Use Loom to streamline remote onboarding for new hires
Key takeaways
- Remote onboarding helps distributed and hybrid teams give new hires the guidance they need, no matter where they’re located.
- Videos work well for remote onboarding because they add a personal touch, provide more context than text alone, and give new hires something they can revisit anytime.
- Recording and organizing onboarding videos helps you build a reusable training library that makes future onboarding easier.
- Loom brings screen recording, voice recording, editing, and video organization into one tool, making it easier to create and scale remote onboarding videos.
Onboarding can be challenging in any environment, but remote onboarding requires even more intentional internal communication. Loom can help teams share context, answer common questions, and give new hires a clearer path forward.
How to use Loom for remote onboarding
With Loom, teams can create remote onboarding videos for everything from welcome messages to role-specific training, then organize those resources in one place.
Step 1. Plan the onboarding experience
Start by mapping out what new hires need to learn and when they need each piece of information. Break the onboarding process into stages, such as the first day, first week, and first month.
Breaking the onboarding process down into key stages helps you decide what should be recorded, what should be a live conversation, and what can remain in written documentation.
Here’s an example of how the stages might look:
- Before day one: Complete paperwork, prepare equipment, send welcome package
- Day one: Confirm logins, introduce key tools, and share the onboarding plan
- Week one: Review roles, expectations, team norms, and essential workflows
- Weeks 2-4: Provide role-specific training, process walkthroughs, and ongoing support
Step 2. Record a welcome video and core onboarding walkthroughs
Create a short Loom to welcome new hires, introduce yourself and the team, and explain what to expect in the first few days.
After recording your welcome video, focus on creating foundational onboarding videos that cover topics like team structure, employee needs, communication needs, and locating resources.
Step 3. Create role-specific training videos
As you move through the remote onboarding process, it’s important to provide role-specific training. Use the Loom screen recorder to record more detailed training, including:
- Detailed tool walkthroughs
- Process overviews
- Task demos
- Team-specific workflows
The goal here is to show new hires how to perform the specific job functions they’ll be performing on a regular basis. Building a library of role-specific videos makes remote onboarding more consistent and gives new hires a reliable place to revisit key instructions.
Focus on the systems employees need to understand to do their jobs well, such as project management platforms, communication tools, internal documentation, shared drives, and approval processes.
Screen recordings are especially helpful for these walkthroughs because they show exactly how tasks are completed. Plus, new hires can pause or rewatch staff training videos on their own time.
Step 4. Use Loom to explain team operations and collaboration workflows
Beyond role-specific training, new hires also need to understand how the team operates day to day. Use Loom to explain the broader systems employees will rely on to fit into the organization.
These videos could target:
- Project management processes
- Communication norms
- Approval flows
- Documentation systems
- Where information lives
- Cross-functional collaboration
This helps new hires understand not just what to do, but how work moves across the organization. Clear operational context can reduce confusion, improve collaboration, and help employees feel more confident as they settle into their roles.
Step 5. Organize videos into a reusable onboarding hub
Store Loom videos in one place to provide easy access for new hires throughout the remote onboarding process. Use Loom's folder system to group videos by topic or onboarding stage so new hires can find what they need without searching through unrelated content. You can organize videos into categories such as:
- Welcome videos
- FAQ videos
- Team introductions
- SOPs
- Common workflow demos
Learn more about navigating your Loom library to keep onboarding content organized and accessible.