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Understanding Casual Employment vs Contractor Relationships

Candice Brudenell — Tue, 03 Jun 2025 00:54:13 +0000

Avoid costly mistakes with worker classification

In today’s evolving workforce, the distinction between casual employees and independent contractors is more important than ever. With flexible work arrangements on the rise and legal reforms reshaping employment definitions, businesses must clearly understand the differences between these two types of working relationships.

Misclassification can lead to significant legal and financial consequences. This article explores the key characteristics, rights and obligations associated with casual employment and contractor arrangements, helping employers to navigate their responsibilities with confidence. Casual employment engagement

With the introduction of the Closing Loopholes reforms in August 2024, the Fair Work Act now provides a clearer, more enforceable definition of casual employment—placing greater responsibility on employers to ensure that casual engagements are genuinely casual and not inadvertently structured as ongoing employment relationships (or independent contractors.

A casual employee is someone who works for an employer without a firm advance commitment to ongoing work. This means:

The employer can offer or not offer work.
The employee can accept or reject shifts.
There is no guaranteed pattern of work, even if one develops over time.
Casuals are entitled to a casual loading (an additional payment made to casual employees to compensate for the lack of paid leave and other entitlements) or specific pay rate instead of benefits like paid leave.

The Fair Work Act 2009 provides that the real substance and practical reality of the relationship must be considered—not just what’s written in the contract. Even if a casual has a regular pattern of work, they may still be considered casual if there’s no firm commitment to ongoing work.

Key characteristics of casual employment include:

Flexibility: Casuals can accept or decline shifts.
No guaranteed hours: Work is offered as needed.
Casual loading: Casuals are paid a higher hourly rate (usually 25%) instead of receiving paid leave and other entitlements.
Termination: Casuals can be let go without notice (unless otherwise agreed).

Even if a casual works regular hours, they remain casual unless the employment relationship changes or they convert to permanent employment.

Casual Conversion Pathways

Recent reforms under the Closing Loopholes legislation (effective 26 August 2024) introduced a new employee choice pathway and updated the rules for casual conversion.

Employee Choice Pathway (from 26 August 2024)

Casual employees can now initiate a request to convert to permanent employment if they:

Have been employed for at least 6 months (or 12 months for small businesses).
Believe they no longer meet the definition of a casual (i.e., there is now a firm advance commitment to ongoing work).

Employers must respond in writing and can only refuse the request on reasonable business grounds.

Transitional Casual Conversion Pathway

For casuals employed before 26 August 2024, transitional rules apply:

Employers had until 26 February 2025 to offer conversion (if not a small business).
Casuals in small businesses have until 26 August 2025 to request conversion.

These transitional rules allow casuals to convert under the previous system, which required 12 months of employment and a regular pattern of hours over the last 6 months.

Independent Contractor service agreement

An independent contractor (contractor) is not an employee. A contractor:

Runs their own business.
Has control over how and when work is done.
Can work for multiple clients.
Provides their own tools and equipment.
Is responsible for their own tax, superannuation and insurance.

Contractors negotiate their own fees and are not entitled to employee benefits like leave or minimum wage protections.

Key Differences between a Casual Employee and a Contractor

Aspect	Casual Employee	Contractor
Work Commitment	No firm advance commitment	Self-determined
Pay	Hourly rate + casual loading	Negotiated fee
Leave Entitlements	No paid leave, but receives loading	No entitlements
Superannuation	Employer-paid (if eligible)	Self-managed
Control Over Work	Employer-directed	Contractor-directed
Tools & Equipment	Provided by employer	Provided by contractor

Accordion Item

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Why It Matters

Misclassifying a worker as a contractor when they are actually a casual employee (or vice versa) can lead to legal and financial consequences. This includes backpay for entitlements, penalties and reputational damage.

The Closing Loopholes reforms introduced in 2024 have further clarified the definition of casual employment and strengthened protections against sham contracting (when an employer deliberately misclassifies an employee as an independent contractor to avoid paying employee entitlements).

