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
It has been great. Slaven quickly learned everything he needed to take the plunge and do a lot of independent work. At the same time, he has been learning other things he will need in the future
Mentee
My impressions are really positive, my mentor was great, and I learned a lot from him. He is always there to help, and now, when the program is over for me, I have only words of praise for Slobodan.
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.
Buddy
From the perspective of the buddy, I think the concept is very useful and effective. New members of the team have an easier time getting familiar with the project, work methods, and processes. Buddies are aware of their duties, and they can prepare on their own, dedicate their time and devote themselves to the new team member, while the mentees know they can always talk to someone and ask whatever they want to know. This way, the process is simplified because the roles are more clearly defined, and there is no idle time.
Mentee
I am happy. The mentors are always there to help and support us.
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.
Buddy
The program is very constructive and very helpful for people who have only just started working on a project. We keep track of the entire process, and there is a focus on mutual feedback to improve this process over time if needed. Kudos for the initiative.
Mentee
I think the program is great. The mentor is always available, promptly providing really detailed info whenever needed.
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.
Mentee
I am happy with the whole program, I have learned a lot and easily familiarized myself with the projects.
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.
Buddy
For me, Buddy is a very useful project for our colleagues as well as for us mentors (especially those who have never been mentors before). It’s much easier to be a mentor to one person than to a group of people when it comes to introducing them to the project. Buddy is very constructive because it gives people an opportunity to quickly get to know all their project teammates, our methodology, as well as the project itself. I wish I had a mentor such as myself – the sky would be the limit for me! :)
Mentee
I am very happy with the Buddy program. Marko has been supportive and helpful with the tools and the systems, as well as with the integration into the team. He is always available, providing concrete info, and ready to help! Also, I have to add that he is the company’s table football champion, so it could be said I am learning from the best.