At Sixsentix, we understand the importance of the smooth integration of new arrivals into the organization. We wish to make it easier for new joiners to fit in, both to make their start at the company more pleasant and to maintain a high level of agility and efficiency on our projects. That’s why we launched the Buddy program.
What is the Buddy program?
The Buddy program is created to assist with the onboarding of new employees. The main idea is that the buddy – one of the experienced team members – guides and actively participates in the training of the newly arrived candidate, one-on-one, within the project itself. This intensive training takes place during working hours, on a real project, and lasts for a limited period of time, no more than three months.
We hope that this initiative will help new employees swiftly acquire the necessary technical and soft skills, as well as a basic understanding of how our company and their project work. A seamless adaptation to the new role and a proper understanding of the new responsibilities will benefit everyone – the project team, the company, and the mentees themselves.
Buddy – a guide, a mentor, and a friend
At first, Buddy introduces the new arrival to other team members, explains everyone’s roles on the project, informs them about their formal duties and work rules, and gives them a tour of the office. Just having someone to simply show you around the place and take you to the coffee machine or the Relax room is invaluable to making the mentee feel genuinely comfortable in a new environment.
Moreover, Buddy will get the mentee acquainted with the technology the team is using, safety precautions and security procedures, and help them gain the necessary access rights and permissions. In the initial stage, the buddy’s main task is to help the new hire assimilate into the team and to pass on the crucial knowledge that will lay a foundation for the newcomer’s smooth further development.
Over time, the buddy will start including the mentee in agile ceremonies more intensively and teach them good practices, regarding both their work and personal relations in the team. Of course, the buddy’s objective is not just to provide all sorts of information, but also to encourage independent thinking and work, which will truly prepare the mentee for the challenges of their new role. And more importantly, a buddy should lead by example, which means it must be someone with the right mentality, attitude, and expertise.
Overall, the program is highly focused on coaching the mentee to work on a particular project so that they can quickly start adding value to the team. For us, it’s vital that our new colleagues can readily join everyday work activities without unnecessary setbacks and long delays. And in order to achieve that effectively, buddies will always have in mind the mentee’s level of knowledge and previous experience when defining the timeline and other details of the new teammate’s expected progress.
Everybody wins
The point of the Buddy program is simple: we know changes can be tough. Coming to a new environment is always a personal and professional challenge. Having a buddy to help you meet people, get the hang of the project, and get off on the right foot in your new job can be priceless.
Buddies have a great chance to add a new experience to their skillset list and shape a newcomer to fit the needs of the project, but also build resilient bonds with a new teammate.
As for the mentees, the program is meant to accelerate their development and boost their self-confidence in the first few months. At the end of the program, they should be fully trained to work on the project and capable of carrying out their tasks independently.
We wish all our mentees a great start to their journey at Sixsentix, and all our buddies to have a good time coaching their colleagues. We hope the Buddy program will give rise to some great new memorable moments, accomplishments, and companionships at our company.