Employer considerations:

Ensure casual contracts clearly state there is no firm advance commitment and accurately reflect the nature of the working relationship.
Keeping track of casuals’ work patterns and employment duration. Regularly review the employment status of workers.
Consult with the employee before refusing a conversion request and provide written reasons for any refusal.

Navigating the casual employment relationship can be tricky.HR Advice Online can support and guide you through the employment relationship. For assistance with any HR matters, please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au or 1300 720 004.

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Labour Hire Workers

Candice Brudenell — Tue, 29 Oct 2024 05:26:54 +0000

New rights for labour hire workers

A labour hire employee (the employee) is defined as a person who enters a work contract with a labour hire agency (the agency). The agency has a commercial contract to supply labour with a host business (the employer).

The employee performs work for the host firm. The host employer pays the labour hire agency, and the labour hire agency then pays the employee. The employee does not have an employment contract with the host employer and because of this cannot make an unfair dismissal claim against the host employer.

A review of previous cases has shown that the involvement of a labour hire agency does not create an employer-employee relationship between the agency’s clients and the workers provided by the agency. In these instances, the labour hire agency typically handles the interviewing, selection, and determination of remuneration for the workers, independent of the client’s influence.

There may be some situations where the labour hire agency and the host employer may be related entities. In this case, the host employer may be found to be the employer, regardless of the contract for work with the labour hire agency.

New rules relevant to labour hire employees (Closing the Loopholes)

Labour hire employees can now apply to receive a protected rate of pay no less than what they would receive if they worked directly for a host employer.

Employees, unions, and host employers can apply to the Fair Work Commission (Commission) for a regulated labour hire arrangement order (an order).

When an order applies, labour hire employees working for a particular host employer must be paid no less than the same pay rate they would receive under the host’s enterprise agreement (or another relevant workplace instrument). This is referred to as a ‘protected pay rate’.

Hosts and labour hire employers cannot behave in a way that:

stops, or tries to stop an order from being made, or
avoids paying the protected pay rate to eligible employees by:
- engaging other employees or independent contractors, or
- entering into other labour hire agreements.

Have questions about a labour hire arrangement or employee entitlements under these arrangements? Please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au or 1300 720 004.

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Recruitment – Attract Top Candidates

Candice Brudenell — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 00:21:15 +0000

Recruitment - Attract Top Candidates

Tips to attract top candidates to your role

Attracting the best candidates to your organisation can be a highly competitive task, and securing top talent can significantly contribute to your business’s success.

There are some common concerns that candidates look out for when they are applying for roles, or continuing through the recruitment process. Below are some tips on how to attract a top candidate, and what to avoid in the recruitment process.

Recruitment - Attract Top Candidates

The Job Advertisement

Sell your brand and the role – Job ads that fail to sell the benefits of your workplace culture, of the role, and the benefits offered to employees can mean that candidates may quickly switch off and look for a more engaging opportunity. Be sure that you write dynamic ads that sell what is unique about your organisation or the opportunity.

Prepare a professional ad – ads that have spelling mistakes in them, or that fail to provide meaningful information can also cause candidates to overlook an opportunity. Ensure that you proofread your ads and present the key information in a clear format.

Avoid using too much jargon in your job ads. It is better to be clear, concise and accurately describe the role, rather than use “buzz words” that don’t convey clear information.

Keep the information provided to a minimum, provide enough detail to form an overview of the role, but not an exhaustive list of duties or requirements – as this can cause candidates to switch off. Often candidates looking for jobs are doing so from their phones – keep your audience captivated to avoid them scrolling on.

Recruitment - Attract Top Candidates

The Interview Process

Set clear expectations for your shortlisted candidates about what they can expect throughout the recruitment process. Communicate clear timelines to your candidates and stick to these. Avoid rescheduling interviews or failing to respond to candidates within the anticipated timeframes. If you don’t do this then you may lose candidates during the recruitment process, and it can make your organisation appear unprofessional or disorganised.

