How to Set Up an Onboarding Buddy Program (With Checklist)

An experienced employee showing a new colleague around a shared desk area on their first day

Key takeaways

An onboarding buddy is a peer guide for the informal side of a new job, separate from the manager and from formal training.
In Microsoft's 2018 pilot, the share of new hires who said their buddy helped them become productive quickly rose with the number of buddy meetings in the first 90 days.
Choose buddies for knowledge of the work, a solid performance record and, above all, enough time; reduce their workload if needed.
Set a fixed program length, usually 60 to 90 days, and a light structure of scheduled check-ins.
Measure the program with a short new-hire survey at 30 and 90 days and with early retention data.

What is an onboarding buddy?

An onboarding buddy is a colleague assigned to help a new hire settle in. The buddy is usually on the same team or a neighboring one, has been in the organization long enough to know how things really work, and has no formal authority over the new hire. That last point is what makes the role useful: new hires will ask a buddy questions they would hesitate to ask a manager, such as how to book a meeting room, which Slack channels matter, how formal emails to the leadership team should be, or whether it is normal that nobody has replied to their message.

A buddy is not a mentor, a trainer or a substitute manager. Mentoring is usually a longer relationship focused on career development. Training covers the formal skills of the job.

The manager owns goals, feedback and performance through regular one-on-one meetings. The buddy covers everything in between: orientation, introductions and reassurance.

Why do onboarding buddy programs work?

Most organizations admit their onboarding could be better. Gallup's onboarding research finds that only a small minority of employees strongly agree their organization does a great job onboarding new hires, and Gallup argues that onboarding should be treated as a process that starts before day one and continues well after it, not a one-week paperwork exercise. Formal onboarding tends to focus on systems access, compliance and role training, while the social side, knowing who to ask and how things get done, is left to chance.

The best-known data on buddy programs comes from Microsoft. In a 2019 article, Microsoft researchers Candice Young, Dave Haspas and Dawn Klinghoffer described a 2018 pilot with 600 new hires. Among those who met their buddy at least once in the first 90 days, 56% said the buddy helped them become productive quickly.

That share rose to 73% for those who met two to three times, 86% for four to eight meetings and 97% for more than eight. New hires with a buddy were also 23% more satisfied with their onboarding after the first week than those without one, and 36% more satisfied at 90 days.

These are self-reported perceptions from one company rather than measured productivity, so they are best read as direction rather than a precise effect size. But the pattern is clear and intuitive: a buddy who is actually available and meets regularly makes a difference, and a buddy in name only does not.

How do you choose good onboarding buddies?

The Microsoft researchers recommended choosing buddies who know the new hire's role or type of work, have a strong performance record, and have the time to help, with workload adjusted or reprioritized if necessary. They also found that pairings where the buddy reported to the same manager as the new hire received more favorable ratings.

In practice, availability is the criterion most often ignored. Asking your busiest high performer to be a buddy during a product launch sets both people up to fail. A buddy with a year or two of tenure who remembers what it felt like to be new can be more useful than a ten-year veteran who no longer notices the unwritten rules.

SHRM's 2022 coverage of buddy programs described NYU's Wasserman Center requiring buddies to have at least one year at the organization, with two or more years preferred.

Make the role voluntary where possible and recognize it. Buddies who are drafted without explanation tend to do the minimum. Mention buddy work in performance conversations and thank buddies publicly, which links the program to your wider approach to employee recognition.

What does a buddy actually do?

Write a one-page role description so buddies and new hires share the same expectations. Keep it specific and short. A typical description covers the following responsibilities.

Make contact before day one with a short, friendly message and a plan for the first day.
Have lunch or a virtual coffee with the new hire in the first week.
Give a tour of the physical office or the digital workplace: key channels, shared drives, intranet, booking tools, the employee app if the company uses one.
Explain unwritten norms: meeting habits, response times, how decisions are really made, dress code, how to ask for help.
Introduce the new hire to at least five people outside their immediate team during the first month.
Hold short scheduled check-ins through the program and stay available for quick questions in between.
Point the new hire to the manager or HR for anything about performance, pay, conflict or wellbeing that is beyond the buddy role.
Share honest feedback about the onboarding process with HR at the end of the program.

Be equally clear about what the buddy is not responsible for: evaluating the new hire, teaching every system, or solving HR issues. That boundary protects both people.

Program setup checklist for HR and people teams

Use this checklist to launch a buddy program for the first time or to tidy up an existing one. Most of it can be done in a few days for a company of a few hundred people.

Define the program goal in one sentence, such as faster settling-in and stronger early connections.
Set the program length (60 or 90 days is common) and say so up front; the Microsoft team found a fixed duration made buddies more willing to take part.
Write the one-page buddy role description and a short guide for new hires explaining what to expect.
Decide who matches pairs: HR, the hiring manager, or both. Agree the criteria (role knowledge, performance, time, same or nearby team).
Build a pool of willing buddies and keep a simple roster so nobody is assigned twice in a row.
Run a 30-minute briefing for new buddies covering the role, boundaries and the check-in rhythm.
Add buddy assignment to your onboarding workflow so it happens before the start date, not on day one.
Set calendar reminders or automated nudges for the new hire, buddy and manager at key points; Microsoft used automated reminders during the first 90 days.
Prepare a short survey for new hires at 30 and 90 days and a two-question check-in for buddies.
Decide how buddy work will be recognized: a mention in reviews, a thank-you from leadership, or a small reward.

