Onboarding Buddy Program: Guide for Current Employees
As part of theOne Mazzetti New Hire Onboarding Program, Mazzetti offers all new hires the opportunity to have an Onboarding Buddy. This card provides information about Mazzetti's Onboarding Buddy Program for current employees who are interested in or have already volunteered to be an Onboarding Buddy.
ONBOARDING BUDDY PROGRAM ESSENTIALS
- Duration of Onboarding Buddy Program: first 3 months (90 days) of employment
- Purpose of an Onboarding Buddy:
- Serve as a company and cultural ambassador.
- Answer their questions and provide insightful information about the company, role, team, etc.
- Be a friendly face for a new hire who is navigating a new work environment.
- Check-ins: At least once a week for the first 90 days of the new hire's employment at Mazzetti.
- Time sheets: Log your time in "Office" with the comment "Onboarding buddy".
- Questions? Contact the Employee Experience Manager
What is an Onboarding Buddy?
An Onboarding Buddy is a current Mazzetti employee who serves as a key member of the new hire’s support system through their onboarding experience at Mazzetti. New employee onboarding buddies can assist their new hires in acclimating to Mazzetti and their specific roles.
Why does Mazzetti have Onboarding Buddies?
Starting a new job is overwhelming- a new hire encounters a new team, anew company culture, and new expectations. We’ve all been there! Having a peer to feel comfortable going to for questions and concerns can be an immense help in adjusting to their new work environment and being successful in their new role. A successful new hire means a successful team and a successful company.
What are the Benefits of an Onboarding Buddy for New Hires?
- Provide enriching context: New employees are not familiar with the work environment when they join a company. Onboarding buddies can provide context about the key stakeholders, how to navigate Mazzetti and approach day to-day responsibilities, what the unspoken company roles and policies are, and more.
- Boost productivity: Allowing new hires to shadow current employees (when applicable), ask questions about the job and the firm, and collaborate on introductory-level tasks can help them feel comfortable on the job and boost productivity in their early time with the firm.
- Improve new employee satisfaction: Pairing a new hire with a current experienced and successful employee can help ease the new employee’s nerves, better train them on their responsibilities, and improve overall satisfaction.
When one benefits, we all benefit!
What are the Benefits of Being an Onboarding Buddy?
Being an Onboarding Buddy allows you to:
- Develop and demonstrate your managerial and leadership skills. This can be embedded into your annual goals (see: Performance Management or part of your trajectory for the Introduction to the Pathway to Principal.
- Strengthen your own knowledge base of Mazzetti, your role, and more.
- Improve company culture by creating a supportive environment where new employees can ask questions and take risks.
- Contribute to the growth and success of your team and Mazzetti by supporting a new hire with their integration, thereby increasing the likelihood that they’ll be successful in their work and stay at Mazzetti long term.
How is an Onboarding Buddy Different than a Mentor?
An Onboarding Buddy is similar to a Mentor in that they both serve as critical support mechanisms for our employees. However, they differ in some key ways which are outlined below. To learn more about Mazzetti's Mentorship program, check out FAQs: Mentoring Program.
Onboarding Buddy | Mentor | |
Timing | Days 1-90 of employment (the onboarding phase) | Eligibility beings at 90 days of employment (the post-onboarding phase) |
Environment | Informal | Formal |
Relationships | New hire paired with someone in a similar role of similar level of seniority | New hire paired with someone more senior in the organization |
Structure | Flexible | Structured |
What are the Responsibilities of an Onboarding Buddy?
Overall, the role of an Onboarding Buddy is to:
- Serve as a company and cultural ambassador.
- Answer their questions and provide insightful information about the company, role, team, etc.
- Be a friendly face for a new hire who is navigating a new work environment.
Once the new hire starts:
- Meet with the New Hire on their first day. HR will schedule a time for you and the new hire to meet to get to know each other and schedule your 1:1's for the first 90 days.
- Hold check-in meetings at least once a week for the first 90 days of the new hire's employment. These can be at any duration and cadence that you and the new hire agree on.
- Introduce the new hire to other employees.
- Answer questions about the job and Mazzetti.
- Keep the new hire's supervisor updated about any progress or concerns.
- Allow the new hire to shadow you on the job, when feasible. This is for Onboarding Buddies who are in the same/similar role as the new hire. Teach the new hire about tasks and requirements of their job, when applicable.
Tip! Use the Onboarding Buddy Check-In Journal Feature in Paylocity to document key learnings, questions, and milestones. Check out this guide to learn more about this feature.
What are some Best Practices as an Onboarding Buddy?
Be patient. New hires are nervous and will take time to understand their role and Mazzetti. Be patient with them.
Provide support but do not direct the new hire’s work. An Onboarding Buddy is not a substitute for a supervisor.
Offer feedback & advice. Feedback in the form of constructive criticism and praise can expedite a new hire’s productivity. You should offer advice on how to better approach tasks and provide praise for a job well done.
Don’t try to cover everything at once. Overwhelming the new hire with information will only hinder their progress. Take it slow and make sure that the new hire understands before moving onto a new piece of information.
Don’t try to force the relationship Not all working relationships are perfect from the start. You may have different personality types or learning styles. Instead of forcing it or abandoning the relationship, take time to allow it to form naturally.