Be sure that what you have described about the role in the job ad is consistent with what you detail during the interview process. This can be a red flag to candidates if they feel that the role has been misrepresented.

Use the interview to sell your culture and organisation to the candidate – they are assessing you as much as you are assessing them. Ensure that what you present to the candidate is genuine and authentic – candidates do not want to be over-sold –if the candidate is appointed to the position, and the culture or the role does not match their expectations on commencement, then you risk them either leaving the role or becoming disillusioned about the culture.

Formalising the Offer

HR Advice Online supports many small businesses with our New Hire Package, which is designed to provide you with peace of mind knowing that the employment contract and associated documentation are current and compliant, creating a great experience for your new employee.

Customised letter of offer for the position and your business/industry
Over the phone advice and guidance from a qualified HR expert on appropriate conditions
Award reference, pay rates, penalties and any other applicable inclusions
New Starter Pack checklist

Want to make a great impression on your candidate when you offer them the role? Contact us to discuss our New Hire Package.

Need support running a great recruitment process?

Want to receive advice or support about writing successful job ads and /or running a great recruitment process? You can speak with our team for information and advice by contracting us at: advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au or 1300 720 004.

Information in HR Advice Online guides and blog posts is meant purely for educational discussion of human resources issues. It contains only general information about human resources matters and due to factors, such as government legislation changes, may not be up to date at the time of reading. It is not legal advice and should not be treated as such.

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No Contract and still an employee?

Candice Brudenell — Fri, 01 Mar 2024 04:07:06 +0000

Recently a case was heard before the Fair Work Commission (FWC) where a worker claimed unfair dismissal from their employer. The employer objected to the claim on the grounds that they understood the worker to be an independent contractor and not an employee (and therefore the worker was not eligible to submit an unfair dismissal claim). On examination of the relationship between the two parties, the FWC ruled in favour of the worker, who was deemed to in fact be an employee. This was the case even in the absence of a written employment or contractor agreement.

In this case the worker performed tiling and grouting services on behalf of the company. The company had reached a verbal agreement with the worker to provide these services and, did not develop any formal written agreements or documentation about the services being provided. It was for this reason that that the employer thought they were eligible to dismiss the worker without due process as obliged towards an employee – as they believed in the absence of a formal employment contract the worker was understood to have been engaged as an independent contractor.

To assess this case, the FWC considered factors related to the nature of the relationship between the parties. Primarily they looked at who had autonomy in the relationship. They determined that it was the company who directed when and where the work was performed and who had control over the specifics in the way that the work was performed.

In a genuine contracting arrangement, the company will express a requirement for work and services to be performed, but will provide less direction and specification about exactly and when this is done. One contributing factor in reaching the decision that this was employment included that the company had refused the worker’s request to not attend work, and provided detailed instructions (rather than negotiations) about when and where they were to attend work.

There have been multiple cases brought to the FWC previously about contracting versus employment relationships. It is imperative that businesses make an appropriate decision around this to avoid potential claims being made against them, and to avoid additional wage costs if any claim is substantiated.

Beyond autonomy, other factors to consider include the following:

Where the worker ultimately works from (on-site at your business, or separately and with flexibility)
Who provides the key equipment required to perform the work (for example if technical equipment such as a computer is this supplied by the business, or does the worker provide their own equipment; in a construction context, consider who chooses, orders and manages the supplies needed to perform the work?)
How is the worker remunerated and taxed? Are they receiving regular wages periodically for being on-site, or are the paid according to the completion of discrete tasks?
Is superannuation being paid? Are entitlements being paid?

This case points to the importance of being clear at the beginning of a work relationship about what the expectations are for both parties, reaching an agreement, and proceeding to document this explicitly in writing via either a Contractor or Employment Agreement.

Membership with HR Advice Online provides you with access to determine whether a relationship is employment or contractual, including a checklist and template contracts for your use when the result is employment. For further information please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au or 1300 720 004.