A 90-day buddy rhythm and checklist

Because Microsoft's data links more frequent meetings with better outcomes, the rhythm below front-loads contact and then tapers off. Adjust it for part-time or shift-based roles, where a short check-in at shift change may work better than a scheduled call.

Before day one: Buddy sends a welcome message, shares what the first day will look like and offers to answer questions.
Day one: Buddy meets the new hire, gives the tour (physical or digital) and has lunch or a coffee with them.
Week one: Two short check-ins. Buddy explains tools, channels and meeting habits, and makes the first introductions.
Weeks two to four: One 20- to 30-minute check-in per week. Topics: what is confusing, who they have met, what they need.
Month two: Check-ins every other week. Buddy encourages the new hire to build their own network and join cross-team activities.
Month three: One or two final check-ins. Buddy asks what would have helped and passes that feedback to HR.
Day 90: Buddy, new hire and manager each answer a short survey; the formal pairing ends, though many continue informally.

That schedule adds up to roughly ten to twelve meetings, which lands in the range where Microsoft's pilot saw the highest share of new hires reporting a quick start. The meetings can be short; consistency matters more than length.

What should the manager do alongside the buddy?

A buddy supports onboarding but does not replace the manager's part of it. Gallup's onboarding guidance stresses that managers should meet new hires early and give feedback early and often. A short checklist keeps the two roles complementary.

Pick or approve the buddy before the start date and introduce them to the new hire by message.
Reduce the buddy's workload slightly for the first month if needed.
Hold a weekly one-on-one with the new hire from the first week, separate from buddy check-ins.
Set clear 30-, 60- and 90-day goals so the buddy can focus on the informal side.
Ask the buddy once a month, briefly, whether anything needs your attention, without turning them into an informant.
Thank the buddy at the end of the program and mention the contribution in their review.

How do buddy programs work for remote and frontline teams?

Remote new hires need buddies even more, because they cannot overhear conversations or ask the person at the next desk. Replace lunch with a video coffee, schedule check-ins explicitly, and have the buddy show where information lives: which channels to follow, how to find documents, and how the team signals urgency. A clear team communication plan makes this much easier to explain.

For frontline and shift-based teams, choose buddies on the same shifts and location. Short, informal check-ins at the start or end of a shift work better than calendar invites. If the company uses an employee app, the buddy can help the new hire set it up on their phone on day one, since that is often how shift changes, safety updates and company news reach deskless staff.

Software can help with logistics at any scale. Many HR and onboarding platforms let you assign buddies as part of an onboarding workflow and send reminders, but a shared spreadsheet and calendar reminders are enough to start.

How do you measure whether the buddy program works?

Keep measurement light so it actually happens. A five-question survey at 30 and 90 days can ask whether the new hire knew who to ask for help, felt welcome, understood team norms, met their buddy regularly, and would recommend being a buddy themselves later. Compare answers between people who met their buddy often and those who did not, which mirrors the comparison in Microsoft's pilot.

Over a longer period, track early turnover (people leaving in their first six or twelve months) and time to first independent contribution, defined however makes sense for the role. Ask buddies too: if the role feels like an unrecognized burden, the pool of willing buddies will shrink quickly. SHRM's 2022 article described NYU's Wasserman Center shortening its program from six months to three months after turnover reduced the number of available mentors, a reminder to size the program to the capacity you actually have.

Feed what you learn back into onboarding as a whole. Questions new hires keep asking their buddies usually point to missing documentation, unclear processes or tools that need better setup.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an onboarding buddy and a mentor?

An onboarding buddy helps a new hire settle in during the first weeks or months, focusing on practical questions, unwritten norms and introductions. A mentor relationship is usually longer and focuses on career development, skills and advice. Buddies are typically peers on the same or a nearby team, while mentors are often more senior and may sit elsewhere in the organization.

Many companies use both.

How long should an onboarding buddy program last?

Sixty to ninety days is common, matching the period when most new hires are still finding their way. Microsoft tracked buddy meetings over the first 90 days in its pilot, and its researchers recommended setting the length of the partnership in advance because it made buddies more willing to participate. Many pairs keep in touch informally after the formal program ends, which is a good sign.

Should the onboarding buddy be on the same team as the new hire?

Usually yes, or at least close to it, because the buddy needs to understand the new hire's work and daily routines. Microsoft's researchers found that pairings where the buddy reported to the same manager as the new hire received more favorable ratings. A buddy from a neighboring team can work well too, especially when it helps the new hire build connections beyond their immediate colleagues.

How much time does being an onboarding buddy take?

Expect a few hours in the first week, then roughly 20 to 30 minutes per week for the first month and less after that, plus occasional quick questions. Over 90 days that is a modest commitment, but it competes with real work. Managers should reduce the buddy's workload slightly if necessary and recognize the effort, otherwise check-ins tend to be skipped when deadlines arrive.

Can a manager be an onboarding buddy?

It is better not to combine the roles. Much of a buddy's value comes from being someone the new hire can ask questions without worrying about how they look to the person who evaluates them. The manager already has an essential onboarding role through goals, feedback and one-on-ones.

Choose a peer as buddy so the new hire has two different kinds of support.

What should a new hire ask their onboarding buddy?

Good questions include: who should I get to know first, how are decisions usually made here, which meetings and channels really matter, how quickly do people expect replies, what do you wish you had known in your first month, and where do I find documentation. New hires should also feel free to ask about practical details such as tools, office routines and team traditions.