The document discusses the buddy system, where a new employee is paired with an experienced employee, or "buddy", to help them acclimate to the new organization. A buddy acts as a point of contact, answering questions and introducing the new employee to others. They show the new employee around and explain policies and procedures but do not handle formal responsibilities like performance reviews. The buddy system benefits both the new employee by easing their transition and helping them network, and the buddy by allowing them to develop leadership skills while recognizing their performance.

1. By : Aishwarya Surag

2. History
• The purpose of assigning new employees with a buddy is to
help welcome employees and reaffirms their decision to join
the organization. The buddy system is a procedure in which
two people, the "buddies", operate together as a single unit
so that they are able to monitor and help each other.[1] As per
Merriam-Webster, the first known use of the phrase “buddy
system” goes as far back as 1942. Webster goes on to define
the buddy system as “an arrangement in which two
individuals are paired (as for mutual safety in a hazardous
situation

3. Means
• In an organisational context,
the buddy system is used
when a new employee is
assigned an
experienced buddy who
acts a point of contact, a
confidante, and an 'in' to
the rest of the organisation.

4. Who is a Buddy?
• Who is a Buddy? A buddy will be a College
employee, other than the new member of
staff’s line manager, who will be familiar with
the job role and department.

5. Task
• Be available to answer immediate routine questions of a
general nature
• Provide information on how the working area operates, along
with its policies and procedures, and where to go for other
sources of information
• Show the new member of staff around the building,
introducing them to other members of staff they may see
within their working environment, but may not otherwise
come into contact with within their role
• Point out catering or other facilities that may be of interest,
i.e. sports centre, library, etc
• Accompany them to lunch on their first day

6. What does a Buddy not do?
• A buddy should not involve themselves in issues relating to
the new member of staff’s appointment or formal
arrangements within the area, such as performance
expectations and standards, training, etc. The buddy should
direct the new member of staff to their line manager if their
questions become more complex or involve the work itself, as
the buddy’s role is purely to help the new member of staff
feel welcome at the College and to allay any feelings of
isolation within their new job.

7. A buddy is not:
• An advisor or counsellor
• A new best friend
• A confidante
• Coach
• Manager
• Helper
• Guide

8. Good Buddy SKills
• A good buddy is someone who is prepared to be:
• A contact
• A friendly face
• An informal source of information on the team and
department
• Someone who knows how things work across the
organisation and is prepared to share that experience
• The ability to listen
• A willingness to learn

9. Buddy Program with Routine
Meetings and Feedback
• The structure of a Buddy meeting should be relaxed — coffee,
lunch, or a sit-down in the common area. For remote workers,
a simple Google Hangout or Skype session will do the trick.
• Depending on how long your Buddy Program lasts (we suggest
3 - 6 months), the meeting calendar should look something
like this,
• 1x/week for first month
• 2x/month for months 2 - 3
• 1x/month for months 4 - 6
• 1 end of program meeting to recap and explore the new-no-
more hire’s interest in becoming a Buddy

10. Buddy Suggestive duties
• Buddy duties include more than offering directions to the
bathroom and printer. They should share useful, socially-
focused information to help with the new-hires cultural
acclimation, such as:
• The best nearby coffee shop
• Great after-work happy hours
• Unspoken kitchen rules (Ben’s soymilk is not communal…
don’t find out the hard way!)
• The nearest pharmacy
• Favorite lunch spots
• Weekend access hours
• Just how informal are Casual Fridays? (Leopard print leggings
— Yea or Nay?)

11. Benefits to Onboarding Buddy
• New hires need to know more people than just their boss and
HR
• Companies have unwritten rules that new hires should learn.
• Having friends at work increases engagement and retention
• Orientation doesn’t cover everything
• Less Supervision
• Failure Rate Decreased
• Employee turnover rate increased
• Attrition rate decreased
• Productivity enhanced rapidly
• Culture understanding done easily

12. Having a Buddy is a Win/Win/Win Solution
Buddy Benefits New Employee Benefits Duke Benefits
Recognition as a
strong performer
One-on-one assistance Increased employee
satisfaction and retention
Expanded network Jump-start on networking Increased employee
communication
Opportunity to encourage
and engage others
Single point-of-contact Enhanced employee
development
A fresh perspective Knowledge of “how things
really get done.”
Enhanced quality work
processes
Enhanced leadership and
communication skills
Smoother acclimation and
onboarding period
Increased employee
productivity