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Interviewing for Success

Candice Brudenell — Mon, 12 Feb 2024 04:26:58 +0000

Are you starting the new year with a new hire? Make sure the interview experience creates the best first impression for your candidates and supports the recruitment of the best candidate for the role.

Ideally you will conduct the first interview in person, however if this is not possible you don’t want to delay meeting strong potential applicants. So, look at options such as a video link via Teams or Zoom.

A clear and concise interview guide will help you run through the key areas to cover – skills, experience, interest in the role, career focus and culture fit. It is important to consider asking behavioural type questions that link directly to the key competencies you require for the position. These questions will help you to uncover past experience, action, and results as well as insight from each candidate.

Ask questions such as, “How have you handled a difficult client in your previous role?” This is directly linked to competencies such as customer service and problem solving and provides valuable insight as to the candidate’s way of working. Ideally you will have developed a set of key competencies for the role already.

Interviews are generally conducted by the manager (who the employee will report to) plus another individual(s) (an HR representative, or additional manager). During the interview, there may also be opportunities for potential co-workers and managers to meet with the candidate. During the interview the manager/ interviewers must take notes and then record the information for future reference. This will support the decision-making process, particularly where you may have a few strong candidates to consider.

To evaluate candidates’ ability to work well with others you may include questions that require a detailed response regarding successful projects or experiences with working in team environments, such as “Describe a particular difficult issue that you managed to overcome” or “Tell me about a time where you have assisted your direct manager to overcome a particular problem”.

Create the interview experience that will lead you to the right candidate. Consider the following when planning your next interviews:

Create an organised and welcoming environment. Ensure you have a quiet and confidential room and that you make the candidate feel at ease, offer them a glass of water.
Build rapport to enable the candidates to relax and be themselves. Seek out other attributes other than those you are likely to seek regarding skills and experience. What are they seeking from a role? Look for attributes that include commitment, contribution, growth capability and team fit.
You are both interviewing each other – remember to sell your organisation and your personality and share your excitement about working there too.
Don’t ask too many questions. Too many questions can become overwhelming and exhausting. Keep it simple and directly link to key competencies.
Don’t forget to SMILE and make eye contact even when you are taking notes.
Be transparent and clear about timelines, and what the recruitment process will entail. Let them know the next steps and when they may expect to hear from you.

An array of recruitment and selection resources are available to you from our resources library, to access some of these resources join HR Advice Online for free. For any question of support in recruitment and selection, please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au or 1300 720 004.

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Interview questions to challenge your potential new hire

HR Advice Online — Tue, 05 Dec 2023 01:57:30 +0000

Interviews provide such a small window of opportunity to understand the capabilities of your potential new hire. We often rely on pre-set behavioural questions which candidates may well have rehearsed and

prepared for.

Here we explore some of our favourite questions which will not only assist you to determine the candidate fit within your organisation, but will reveal their strengths, motivation, and level of self-awareness.

1. What’s the hardest feedback you’ve received?

When someone shares feedback they’ve received, it can mean they have taken this feedback on and used it as a means for growth. Follow on questions could include:

· How do you think you responded to this feedback at the time?

· Did you make any changes after hearing this feedback?

· Have you proactively sought feedback in prior roles and how did you do this?

2. What is your biggest career achievement?

This is a great way to understand if the person is driven by achievement and if they take the time to review and reflect on their work performance. Try asking “what steps did you take to achieve your goal?”

When they’re answering, notice if they refer to their individual efforts or speak of collaborative team efforts. This will give you an understanding of how they work and acknowledge others in their work success – if they’re humble enough to attribute success to all those involved or just themselves.

3. What sort of team culture provides you the right environment (for doing your best work)?

This question will reveal if they understand and can observe a workplace culture and will give you an idea of what sort of environment, they will thrive in. Prompting questions might be:

· What sort of environment do you prefer to work in, the hustle and bustle of open office or quiet work?

· What type of work gets you excited?

