Developing a Remote Onboarding Process

1:1 coffee chats are the best way to network ☕ Here's how I turned them into interviews at companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, and Amazon. My 9-step formula for virtual & in person coffee chats: (I did this with acquaintances, old coworkers, and complete strangers at my target companies to get job referrals)  1/ Watch the Clock Before you start the conversation, thank the other person for their time and confirm how much time they have. Don't be the person who goes over the allotted meeting time by assuming. 2/ Nail Your Intro This is your elevator pitch that should include these 3 things: - Brief background on who you are - Why you wanted to meet with them - Your goals 3/ Ask Great Questions Come prepared with questions. Some ideas: - their background/role - challenges they overcame - specifics about their company, culture, product, etc. 4/ Show You're Worth It When you talk about your experience, tie it back to how it relates to the role/team you're interested in at that person's company. Does the role require managing multiple clients? Great! Weave in how you've done something similar. 5/ Ask for Feedback It's ok to ask for feedback and if the other person thinks you're a fit for certain roles or the company. If they think there's a skills gap, ask for their advice on how to bridge it. 6/ Ask for Intros "Is there anyone else at your org or outside the org that would be helpful to talk to?” The best opportunities can come from this ask. The other person might intro you to 1-3 other people in their network. 7/ Offer to Help Them Don't just ask how you can help. Ask them what their goals are for the year. Then use that information to see how you can help. 8/ Winding Down At the end of the call, thank them for their time. Then ask if it's ok to keep them updated so you have a reason to reach out in the future. Don’t forget to send a thank you note after the call. 9/ The Follow Up If they gave you any advice (resume tips, resources to look into), do it and follow up to let them know you did it. This is the best way to keep the conversation going beyond the first call and establish trust. Important: Use this as a guide, not a script. Not all your 1:1 coffee chats will happen this way but having structure is helpful. Don't expect to land a referral on the first meeting either. It may take several interactions before someone is comfortable enough to do that. Give this strategy a try and level up your networking game! --- Reshare ♻ to help someone’s job hunt. And follow me for more posts like this.

Want to unlock career secrets and get advice straight from the insiders? 🔑 Stop guessing and start asking! One of the most powerful (and underused) networking tools is the Informational Interview. This isn't a sneaky job hunt trick! It's a brief, 15-20 minute chat focused on learning from someone's experience – their career path, industry insights, or company culture. Think of it as a career exploration coffee chat, often virtual! But how do you ask without sounding awkward or demanding? Use this simple email/message prompt to craft the perfect request: 👇 Prompt: -------------------- Help me write an email asking for an informational interview. To: [Person's Name] ([Person's Job Title] at [Company Name]) From: [Your Name] ([Your relevant status, e.g., Student, Job Seeker in X field]) How I found them: [e.g., LinkedIn, mutual connection, saw them speak] Goal: Learn more about their experience in [Their field/company/role]. Ask for: A brief 15-20 minute virtual chat. Keep the email polite and respectful of their time. -------------------- This structure shows you've done your research, clarifies your intent, and makes it easy for them to say YES. Start building meaningful connections and gaining invaluable knowledge! Found this prompt useful for your networking toolkit? Hit the like button 👍 or reshare it 🔄 so others can benefit too!

If you’ve landed a coffee chat — don’t wing it. You’ve got 20 minutes. Make them count. Here are 9 questions that actually lead to clarity and connections: → How did you get your first break into this role/industry? Every path has a lesson. Learn from theirs. → If you were starting out again, what would you do differently? Real advice > polished career tips. → What does success look like in your current role? This helps you think like someone in the role already. → What underrated skill has helped you the most? You’ll get gold here. → What challenges should someone in this role be ready for? Cuts through the fluff. → How do you stay updated or keep learning in your field? Podcasts? People? Places? Take notes. → What do you love most about your work? Find what lights them up — it’s contagious. → What are your thoughts on growth in this industry right now? Shows you’re thinking long-term. → Is there anyone else you think I should speak with? The connection that changes everything might be next. And if I could suggest 2 people to learn from? → Austin Belcak — for job search strategy that actually works → Linda Raynier CPA, CA — for actionable career clarity One coffee chat. The right questions. A whole new direction. Make it count. #CoffeeChat #Networking #JobSearchTips #CareerAdvice #InternationalStudents #STEMCareers #CareerGrowth #AskBetterQuestions #LinkedInNetworking #InformationalInterview #MBALife #CommunityDriven

