To ensure our new teammates are set up for success, we will pair them up with an “onboarding buddy” in order to become better acquainted with Sourcegraph team and culture. An onboarding buddy is an additional resource for new teammates who are learning how to navigate their new role and company.
An onboarding buddy is essentially a new teammate’s first friend– someone to connect with that can share their experiences and advice to help make their transition a little smoother. A buddy will be the new teammate’s go-to person for questions (in addition to their manager and the People Ops team). They are someone to turn to with questions, someone who knows the ins and outs of the company and can offer help and guidance as the new teammate navigates their first few weeks at Sourcegraph.
Approachable: the new teammate is probably overwhelmed, let them know you can be accessed along with their manager if they have any questions or concerns along the way.
Proactive: check-in and see how they’re doing, if they need help with anything.
Compassionate: remember what it was like to be new and try to help ease that transition.
Helpful: shows them the ropes of the organization and gives them tips on navigating it.
Length and frequency
The new hire's manager selects the onboarding buddy. When selecting a buddy, the following are taken into account:
Role: buddies will ideally be able to assist with role and team related questions
Sourcegraph tenure: buddies will ideally have been at Sourcegraph for 3+ months, with satisfactory performance
Time Zone: the buddy and new hire will ideally be in the same time zone, but must have at least 2 hours of overlap in working hours
Availability: buddies should be able to devote time toward assisting the ne whire
People Ops will confirm with the manager via Process St that the chosen buddy meets these criteria prior to a new hire’s first day.