4. What’s something you’ve recently learned and then applied to your current work?

This question will reveal if the candidate is interested in developing and applying new skills, even if that skill is not work related. Follow on questions could be:

· How would you describe your learning style? (i.e. on-the-job, face-to-face, online formal training)

· Do you enjoy and or undertake any additional learning or study? (in a personal context?)

5. Thinking about your past Managers or Supervisor, tell us about your favourite workplace Manager and why? Have you had a Manager you disliked? What could that Manager have done better?

This will reveal their ability to reflect and express themselves in a considered way. Have they thought about previous managers they’ve worked for and whether their management style played a part in their success in their previous role? Are they able to reflect on what their manager did well and what they could have improved upon?

6. Can you share an example of when you’ve taken a secondary role to let someone else take the lead?

This question reveals if they’re a collaborator willing to allow others with more skills, experience or wanting to learn, to step up. What motivated them to step aside? Would they do the same again or what would they do differently?

7. Why do you want to work for us and why are you seeking a new position/change?

This question provides an opportunity to discuss the motivating factors that made them choose to apply for a role with your business. Listen, to see if they know what you do and what it was that piqued their interest. Understanding why they are moving roles may reveal why they’re leaving their previous workplace and give you insights into the type of workplace they prefer.

These questions will also help discover more about their personal style.

· What frustrates you in the workplace?

· How can people earn kudos with you?

· What qualities do you value in your colleagues?

· What are some things people might misunderstand about you that you should clarify?

· How do you support others to do their best work and develop their talents?

· What’s the best way to communicate with you?

· What’s the best way to convince you of something?

If you need support with the recruitment or onboarding your new employee, please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au.au or 1300 720 004.

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Staff Perks – Ideas to attract and retain key talent

HR Advice Online — Sat, 20 May 2023 16:16:14 +0000

With the introduction of hybrid work models, many businesses with employees who have resumed working five days per week in the office are finding a higher than normal turnover of their staff. Similarly, many employers are experiencing difficulties in attracting new staff.

Employers who offer flexibility, growth, great experiences, healthy lifestyles, and psychologically safe environments where employees will thrive are increasingly becoming the employers of choice.

As a result, many businesses are finding that they need to become more and more creative in what they can offer in order to stand out and attract and retain their staff.

Below we take a look at six staff perks offerings, outside of hybrid working arrangements, that are increasingly being adopted by employers and that can provide greater benefit and incentive to employees.

Volunteering Opportunities

For example, providing five days paid leave for employees to engage in volunteering activities to support their chosen causes and communities.

Extra Long Weekends

Providing additional leave throughout the year to allow for permanent employees to be able to take either a Friday or Monday off work without impacting their accrued leave balances.

In many instances where such a measure has been introduced, the additional days can be taken at any time as long as it is not attached to annual leave or public holidays.

Free Team Lunches

The provision of incentives such as a free team lunch every week, providing free breakfast supplies and weekly coffee carts in the workplace.

Bring Pets to Work

While not always practicable, many employers are encouraged employees to bring their (well-behaved!) dogs to work. The frequency of such arrangements vary from being each day to one day per month.

“Life Leave”

Some employers are offering permanent employees with an opportunity to have up to five additional paid leave days per financial year for life events and occasions such as looking after a new pet, moving house, a birthday, a child’s first day at school, heartbreak leave or community impact. Such leave, where offered, is in addition to annual or personal leave balances.

Business and First Class Fares/Travel Vouchers

In anticipation of travel restrictions easing, some employees who have completed a qualifying period (i.e.. 6 months) with a business being offered business or first class travel fares to international locations and at times, the provision of an additional week of paid leave.

Where staff do not wish to travel overseas, alternative domestic offers may be provided such as long weekends away at five star resorts.

As with any workplace incentive or benefit introduced by an employer, it is recommended that detailed policy documents always be created to support the application of the initiative to ensure clarity and to minimise the potential risk of misuse.

