10 Incredible Virtual Orientation Ideas to Welcome New Employees in Style

For your new hires to hit the ground running and reach their full potential, you have to wow them with a stellar virtual orientation experience that they will never forget. This is easier said than done since welcoming new joinees into a virtual environment can bring forth a new set of challenges that you may have previously overlooked. However, with the right approaches in action, it’s a cakewalk to keep new talents connected and motivated in the long run. 

In this article, we’ve compiled a few engaging virtual orientation ideas that will ensure your employees are onboarded seamlessly without feeling out of place or impersonal. 

1. What is Online Orientation?

Online orientation at the workplace is a digital adaptation of the traditional onboarding process, where new employees familiarize themselves with various aspects of your organization through virtual platforms. It typically involves understanding the company’s culture, policies, procedures, and job responsibilities through videos, presentations, and other interactive modules. 

To make the most out of the online onboarding process, you can include some exciting virtual onboarding games and activities, which can make the new entrants realize they’re joining a fun-loving and happening workplace.

2. 10 Best Virtual Orientation Ideas For New Employees

2.1. Create Buzz With Social Media 

Introduce new faces to the organization with fun and creative employee welcome announcements. You can use channels such as  Slack or Microsoft Teams to introduce them with a personalized post that contains a cool selfie and a short yet funny description of their hobbies, favorite movies, or TV shows.

An announcement on the company’s Facebook channel or LinkedIn profile will serve to officially welcome your new joiners and share exciting details about their roles. Here are some other creative virtual orientation ideas you can use to announce new teammates:

• Animated GIF introductions
• Send a company-wide email
• Post an announcement on the organization's bulletin board
• Welcome meeting via virtual platforms
• Organize virtual welcome events

Pro tip: We recommend checking out Bonusly, a leading employee recognition platform to give new employees a creative shoutout on their first day. 

2.2.  Conduct a Virtual Company Trivia

An onboarding Company Trivia by Hooray Teams is one of the more creative virtual orientation ideas to help new joinees learn more about your company. A dedicated host will put your new employees’ knowledge to the test by curating fun facts about your industry or company or based on any specific themes for orientation program. 

Of course, it's boring to confine these 4-5 rounds of trivia in the company realm, so why not ask your trivia master to include questions from movies, music, or pop culture for a customized experience? These trivia games are a great way for new joinees to learn more about the company and bond with other coworkers. 

Pro tip: Once the onboarding is done, request your new team member to pick a few "Just-for-Fun" questions for the next new hire.

2.3. Pair Up With an Onboarding Buddy 

If you want new hires to get comfortable in the new settings and acquainted with the process, pairing them with a dedicated point-of-contact is one of the best virtual orientation ideas to try out. Assign a buddy to each new employee to greet and orient new hires to your organization. This buddy is like a mentor, a friend, and a go-to person whom the new employee can turn to for help and guidance during their early days on the job.

They can share new hires with all the essential information, like company policies, workplace culture, perks and benefits, and more. It's such a relief that someone from the team has got their back which is a surefire way to increase confidence and productivity. 

Pro tip: Applications like Donut randomly pair team members for a casual conversation.   

2.4. Break the Ice With Virtual Games 

Playing different virtual games in the workplace gives everyone, including new employees, a chance to connect and learn more about each other. If you want some out of the box virtual orientation ideas, you can try out Icebreakers by Hooray Teams,  a hosted platform for fun and engaging virtual games and activities.

A lively host will be with you to guide you through the games and activities while making sure you’re in for a great time. You and your team can ask the host to customize the session with virtual jeopardy, virtual trivia, virtual escape room, and virtual murder mystery games. This activities encourages collaboration, critical thinking, and learning among newly boarded employees. 

Pro tip:  Ask your new employees to share an activity of their preference ahead of planning new employee orientation ideas. 

2.5. Outwit the Mafia 360 Escape Room 

Looking for more interactive virtual orientation ideas to deliver your onboarding training? Mafia 360 Escape Room by Hooray Teams helps participants bond and collaborate while navigating through challenging scenarios You and your team will be transferred to a secret speakeasy in the waning days of prohibition, where you will face mysterious circumstances.

In this game, a dedicated host will lead you and your team through intricate puzzles, clues, and codes to uncover the hidden secrets. Team members must collaborate and put their critical thinking to the test in virtual breakout rooms to crack the challenges within the one-hour time frame. 

Pro tip: Take full advantage of the 360-degree feature to pay attention to every detail in the room, as clues and hidden elements may be positioned in unexpected locations

2.6. Find the Missing Movie

If you want to help your new teammates use their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills right off the bat, there is no better activity than Virtual Mystery in Hollywood by Hooray Teams. 

The plot revolves around the disappearance of silent movie star Buster Chaplin's latest movie. Now, you and your team need to channel your inner detectives as you assess potential suspects and figure out where the movie is.   

