Creating a New Hire Buddy Program

We’ve all been through the parade of introductions to the different departments in our onboarding process where we meet a VP or Director who is “super excited” to meet each of us and work with us. We get a general overview of what they do, but there isn’t really any guidance on how everyone works together. Buddies can also introduce New Hires to important contacts and resources within the organization…in context of their new role.

We know that Buddies increase New Hire satisfaction and productivity. So what do we need to do first? How do we set up a Buddy Program? A good Buddy Program should not require a ton of extra effort from any party involved. If the Buddy needs too much time away from their role, managers and organizations suffer due to lost productivity. If the New Hire requires too much hands-on work, then the training team and manager need to work together on a path to success. The training and enablement team will need to put together a list of tasks and a loose calendar for the Buddy and New Hire to sync on. As always- be open to feedback and iteration.

Something that often gets overlooked in creating a Buddy Program is being sure to select a good Buddy. Not everyone is ready or even willing to be a Buddy, and that is ok. When nominating and assigning Buddies, we should be sure to choose those who exceed expectations, are on the same team or department as the New Hire, are confident, patient, and live the organizational culture. Onboarding a Buddy is also very important. Once you have your nominees, take time to meet with each and go over expectations. Anything outside the scope of the Buddy should be handed over to the manager or the training team. Having guides and checklists for the program is a must. We want a consistent program no matter the Buddy or the New Hire.

It is important to ensure that you are creating a framework for the program to work within. We aren't looking for a rigid list. We want everyone involved (Buddies, New Hires, managers, and trainers) to be able to adjust the program according to needs and observations. Create clear tasks and expectations, check-ins, and reinforcements. If a new hire has mastered something early...that's a good thing!

I’ve worked in organizations with and without Buddy Programs. The difference is telling. As you’ve been able to read in these articles, a Buddy Program is a necessary investment. Take the time to get it right, but don’t wait until it is perfect to launch one. Design thinking is very important in training as well! Create a pilot with a few New Hires, gather feedback, iterate, rollout, keep gathering feedback, and keep iterating.