Remote Onboarding Process for New Hires

All companies offer an onboarding experience for new hires. The focus is usually on orienting new employees with company policies and work expectations. No one wants a stale, outdated, and lonely onboarding experience that focuses too much on policies and not enough on culture and connection. 

Remote since 2013, we’ve had almost ten years to perfect our onboarding process, so we’ve got this! We have a team dedicated solely to this purpose. From the beginning, we want our new hires to feel confident in their position, make personal connections, and contribute to our company culture. 

Rest assured, remote onboarding at Customer.io is something new hires should look forward to! It’s a fun process full of resources, trainings, and meet and greets with other team members. By the end of onboarding, you’ll feel welcomed and prepared to thrive in your new role with us.

Our remote onboarding process

Tacos and donuts will become your new favorite things, and we’re not talking about eating them! When you become one of our Amis (team members), you’ll be welcomed into an inclusive and collaborative workplace culture that encourages making personal connections and rewards high-quality work. Using HeyTaco and Donut are two ways we do this.

Onboarding starts as soon as you accept the offer to join our growing team. For most new hires, this process will last around three months, but depending on the role, your onboarding may be longer or shorter. From introducing you to the team to receiving swag to working through your product training, we gradually integrate you through a comprehensive remote onboarding process. 

What to expect as a new hire: Pre-onboarding

Pre-onboarding is a time to get excited. You’ll receive various emails from our People team to prepare you for your first day. We send you a laptop and welcome kit with lots of swag. You can also start shopping with your $2000 office budget to set up your home office. 

Also, you will likely be onboarding with others. We place you in a cohort group intentionally so that you’ll have opportunities for group study sessions, collaboration, and making personal connections. This helps you feel less isolated, regardless of your time zone. 

What to expect: Week 1

Your first week on the job is primarily to help you learn about us and set yourself up. We want you to understand the company and be prepared to jump into your role once onboarding is completed. The remote onboarding plan outlines your to-do’s and instructions for your first week so you can easily track your progress.

At a glance:

• Set up your workspace: You’ll receive all the instructions for logging into the tools you’ll need for your role. 
• Introduce yourself: You will be asked to introduce yourself to the company on Slack and will probably receive a few tacos!
• Intro meetings: You will most likely have a few meet and greets with your manager, teammates, and people from our People and Security teams in your first week or two.
• Meet your Buddy: Each new employee is assigned a “Buddy,” another employee to help you through the onboarding process.
• Learn about us: We also offer various resources for training you on our company culture, core values, DEI initiatives, security awareness, and so much more.

What to expect: Week 2

In the second week of remote onboarding, you’re still “new,” so the focus will continue to be on integrating you into our workspace and your team. We encourage you to ask questions, be curious, and provide feedback as you go.

At a glance:

• Begin product training: We require all new Amis to become product certified on our platform. This helps you gain a foundational understanding of our product and allows you to empathize with our customers. 
• Role-specific onboarding: You’ll likely meet with your manager or department head to review your 30/60/90-day plan to ensure you’re on track and know what to expect.
• Donut chats: Donut is a tool to help our team stay connected with virtual coffee hours and monthly meet and greets. 

What to expect: Week 3

Woohoo! By now, you’ve probably consumed a lot of information and met many people. In Week 3, we turn the focus back on you. 

• Welcome Campaign: Your Welcome Campaign serves a dual purpose – getting you familiar with our platform and introducing yourself to the rest of the company. 
• Continue product training: There’s a lot to learn about Customer.io, and depending on your role, you may have additional modules to work through. Don’t be afraid to ask for help and/or lean on your onboarding cohort group if you get stuck!

What to expect: Week 4

You’re almost to the finish line! The focus for this final stretch will be to finish up any remaining items on your remote onboarding plan and, depending on your role, complete Support Week. You may also begin shadowing your team and taking on small projects. By this point (if you haven’t already), you should have attended a New Ami Hour session with Colin, our CEO. You’ll be able to ask questions and learn about our founding story and culture. 

At a glance:

• Finish product training: This is your time to complete any remaining modules in your product training. You should be product certified by the end of the week.
• Support Week: You will spend time answering tickets and helping the Technical Support team. Support Week is important because you’ll learn how better to understand our product and our customers’ needs and challenges. 
• Attend company events: Within your first month, you’ll have the opportunity to join in on various company events like a First Friday Game Time/Craft Hour, or a SipnSee!

After your first 30 days

It’s time to celebrate! After your first month with Customer.io, you should be fully onboarded with us. Now, the real work begins! You will most likely jump into role-specific tasks and action items at this stage and be prepared to take on your job responsibilities. 

Kitt joined Customer.io as the first Engineering Manager and a year later moved into the VP of Engineering role after demonstrating the necessary skills and drive. Starting with a team of 20, she’s doubled the size of the Engineering department and plans on doing it again this year.

“Customer.io sets the bar really high in terms of remote onboarding! Customer.io was my first fully-remote job, and I enjoyed my entire onboarding process from the first day. With every task I completed on my onboarding plan, I felt fortunate to be part of a diverse, people-first, and open-cultured company! I really enjoyed creating my Welcome Campaign, where I got to share about myself, my hobbies, and my culture.” 

Aman joined the company in 2021 as a Software Engineer on the Mobile Squad. Read about her experience here.

Customer.io is hiring! View our open positions and apply today.