You’ve been selected as a buddy for @principal.buddy.name

Having an onboarding buddy helps new hires navigate an organization’s unspoken cultural norms, build up their networks, and get deeper context about the organization - all of which leads to them feeling more engaged, confident and productive faster. Here’s what you need to know about being an onboarding buddy.

Take these actions

• Review what it means to be an onboarding buddy
• Review onboarding buddy expectations
• Contact your buddy and add times in your calendar to check in with your buddy

What being a buddy is and isn’t

An onboarding buddy is a:

• Single point of contact for basic day-to-day questions
• Connector to resources within the organization
• Champion of organizational values
• Provider of context (i.e., who does what within the organization)

An onboarding buddy is not:

• Responsible for the new hire’s performance
• Responsible for reporting back to the new hire’s manager about the new hire
• Responsible for new hire’s career development
• Expected to be on-call or have all the answers

Onboarding buddy expectations

Including time spent responding to ad-hoc questions, the overall time commitment for a buddy is about 6-10 hours. 

Here are guidelines to help you be successful as a buddy:

Respect the new hire’s confidentiality. 

The new hire should feel comfortable asking questions knowing that you will not be reporting back to someone or talking to other team members about what was asked. 

Build (don’t force) rapport. 

Before the new hire starts, reach out by email or on LinkedIn to introduce yourself. On the first day, say hello, provide your contact information, and context about your role. Let the new hire know about your communication preferences, invite them to lunch and work events, and help them get acclimated. You don’t need to force a friendship. Let the relationship develop in a way that suits the new hire. Maybe your relationship extends beyond onboarding, and maybe it doesn't. Either is ok! 

Make yourself available (within reason). 

Your role is to answer general, day-to-day questions, direct the new hire to resources, and provide context about the company’s culture. You don't need to be on-call or know the answer to every question. You should feel comfortable setting boundaries and directing a new hire’s questions elsewhere, as appropriate. 

Be a connector. 

Especially in a hybrid and remote work environment, it can be challenging to meet other people and get context about the company. Your role includes helping the new hire build their network. This can mean providing connections to ERGs, chat channels for hobbies, or introductions to colleagues throughout the organization. 

What’s ahead

Plan time now to do the following:

• Connect with @principal.buddy.name on LinkedIn or by email
• First day introductions and office tour (as applicable) 
• First week lunch (in-person or virtually) 
• Weekly check-ins (~15 minutes) throughout the first two months 
• Month two lunch or coffee (in-person or virtually) 

What's provided for you: 

• A stipend for lunch ($25 pp) 
• A stipend for lunch/coffee ($15 pp)