Before day one
Equipment delivered and tested, accounts created, and a written first-week schedule sent. A new joiner spending day one waiting for a laptop is a bad first signal about how the company runs.
A named buddy, not just a manager
Someone whose explicit job is answering the questions too small to ask a manager. This single measure does more for early retention than any other.
Structure the first two weeks
Booked calls with each person they will work with, a small first task to complete in week one, and a scheduled check-in at day thirty. Unstructured time is where new remote hires drift.
Common questions
Why do remote hires leave early?
Usually unstructured onboarding and isolation in the first month, not the work itself.
What is the most important onboarding step?
Equipment ready before day one, and a named buddy for small questions.