Our team had a blast playing Virtual Mystery in Hollywood, and we were amazed by the level of teamwork it fostered.  The intricate plot, combined with the storyline, kept us hooked throughout the game. A lively host was there to guide our team from start to finish ensuring that everyone was engaged and on the right track. 

Pro tip: Tell everyone to dress up in costume and grab some props for the virtual mystery game! It'll make the game more exciting and realistic.

2.7. Host a Welcome Virtual Scavenger Hunt

Among virtual orientation ideas, organizing a virtual scavenger hunt can provide an interactive and thrilling experience for new employees. You have to split up your teams into groups and give them a list of items they have to find within their homes, and the team that gets these items the fastest will win. For example, you can ask these teams to look for items needed in a workplace, such as staplers, pins, and notepads, or items needed in the kitchen, such as spoons, knives, chopping boards, and much more.

The winners could be given a small reward, for example, an Amazon gift card. To make this game a bigger success, you could invite managers of other departments and their teams, which would bring people who have never worked together closer. 

Pro tip: Custom scavenger hunt apps like Scavify make it easy for organizations to streamline photo and answer submissions, track time, and announce the winner.

2.8. Send Out a Brand Swag Pack

One of the meaningful virtual orientation ideas for new hires is to send them a cool and unique company swag pack. This simple yet thoughtful reward can make new employees feel welcomed, allowing you to showcase your company culture. 

Gift your new hires something to smile about from the very start with the good stuff—like sustainable totes, reusable notebooks, smart water bottles, Bamboo Backpack, and much more. You can also consider including a gift card so employees feel more excited. 

Pro tip: During onboarding, ask them a few questions that help you curate a personalized welcome package. Perhaps John sips a special herbal tea that helps him unwind while Alice goes hiking on weekends.  

Explore our comprehensive articles on new employee announcements and welcome kits to enhance your new employee onboarding process. 

2.9. Plan a Remote Welcome Lunch 

You might have enjoyed in-office lunch for new hires, and you don’t have to forgo this tradition when planning virtual orientation ideas. Even if you are unable to have lunch sessions in the office, you can ask all your employees to order the same food, and then you can tune into any video conference platform. 

While enjoying your meal, you can plan fun team building games such as Virtual Jeopardy, Two Truth and a Lie, World You Rather, and Never Have I Ever, to name a few. Or you can simply spend your lunchtime engaging in casual get-to-know discussions. 

Pro tip: Share a gift card for UberEats, DoorDash, or any food vendor of your choice to spend on their favorite lunch, whether that’s barbecue, pizza, sushi, sandwiches, or salads.

2.10. Organize a Happy Hour Event 

Much like remote lunch, a virtual happy hour event also translates as amazing virtual orientation ideas for your team’s recent additions. You can plan interactive team bonding activities like virtual cocktail-making sessions, talent shows, virtual charades, happy hour Karaoke, or a virtual paint party to make the event engaging and memorable. 

By incorporating such innovative virtual orientation ideas, you not only introduce new hires to the team culture but also help them share experiences, exchange insights, and break down initial barriers. This will contribute to a more inclusive and collaborative work environment. 

Pro tip: Utilize breakout rooms for smaller group chats to foster more personal connections

3. FAQs

3.1. How do I make online employee orientation fun?

Some fun tips to plan virtual new hire orientation include;

1. Set up personalized and creative themes for freshman orientation
2. Set up one-on-one casual meetings with the management
3. Conduct a meme icebreaker challenge
4. Organize virtual charades
5. Plan a digital storytelling session
6. Have themed dress-up days
7. Organize a virtual Talent show

3.2. How do you do a virtual orientation?

1. Before the orientation starts, make sure you check all the IT equipment and tools are set up. 
2. You can also have a test run to weed out the bugs. 
3. Use video conferencing apps, such as Zoom, Google Meet or Microsoft Teams
4. Schedule and inform employees about new hire orientation ideas beforehand. 

3.3. What is virtual orientation like?

Virtual orientation at the workplace utilizes digital platforms and technologies to introduce new joiners to new environments or concepts online. This means sharing documentation, providing training, and implementing employee engagement activities virtually. You can explore a wide range of virtual orientation ideas for engagement to see what makes the best for your company and new hires.

 Some virtual employee orientation examples are icebreakers, trivia games, talent shows, or escape rooms. Remember, the main idea is to make the employees feel welcomed and comfortable in their new surroundings.

3.4. How do you onboard a virtual employee?

1. Come up with customized orientation week themes
2. Organize interactive and fun activities for new employee orientation
3. Immerse the new joinees in the workplace values and culture
4. Allow flexibility by letting new employees take their time with onboarding materials
5. Communicate frequently and stay connected with the employee.