If you require advice or assistance regarding any HR matter, please contact the team at HR Advice Online at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au.au or on 1300 720 004.

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Recruitment first impressions

HR Advice Online — Sat, 20 May 2023 16:14:49 +0000

As an employer, it is likely that the first impressions made by a candidate will be long lasting and may have one of the greatest impacts on your decision to offer a position. But it is also important to know that the first impressions you, the employer make will have the same if not greater impact on the decision of whether a candidate will accept or decline your job offer.

Research commissioned by Robert Half and conducted of 9,000 candidates in 11 countries across four continents revealed that more than a third of candidates worldwide make their decision about whether they will accept or not accept a job offer within the first 5 minutes, or sooner.

In the current climate, people are motivated by more than remuneration and because the best candidates will be receiving multiple offers, it is up to the company to sell the job.

Candidates will be more likely to accept an offer if they are sold on the company culture, benefits offered, and reasons the company is considered a great place for any prospective employee. However this detail should not be exaggerated. 91% of candidates admitted to considering leaving a job within the first month and 93% within their probation period due to discrepancies with the way the job was advertised and the job actually in practice. Other reasons included poor management, a mismatch with corporate culture, a lack of proper onboarding or they received a better offer.

It is also important to remember that the hiring of an employee is only 50% of the recruitment process. The sooner and more consistently during hiring and onboarding the manager can provide detailed information about the role and the company and where things are headed, the sooner the employee will feel a part of that journey and want to remain. If you fail within the first 30 days to embed a new employee into a team, you will most likely be starting the recruitment process again.

So, when the time comes to start the recruitment process, be it to fill a newly created position or fill a vacancy, the most valuable steps an employer can take is prepare, prepare, and prepare.

Plan the hiring process

Carefully consider the detail to include in your job ad that is both truthful and will attract the best possible talent. What are the essential criteria and what are the desirable criteria.
Carefully consider the detail to include in your job ad that is both truthful and will attract the best possible talent. What are the essential criteria and what are the desirable criteria:

· Carefully consider the detail to include in your job ad that is both truthful and will attract the best possible talent. What are the essential criteria and what are the desirable criteria

· Consider the best places to advertise the role that will attract the best possible candidates. Consider
internal advertising, social media, job boards, referrals

· Carefully prepare the interview questions, but remember to be flexible to ensure that important topics are spoken about in greater depth

· Determine who will participate in the process and how many interviews will be conducted prior to any decision being made

· Ensure the hiring manager has time to invest in each interview without interruptions and without lengthy delays in the overall recruitment process

· Prepare reference check questions and ensure that exploration of relevant issues occurs where required.

· Plan the induction process. A thorough induction process takes several weeks or months and should include regular catchups to ensure that positive attitudes and feelings are fostered from day 1 and the employee adapts quickly to the new environment and becomes productive sooner.

A well thought out and executed recruitment process will yield greater retention outcomes and result a more productive new hire and an individual who will promote your company resulting in greater attraction for new hires in the future.

If you require advice or assistance with undertaking a recruitment process, or should you require support regarding any HR matter, please contact the team at HR Advice Online at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au.au or on 1300 720 004.

HR Advice Online is proud to support you and your business with our New Hire Package to take away the guess work once you’ve made an offer to the successful candidate. Please see the attached flyer for further information regarding the New Hire Package.

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How to write a winning job advertisement

HR Advice Online — Sat, 20 May 2023 16:13:23 +0000

How to write a winning job advertisement

Now more than ever you need to be diligent and focused on recruiting the right employees.

It’s a tough market out there with candidates taking the pick of the roles and often negotiating a remuneration package well above the market rates.

So, what will help you identify and attract the best candidates when you have a vacancy?