A single coffee chat changed the game for me. ☕️ Not because it led to a job. But because they asked one simple question at the end: "Is there anyone else you think I should talk to?" 🤯 Wow, why had I never thought to ask that? I introduced them to another person in my network who I thought would be a good connection for them. The next time I had a coffee chat, you better believe I used this same strategy. That one question turned one conversation into two. Then those two turned into ten. Before I knew it, I had a full calendar and a growing circle of people who knew my name and my story. Most people stop after one chat, then go back to cold outreach and get frustrated when people don't respond. But networking isn’t about collecting names. It’s about building relationships. And some amazing relationships can be ignited through a warm intro. People want to help. They just need a nudge. The next time you’re on a coffee chat, don’t just say thanks and sign off. End with: 👉 “This has been so helpful. Is there anyone else you think I should connect with as I explore [insert your goal]?” If you're a clinician navigating this networking thing for maybe the first time in your career, this approach can change everything. You don't need to know everyone—just someone who knows someone. Keep the chain going. One chat at a time.

I sent laptops to 7 remote hires. 5 quit within 90 days. Costly mistake.  Brutal lesson. I thought I was onboarding them. They felt abandoned. And the data proves I wasn’t alone: 🚫 63% of remote employees say onboarding was inadequate. 🚫 60% feel lost and disoriented after their first week. 🚫 Remote hires take 3-6 months longer to reach full productivity. A laptop in a box isn’t onboarding.  It’s a fast track to disengagement. So I rebuilt our process—and retention jumped 82%. Here’s exactly what worked: 🔥 The Buddy System ✔ Assign a mentor (daily check-ins for the first 2 weeks) ✔ Encourage “silly” questions—zero judgment ✔ Make support feel human, not bureaucratic 🔥 Connection Before Content ✔ Virtual coffee chats before training starts ✔ Executive welcome video on Day 1 ✔ Remote-friendly team social event in Week 1 🔥 Digestible Learning ✔ 90-minute training modules (no info overload!) ✔ Spread onboarding across 3 weeks, not 3 days ✔ Live discussions > passive video watching 🔥 Tech Readiness ✔ IT setup completed before Day 1 ✔ Test systems with the hire the day before ✔ Provide a digital “emergency contact” for tech issues 🔥 Culture Immersion ✔ Virtual office tour with real team stories ✔ Inside-joke dictionary (every company has one!) ✔ Daily connections between work tasks & company mission 🔥 Strategic Check-ins ✔ Week 1: "What surprised you?" ✔ Month 1: "Where do you need more clarity?" ✔ Quarter 1: "How can we better support your growth?” 🔥 Early Wins = Early Buy-In ✔ Assign a small, meaningful project in Week 1 ✔ Recognize their success publicly ✔ Show them how their work makes an impact Remote onboarding isn’t about dumping information. It’s about building confidence, connection, and commitment. Do this right, and your new hires won’t just stay. They’ll thrive. P.S. What’s one thing you wish you had in your first remote onboarding? ♻️ Repost this to help HR teams fix onboarding before it costs them top talent.

