Arguably one of the trickiest aspects in the new way of working is the task of integrating fresh recruits who are working remotely. Building a sense of camaraderie, informal networking channels and a natural exchange of information has been one of the biggest challenges faced by HR professionals since the outbreak of the pandemic.

A recent survey in the US found more than a third of human resources directors questioned said remote onboarding has been more difficult than welcoming new recruits into the physical workplace. The top reason given was the lack of relationship-building opportunities, cited by 52 per cent of respondents. That was followed by difficulties in ensuring that new employees understand the company culture, and technology issues, both at 20%.

Given the importance of informal communication to newcomers, companies have been looking at ways that technology can be deployed to meet this need among home-bound staff.

When independent Scottish law firm Burness Paull asked for the thoughts of the 40 new recruits that have joined its ranks since the start of the pandemic, one of the suggestions that came back was for regular coffee mornings, but with a twist. Rather than a large crowd of new starts all on the same Teams meeting, everyone’s name is thrown into a random generator that pairs people up for a one-on-one chat.

Antonia Donaldson, a graduate from the University of Glasgow who joined the firm at the end of August, says what has come to be known as “coffee roulette” allows those who have recently joined to emulate the informal chats that would normally take place over the water cooler, lunch or drinks after work. By limiting it to just two people – but a different person each week – it’s easier to establish personal connections that build a sense of team.

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Another widespread issue for all home workers has been the sense of isolation felt by many, which can be particularly problematic for those who have recently joined an organisation. However, Ms Donaldson looks at it in a different way.

“You don’t feel isolated because everybody is in the same boat,” she said. “It would be very different if everyone else was in the office and you were the only one at home.”

That said, there is a general acknowledgement that informal face-to-face interactions are important. Louise Farrar, director of student recruitment at accountancy group PwC, believes this is particularly significant among those just starting out in their careers.

“I think younger people will be more keen than others to get back to the office,” she says. “When you think about the personal situations that many of them are in, often sharing a flat with others who are also working from home, there isn’t a lot of space, so it can be quite cramped and difficult.”

When the pandemic took hold in March, PwC was on the verge of bringing in 200 new starts across the UK. That proved to be the warm-up for what then came in September, when a further 1,500 recruits joined the ranks.

“That was a huge task,” Ms Farrar says, though the scale of PwC’s operations has in some ways made it easier to create a structured onboarding environment. This is further aided by the fact that much of a student recruit’s first year in accounting is spent studying and working towards their qualifications.

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“Working from home does have some benefits because they can be much more focused on their learning,” she said.

New starts at Burness Paull since the beginning of the pandemic have included 22 trainees, five lateral hires at partner level, and a variety of roles in between. Head of HR Lorna Macaulay noted there are differences between the issues faced by new hires who are starting out in their careers, and those with more experience.

“Certainly for the trainees, all of their learning would have taken place on a one-to-one basis sitting alongside an experienced member of staff,” she said. “That has all had to be shifted, and we have had to find other ways of injecting the personal element into what we do with that.

“Partners have a longer notice period, usually about six months, so there’s a good chance they would have met other members of their team before they officially joined.”