anywhere. One of those differences is what happens on your first day in the office. This can be nerve-racking for people who have only ever worked in-person up until this point, and who may not know what to expect starting out in a remote position. But RemoteWorker.jobs, a resource website and jobs board connecting jobseekers with remote opportunities in the USA, has listed three things new remote workers can expect from their first day.

Joseph Boll, RemoteWorker.jobs CEO, noted, “Remote work is still immensely popular in most countries around the world, including in the USA, where many workers are willing to accept a lower salary if it means they would have the opportunity to work from home. So, if you’ve landed a remote job, here’s what you can expect.”

1. Face-to-face meetings
According to RemoteWorker.jobs, most remote companies will have new employees meet HR for a one-on-one, on-camera meeting on their first day. Newcomers may also meet their direct supervisor and other teammates on-camera on the first day, or within the first week. They may or may not meet the rest of their colleagues in the company on-camera at some point as well, just depending on factors like company policy and size.

“You may not have to go into the CEO’s office and shake his hand like you would when working in a physical office,” said Boll, “but you should still dress appropriately for an on-camera interaction.”

Boll noted that most remote companies have a casual approach to dress code, but said newcomers should avoid wearing pyjamas at least on their first day.

2. Video training
Well-established remote businesses might have pre-recorded videos to introduce new staff to the tools they’ll be using, and provide tutorials on how to use them.

Boll said, “Normally on your first day, you might sit beside a seasoned colleague to ‘job shadow’ them in a sense and get a feel for how work gets done. Or you may have a set trainer carefully review the tools, materials and information you’ll need to perform effectively.”

But for remote workers, this is often done through a series of videos that newcomers will be assigned to carefully watch and follow along with on their first day. RemoteWorker.jobs suggests that newcomers use this time wisely, pay close attention and ask questions if anything is unclear.

3. Instant messaging
When working in-person, depending on the company’s size, new staff may be taken around and introduced to the whole team or just within their department. This is not the case with remote work, but instead a new remote worker may receive a flood of messages from colleagues to welcome them to the team. This can be overwhelming for some, especially those who aren’t used to receiving so many virtual notifications at once or even at all.

Additionally, because remote work relies so heavily on communication, either HR or a supervisor may check in on a new team member frequently throughout the day to ensure everything is going smoothly.

“It can be a lot to take in, and can be nerve-racking for a first-timer,” said Boll. “But just take a deep breath and stay calm and confident and you’ll pass your first day as a remote worker with flying colors.”

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About Remote Worker (US)
Remote Worker is designed to help hiring managers and businesses connect with job-seeking professionals for remote work positions. We are affiliated with Remote Worker (UK), ClickJobs.io, EcoCareers.org and Caribbean Employment Services Inc. For more information, visit https://www.remoteworker.jobs or contact [email protected].