🇫🇷 🤝🏻🇩🇪 : joint French-German proposals by our cyber agencies ANSSI - Agence nationale de la sécurité des systèmes d'information and the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) Security on a decisive topic : the European digital Identity wallet 🇫🇷 ANSSI and 🇩🇪 BSI issued a new joint paper on remote identity verification ⭐️Following an initial joint publication in 2023, ANSSI and BSI are now releasing a new joint document aligned with the updated European regulatory framework. 🌍 Last month, Director General of ANSSI @Vincent Strubel & German counterpart Claudia Plattner reaffirmed the trusted relationship between #ANSSI and #BSI on the topic of remote identity verification. 📈 Since February 2024, the regulatory shift introduced by eIDAS 2 has brought forth the #EU Digital Identity Wallet, which may be issued based on remote identity verification. At the same time, cyber threats have continued to evolve, and European standardisation work on remote identity verification has progressed. Key takeaway =a secure and trusted EUDI Wallet depends on: 🔹Strong, harmonized standards 🔹Advanced defenses against remote attacks 🔹Cross-border interoperability and regulatory support. 🛡️ High Assurance is Essential for EUDI Wallet Onboarding. Remote identity proofing, particularly video-based methods, are being explored as alternatives to national eID systems but present significant technical and security risks. 🎯 3️⃣ Critical Verification Goals to ensure trustworthiness: 🔹Biometric genuineness 🔹Document authenticity (genuine, current, and physically possessed) 🔹Face matching (the face matches the ID document photo). ⚠️ 2️⃣ major categories of attacks: 🔹Presentation Attacks: use of photos, masks, or replayed videos in front of the camera. Exploit the fact that many ID document security features are not verifiable remotely. 🔹 Injection Attacks : Bypass the camera using pre-recorded or AI-generated data; Deepfakes and synthetic documents pose increasing challenges. ✅ Recommendations for Strengthening the Ecosystem 🔹Harmonise Evaluation Criteria -Establish pan-European test specifications directly mapped to LoA High. -Mandate biometric attack testing in evaluations 🔹Bridge the Document Verification Gap -Develop standards for remote verification of ID documents. -Promote chip reading over OCR where legally possible. -Ensure legal frameworks enable conformity assessment bodies to perform robust testing. #cyber #scybersecurity #Europe

🔐 What’s the difference between a Decentralized Identifier (DiD) and a Proof of Humanity (PoH)? And why are Zero-Knowledge Proofs (ZK) the missing layer to scale their adoption in enterprise environments? In corporate settings where identity, traceability, and regulatory compliance are critical, digital identity management is evolving. A new layer is emerging: decentralized, verifiable, and privacy-preserving identities. 🆔 DiD: User-controlled identity A Decentralized Identifier (DiD) is a unique, verifiable, and decentralized identifier. It does not rely on a centralized identity provider (Google, Meta, a government...) but on a blockchain or DLT-based system. 🔧 Enterprise use cases: Passwordless authentication without relying on third parties. Signing contracts or audit trails without overexposing identity. Managing supplier identities in distributed industrial networks. 👤 Proof of Humanity: Ensuring a real person is behind the identity PoH verifies that an identity belongs to a real, unique human being. Having a wallet or identifier is not enough humanity must be verified. 🔧 Enterprise use cases: Access control to sensitive corporate processes (voting, compliance, certified training). Fraud prevention in incentive or marketing campaigns (bots, identity duplication). Verifying real users in internal networks or corporate communities. 🧠 ZK Proofs: the missing link The challenge was always: how to prove these conditions without exposing personal data or violating GDPR and similar regulations. With Zero-Knowledge Proofs, it's now possible to prove: That someone is an employee, That they completed a training or compliance check, That they are human and not registering multiple accounts… ✅ All without revealing their name, wallet address, or location. 🔧 Direct applications: Human Resources: global onboarding with embedded privacy. ESG reporting: anonymous but verifiable internal surveys. Finance & Compliance: AML/KYC adherence without unnecessary data exposure. 🏁 Conclusion This technological trio redefines how enterprises manage identity, personal data, and trust across distributed ecosystems. #Blockchain #DiD #ZKProofs #ProofOfHumanity #DigitalIdentity #PrivacyByDesign #GDPR #Web3Enterprise #KYC #ComplianceTech #DecentralizedIdentity