Here are a few handy tips to make the process a little easier

Make sure your advert is mobile friendly – around 70% of job seekers search this way
Your job title needs to be relatable – use common words that are easily recognisable and understood i.e. Office Manager rather than Office Guru
Break your advert down into defined sections that are easy to read – Title, About the company, About the role, Duties, Skills & Experience, Culture, Benefits and How to Apply
Make sure your advert clearly reflects the day-to-day role. Ask someone else to read your draft and tell you what they would be doing in the role. Use their feedback to fine tune your advert.
Make sure your advert reflects the position description and outlines the major duties and responsibilities in 4-6 bullet points. Write them in order of importance.
What’s in it for me? Put yourself in your candidate’s shoes – what would attract you to the advert and the role? Culture, flexibility, strong team focus, remuneration, bonuses etc.
Highlight all the benefits of the role and company as well as developmental opportunities.
Use positive words to encourage job seekers to keep reading. Words like creative, friendly, team orientated, reputable, progressive, innovative, acclaimed.
Avoid negative words such as little, staff, perhaps, maybe, small, position.
Include your name, email address and mobile and invite potential new employees to contact you with questions. Whilst at first you may feel this is a time waster, you may just speak to someone who sounds perfect! You can really hear “motivation” over the phone.
Spell check – nothing worse than seeing an advert that asks for “attention to detail” yet has a typo. Last time we did a job search for a “Manger” there were 277 listed! We wouldn’t apply for a manager role like that. Would you?”

Sally Garner has decades of successful recruitment experience. Proactive recruitment practices, the development of specialised talent communities and utilisation of technology and automation have proven key to gain the best results and build strong teams in tough markets. HR Advice Online run workshops and training programs to support businesses in best practice recruitment.

Please contact us at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au.au or 1300 720 004 for further information.

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Onboarding employees remotely

HR Advice Online — Sun, 05 Jun 2022 14:28:38 +0000

Onboarding employees remotely

Finding talented people isn’t easy and companies big and small are looking beyond their usual recruitment borders for their next great employee. With hybrid working a significant incentive, this means recruiting and onboarding is often occurring remotely.

Engaging a new employee can be a challenge and when you can’t be there to guide and support them in person it can seem overwhelming.

Here are some quick tips to assist you in remote onboarding:

1. Keep in touch & stay in touch. This cannot be underestimated! Keep in touch with your new employee, checking in to see how they are before they have started their role reassures them, they will be a valued member of your team. Continue this practice, set up email, messaging, regular phone calls or video calls to ensure the person feels part of the team.

2. Appoint a mentor. Make sure they have a buddy they can call for guidance and support before they commence in their role. Their mentor will introduce them to internal processes, software, tools of the company and help make them feel a part of the team.

3. Make sure their technology is delivered and working before they start. Consider how the person will be introduced to internal processes, software, tools, and the security information of the company.

4. Develop an onboarding process which is interactive and engaging. Prepare an overview of the company and send it to the employee, this could be a slide pack or a video. Provide some history of the organisation, what great work you do, what part you play in the community, and your achievements. This will help your new employee feel connected.

5. Provide an organisation chart and make sure you include them. Include photos of the team. Have each team member call them and explain their role and how they will interact with them (depending on size of business and team). Explain what support they can provide and what they can expect from them. Provide them with contact details of all the team members they will be working with. Don’t send an avalanche of policies and reading material. Provide the key policies your new employee needs to be aware of before they start and stagger the rest, so they don’t feel overwhelmed by process.

6. Set expectations early. Be clear about what is OK and not OK. Ensure they understand their start and finish times, dress code, etiquette in on-line meetings and during phone calls, tone and writing styles. Be very clear on what their productivity level should be and how it will develop over time.

7. Keep in touch & stay in touch and reiterate expectations. Provide feedback, check in, discuss their work and your expectations on a regular basis.

Getting this process right will help your new employee feel connected and help them to bond with the team and the organisation. Plan it well and ask for feedback so you know how to improve the process for your next new hire.

If you require advice or assistance regarding modern award coverage or support regarding any HR matter, please contact the team at HR Advice Online at advice@stg.hradviceonline.com.au.au or on 1300 720 004.

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