Bringing a new employee onboard is both an exciting and stressful time. And while managers play a critical role in shaping a new employees’ first weeks and months, a broader team effort can ensure the experience is both positive and productive.
Every New Employee Needs an Onboarding “Buddy”
Bringing a new employee onboard is both an exciting and stressful time. And while managers play a critical role in shaping a new employees’ first weeks and months, a broader team effort can ensure the experience is both positive and productive. Over the past few years, Microsoft has been working to improve its onboarding process through a pilot program involving “onboarding buddies”: a dedicated current employee assigned to help a new hire’s transition. The company learned that these buddies help ensure a successful onboarding in three key ways: they provide organizational context, boost productivity, and improve new employee satisfaction. Companies that want to start a similar pilot should keep in mind what current employees need to be successful buddies, too. This usually involves prioritizing their workloads, communicating timing, and clarify reporting structures. Ultimately, successful onboarding doesn’t require an overcomplicated playbook. It just takes planful management and the right amount of support.