Let's talk about ☕coffee chats☕ Roughly 15% of mine have involved coffee, so don't worry if you're not an avid coffee drinker! Coffee chats are informal, relaxed conversations about anything and everything. They typically revolve around #careerdevelopment and career goals, but they can span an endless variety of topics. You may use a coffee chat to connect with an old colleague, to get to know someone you briefly met at a conference, to pick the brain of a new connection, to build a relationship with alumni, and much more. They're meant to set aside time for meaningful conversation. So, how do you get ready for one? 🤔 1. Outline goals for the conversation. You likely have a reason for wanting to meet with someone for a coffee chat. Know your 'why' so that you can structure the conversation to align with your needs. What are you hoping to leave the conversation with? What will make this chat successful? Answering those questions will help you understand your goals and motivations for the conversation. 2. Come prepared with questions. Coffee chats are informal in nature, but that doesn't mean they can't be substantial and informational. The conversation may start with catching up or getting to know each other, but having some questions to guide the conversation can help you achieve your goals! Aim for 5-10 questions, just in case. 3. Embrace the opportunity to learn. Coffee chats sometimes mirror informational #interviews, but they don't have to. Actively listen to the stories your connection is sharing. Ask follow-up questions. Brainstorm ideas with them. I've had many coffee chats with folks who are further into their careers, and I've used that opportunity to listen to their stories, wisdom, and ideas as a younger #professional. ✨ BONUS: Follow up after the chat. This goes without saying, but a follow-up message really goes a long way! Make a plan to chat with your connection in the future. Determine the best way(s) to stay in touch. Make sure it's okay that you ask questions or share ideas you have in the meantime. Coffee chats are awesome! Relax, have fun, and be curious. I'm open to a #coffeechat, or a kombucha chat, or a chai tea latte chat, or a Cherry Coke Zero chat anytime! 😉

Culture is not a vibe. It’s a system. And it can be your strongest business moat. Here's how Athyna maintains an employee engagement score of 92/100 (80 = excellent, 100 = perfect) as a fully remote global team: ↳ Created a dedicated welcoming process where the whole team greets new hires 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 they even start ↳ Built regional “hubs” to foster community while staying remote ↳ Dedicated a Slack channel for peer recognition—where praise is public, frequent, and encouraged ↳ Enabled lateral moves between teams so people can grow without needing to "climb" ↳ Sends quarterly engagement surveys—with actual follow-ups ↳ Built an employer brand that generates inbound Talent The result: a web of system that embeds good culture into the company's DNA. Athyna has never spent a dollar on talent marketing. The culture 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘀 top talent.  The systems 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 them.  The talent perpetuates their culture. You don’t need 10 SaaS tools to build a great culture.  You need intention. Consistency. And the belief that treating people well works. Here's a behind-the-scenes interview I did with founder Bill Kerr on the mechanics and philosophy behind it all (link below 👇)

Over the last couple of years, I’ve been responsible for inducting a number of new staff to our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team. Whilst all come with their own valuable experience and expertise, and plenty of learning occurs ‘on the job,’ I’ve found that it’s always handy to have a ‘go-to’ list of free online modules or programs which can provide foundational knowledge or a starting point for further research and development. In this latest article, you’ll find details and links to modules and online content canvassing a broad range of DEI topics including gender equity, gender-based violence and sexual assault, eSafety, inclusion and disability awareness. Whilst it’s worth noting they’re primarily Australian-based, aside from information about the organizations who created the courses and the support services listed, the concepts and content covered are globally relevant. I’ve no doubt there’s plenty more to add to this list – nationally and internationally. Are there others you could share and recommend? #diversityequityinclusion #onlinelearning #professionaldevelopment