Do you remember the last time you had a “first day on the job” experience? Were you assigned a buddy? Was that buddy helpful, or was it a “sink or swim” scenario?
I do.
In my younger days, I spent a few years as a food server. For those of you who have never been a server before, let me break down how the buddy system works in restaurants.
Picture this: a new hire, Stacy, gets paired with Jerry, who’s been working at the restaurant for years but is more interested in generating tips than helping Stacy learn the ropes. By the end of the first week, Stacy knows how to fold napkins and refill the salad dressings (otherwise known as sidework) but has no clue how to manage the flow of customers during busy times.
But, I hear you say, restaurants are different…okay how about this: Sarah, is paired with Tim, who is the office social butterfly and is better known for his conversational skills than his actual work. After shadowing Tim for the first week, Sarah has mastered the art of breakroom gossip and pilfering the supply closet but still has no clue about processes that may make her successful on the job.
Houston, we have a problem.
This scenario highlights a serious issue. Without a structured and well-planned buddy system, new hires can quickly become disengaged and ineffective, leading to high turnover and lost productivity.
This is exactly why traditional position “shadowing” requires a 2024 facelift. Modernizing your buddy system with a strategic “New Hire first” approach ensures that buddies like Tim are equipped to provide genuine support and guidance, helping new hires succeed from day one.
So why is it that many organizations make the mistake of assigning any willing employee as a buddy without considering the critical qualities and training required to perform this role effectively?
- There is often a misconception that simply being friendly and willing is enough to be an effective buddy, overlooking the need for specific skills such as empathy and communication.
- In a rush to onboard new hires quickly, companies opt for the most readily available person rather than taking the time to carefully select and train suitable buddies, leading to Jerry and Tim scenarios.
- There is a lack of understanding or awareness of the impact a well-structured buddy system can have on new hire integration and overall productivity, treating it as a simple tick-box item.
This lack of careful selection and planning can lead to mixed results and a less effective onboarding experience for the new hire. The truth of the matter is – studies show that organizations with unstructured onboarding processes experience a turnover rate of nearly 20% within the first 45 days of employment. And unless you like the “new hire hamster wheel,” changes need to be made.
This information connects with my recent posts about:
- Providing the new hire with “Warm Welcomes“
- Planning for the “Warm Parting”
Before we break down your revised B.U.D.D.I.E.S. system, let’s review what a “Buddy System” is supposed to do.
What is a buddy system supposed to accomplish?
Depending on your organization, the buddy system is targeted to accomplish several things.
Generally, the ideal buddy for a new hire is to have a “friendly guide by your side” when starting a new job. It’s designed to make sure new hires feel at home and get up to speed quickly. Helping newbies blend into the company culture and understand the lay of the land without feeling lost. With a buddy, they have someone to turn to for questions, support, and a bit of moral boosting, making their first days a lot less stressful.
A good buddy system should also help ramp up productivity. By having an experienced buddy showing new hires the ropes, they can pick up on workflows and tools quicker and become effective team members sooner.
Then there’s the unwritten purpose of buddies acting as role models and demonstrating the company’s values. New hires learn a lot just by observing their buddy’s positive behaviors and seeing if those behaviors align with what they understand are the company’s goals. In short, the ideal buddy system is all about making new hires feel welcome, supported, and ready to grow in their new roles.
But as I’ve already described, it doesn’t always happen that way. This is why it’s time to give your buddy system a bit of Botox.
Introducing the B.U.D.D.I.E.S. System
Use B.U.D.D.I.E.S as a way to modernize your Buddy System
B – Be Selective: Are You Selecting the Right People? Selecting the right buddy can make or break your program. Choose team members who are not only experienced and knowledgeable but also great communicators and empathetic. These buddies should represent the company’s culture and values, acting as role models for new hires.
U – Understanding “Support”: Training the Buddy on How to Support the New Hire. Buddies need proper training to recognize and address signs of stress and burnout in new hires. They should be able to create and support a safe and welcoming environment, fostering open communication and trust.
D – Define Success: Developing Goals for the Buddy. Setting clear expectations and goals for buddies is essential. Develop milestones to measure buddy effectiveness, such as new hire satisfaction or task completion.
D – Deliberate Engagement: Buddy-Led Activities. Buddies should lead various activities to help new hires become part of the team, including welcome lunches, check-in sessions, or product demonstrations. These activities should mix fun and work to give new hires a well-rounded start and provide an introduction to the organizational culture.
I – Interoffice Collaboration: Building Broad Connections. Pairing new hires with buddies from different departments who share the same skills helps them build a broader network and get a feel for how the whole company works together. This way, they can learn from different perspectives and see how all the pieces fit. Plus, it’s a great way to mix things up and make the workplace feel more connected and friendly.
E – Equip with Tools: Buddy Handbook and Checklist Provide buddies with a handbook or checklist outlining their responsibilities and providing them with tips for success. A checklist can ensure all necessary onboarding steps are covered, from key activities to regular check-ins.
S – Show Appreciation: Recognizing and Rewarding Buddies Being a buddy takes time and effort and it’s important to recognize and reward their efforts. Feature them in newsletters or your intranet, thank you notes, special SWAG, or perhaps an extra vacation day all can show your appreciation for a job well-done.
How do we get there from here?
We’ve outlined the new B.U.D.D.I.E.S. system, the hard part is implementing it. This involves moving from theory to practice with a clear, step-by-step approach. Let’s walk through the steps you can take to bring this system to life and start seeing its benefits in your onboarding process.
Steps for Developing and Implementing the New Buddy System
- Define Buddy System Objectives and Goals:
- Outline the specific objectives of the buddy system. What is the business goal? Improve retention? Improve ramp-up time to mastery?
- Develop a Communication Plan:
- Create a plan to communicate the new buddy system to management and potential buddies. Explain the buddy system’s benefits, the buddy roles and responsibilities, and the revised training process.
- Revise the Process of Pairing New Hires with Buddies:
- Create profiles for potential buddies, including their skills, experience, and personality traits.
- Develop a set of criteria, such as similar job functions, complementary skills, and shared interests.
- Design and Develop a Buddy Training Plan
- Develop a buddy training program that covers key areas like recognizing stress, providing support, and creating a safe environment to ask questions.
- Develop a Buddy Handbook:
- Create a detailed handbook outlining the buddy’s responsibilities and tips for success. Include a checklist of tasks and milestones.
- Develop Buddy-Led Activities:
- Develop a list of various activities that buddies can lead, such as department tours, welcome lunches, or product show-and-tell.
- Develop Success Measurements
- Clearly outline what success looks like for the buddy, including key outcomes such as new hire satisfaction, project completion, or retention.
- How will you monitor the goals to evaluate the system’s effectiveness?
- Plan to Recognize and Reward Buddies:
- How will you show appreciation for their time and effort?
- Continuous Improvement:
- How will you review and refine the buddy system? How often?
Follow these steps to smoothly roll out your buddy system, making sure new hires feel supported and boosting their overall confidence.
Let’s wrap this up.
Just like Stacy with her napkins and Sarah with her breakroom gossip, new hires need more than just a warm body to shadow—they need real support and guidance. That’s why modernizing your buddy system is so important. By following these steps, you can roll out a buddy system that actually helps new hires get up to speed and feel at home. Set clear goals, pick and train the right buddies, communicate the plan well, and keep tweaking things based on what works and what doesn’t.
Remember, it’s all about making sure new hires don’t just survive their first weeks but shine in their new roles. So, let’s give that buddy system a 2024 facelift and make the onboarding experience something that sets the stage for long-term success and satisfaction. Here’s to turning those first days into the beginning of a job role that is amazing!
