Be the best buddy

As a buddy for a newbie, you are the first point of contact. Regardless of whether it's technical or team-related: you support the newbie with all of his/her questions and make sure she/he is doing well. The most important thing is to build a relationship of trust between the newbie and you. The newbie should feel comfortable and that is the number one priority for you as a buddy. To prepare you for your tasks, you will receive a buddy workshop from the P&C team.

Your tasks start before the newbie's first day (see onboarding checklist). You are responsible for making sure that the onboarding runs smoothly and that the newbie has all the information before the first day (e.g. start, agenda first day).

On the first day, you give a first introduction to the most important tools (e.g. Slack, Google Workplace, Kenjo), the team structure ("who does what") and the most important processes (e.g. meetings).

In the first weeks, make sure that the newbie is well-connected in the company and knows the most important people (lead community, coaches, P&C, etc.). Together with the lead, clarify the expectations of the newbie so that his/her role is clear to all parties. If you are unsure about this, feel free to approach the onboarding community or your lead.

It is important that you keep in touch with your newbie throughout the probationary period. Jour fixes or bi-weekly meetings can help to identify and clarify questions or uncertainties early on. The most important questions are:

  • "How are you?"
  • "How can we support you?”

If you have any questions, please contact the onboarding community #io-onboarding-buddy-general-information.

Feedback meetings

Regularly

During the probationary period, it would be great to give feedback to your newbie throughout. Important points are:

  • What is already working well?
  • Where do you see opportunities for development? Be sure to get feedback from others (e.g. coaches, colleagues, etc.).

During probationary period

Make sure you organize all necessary meetings for your newbie stated here.

Afterwards

You can certainly stay in close contact with your newbie beyond the probationary period.