Employee turnover is still a big problem today. A 2024 survey from Microsoft and LinkedIn found that 46% of professionals are considering quitting this year—even more than during the Great Resignation.¹ One major reason is poor employee onboarding.
Onboarding is crucial to turnover because new hires learn their role and decide if they fit in. Many companies offer training programs and long orientations. But in high-skill fields like tech, these employee onboarding strategies may not always be enough. New employees can feel overwhelmed with the technicalities or unsure who to ask for help. Without proper support, turnover remains a consistent threat.
This is where the onboarding buddy system comes in.
An onboarding process with a buddy system involves pairing new hires with experienced employees. When fresh employees have a designated mentor to guide and welcome them, it’s easier for them to feel more loyal to the company.
Research supports this—Gallup says that managers must regularly initiate the right conversations with their employees to reduce quitting.² Also, researchers from Baylor University found that early emotional connections are key to boosting employee retention.³
Adding the onboarding buddy program to your onboarding plan can make new hires feel supported and more likely to stay—reducing turnover and strengthening your company.
How the Buddy System Works in Onboarding
Buddy systems can be used in different parts of a company. However, onboarding usually involves a new hire paired with an experienced employee, like a manager, team lead, or senior worker. For example, Microsoft’s onboarding program involves managers meeting with their new hires one-on-one.⁴
Usually, the new hire meets their onboarding buddy through email or a quick call before everything starts. Then, on the first day, the buddy officially welcomes them, gives them a tour of the office (or virtual space), and helps set up their workspace.
After the first day, onboarding buddies must support the new hire throughout the onboarding process. Here’s a checklist of key onboarding buddy responsibilities:
- Directly answering questions about the job and the company
- Assisting with understanding company tools and software
- Troubleshooting technical or procedural issues
- Explaining team dynamics and how departments collaborate
- Helping navigate the company culture
- Offering feedback on performance
How an Onboarding Buddy System Helps Reduce Turnover
An onboarding buddy program brings major benefits, such as building leadership skills and cutting training costs. However, one of its biggest advantages is helping employees become more loyal to a company, which lowers turnover.
1. Fosters an Immediate Sense of Belonging
Many companies try to make new hires feel welcome with friendly introductions, warm messages, and orientation sessions. This helps, but they don’t always create a personal connection.
Having a buddy helps new employees feel comfortable quickly since connecting with one person is easier than a whole group. Instead of guessing how to connect with different people in the first weeks, they immediately have a go-to person who can welcome them.
This way, an onboarding buddy program helps prevent new hires from feeling lost or isolated during their first days, which are common reasons people quit early. The faster employees feel like they belong, the easier for them to be loyal to the company.
2. Makes Integration Into the Culture Easier
Company culture usually takes a few weeks to figure out. New hires have to learn unspoken rules, like how teams communicate or what’s considered professional but casual.
But with an onboarding buddy, they can ask questions that might feel awkward in group settings, like “Can I eat lunch at my desk?” or “Do people actually leave at 5?” This makes adjusting quickly and setting expectations easier since they don’t have to observe the culture from a distance.
This benefits everyone because the sooner a new employee understands the company culture, the faster everyone can know if the hire is a good fit.
3. Offers Customized Training
Poor training can make people feel unfit for a company. But if employees receive good training at the start, they’re more likely to stay long-term.
Standard onboarding materials and template training programs are important when teaching technical tools and skills to new hires. However, these methods follow a one-size-fits-all approach.
Every new hire learns differently. Some people grasp specific tasks quickly, while others need more time. For instance, a new software engineer might immediately understand the coding process but struggle with using the company’s internal communication tools.
Onboarding buddies can fill these gaps by offering personalized help based on the new employee’s needs. New hires get specific answers and tips, helping them avoid common pitfalls that formal training might miss.
4. Allows a Faster Learning Curve
Companies invest time and resources in training new employees. The longer new hires learn the more productivity a company loses. However, a steep learning curve benefits both the employee and the company by reducing downtime and accelerating productivity.
Having a go-to person for questions makes learning faster and more efficient. For instance, instead of waiting for a formal training session or searching through lengthy manuals, new hires can ask their buddy directly for crucial tasks. With immediate access to an experienced peer, they get quick answers, allowing them to focus on more critical tasks sooner.
5. Enhances Early Feedback Loops
Traditional feedback methods, like annual reviews, often lack the timely and personal touch new hires need. In contrast, onboarding buddy programs offer immediate and customized feedback, helping new employees understand where they excel and where they can improve right from the start.
This early feedback boosts job satisfaction and makes employees feel valued, which lowers turnover. When employees feel confident in their progress and are supported by onboarding buddies, they are more likely to find a future in the company.
6. Provides Career Growth Mentoring
Career development is a big reason why employees stay in a company. If they see opportunities to grow early on, they’ll be more likely to stay and work toward a future in the company.
A successful onboarding buddy system helps reinforce this by pairing new hires with an employee who has stayed longer in the company, a seasoned professional. This gives them inspiration to grow and practical guidance on career development from someone who has already made it far.
7. Creates a Better Overall Employee Experience
Career growth, training, company culture, and a sense of belonging are key to onboarding. However, new hires also face challenges like initial work anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and fear of making mistakes.
It’s normal for employees to face these challenges during onboarding, but a successful buddy program can make everything much easier. A mentor can remove anxieties and uncertainties by connecting at a personal level instead of in a group setting. A pleasurable onboarding experience ultimately leads to higher job satisfaction, better employee engagement, and stronger retention.
Raso360 can help you create the best onboarding buddy program.
Raso360 specializes in offering the best staffing services to our clients. From matching companies with top talent to helping improve their employee management strategies, we offer you nothing but practical solutions that bring successful results.
With our expertise, you can build effective onboarding buddy programs that support new hires, boost engagement, and help them feel comfortable in their roles. Let’s work together to make your onboarding a central factor in your company’s long-term success.
Contact us to start working on your onboarding and staffing strategies!
References:
- Smith, Morgan. “Nearly 50% of People Are Considering Leaving Their Jobs in 2024.” CNBC, 8 May 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/05/08/nearly-50percent-of-people-are-considering-leaving-their-jobs-in-2024.html.
- Tatel, Corey, and Ben Wigert. “Employee Turnover Is Preventable—So Why Is It Often Ignored?” Gallup, 10 July 2024, www.gallup.com/workplace/646538/employee-turnover-preventable-often-ignored.aspx.
- Walker-Schmidt, Wendi, Corina Kaul, and Lacy Crocker Papadakis. “Onboarding Effects on Engagement and Retention in the IT Sector.” Impacting Education: Journal for Transforming Professional Practice, vol. 7, no. 4, 2022, files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1369047.pdf.
- Young, Candice, et al. “Every New Employee Needs an Onboarding Buddy.” Microsoft Tech Community, 24 Sept. 2021, techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/viva_insights_blog/every-new-employee-needs-an-onboarding-buddy/3862435.
