Even as workplaces have become decentralized, there are still important aspects of the hiring cycle that shouldn't be ignored. Onboarding certainly looks different for remote workers, but many of the transitional principles remain true. To successfully onboard a remote employee, start by preboarding. For example, check all signed contracts and other documents, gather essential company documents like codes of conduct and health and safety policies, and ensure their workstation is set up with everything they'll need to be successful. It also helps to start building a culture of documentation. In remote work environments, it's easy for information to become siloed—keep institutional knowledge in formats that are accessible to everyone. This will help new employees feel more empowered to access the knowledge they'll need. Finally, make sure new employees are welcomed and feel included by having informal meetings with team members or implementing a buddy system to support new hires.