HR Services1

HR Services1

Sunday 10 February 2013

What is Buddy Program and how to design it?


What is Buddy Program and how to design it?

Possibility of an employee leaving company is higher in first 3-6 months as this is the time when new employee tries to adjust in the new system. If HR of the company can work on ensuring that these new employees feel comfortable during initial phase of their employment, then they can put a break on attrition at early stage.

Hence, BUDDY PROGRAM can be considered as one of the way to ensure orientation and retention.
Orientation and retention are all about making your new employees feel at home. That also means helping them understand your organizational culture and politics. A buddy program is a great tool to assist in both of these objectives.

I have also experimented Buddy program and would like to share my experience with you guys.

Buddy program is quite simple. Every new joinee is associated with one of the employee who is from the same project and associated with company since few years and knows about company policy, culture, who is who and project details. This person is called Buddy of that new joinee.

During few initial months new joinee is reserved as he tries to understand the organization. Buddy helps new joinee in many ways. some of the them are listed below.


  • Helping him to understand culture of company. 
  • Helping him to understand how small to small processes work in company.
  • Helping him to understand basis rules and regulations.
  • Helping him to understand small project details.
  • Helping him to settle down in the system.

Please do implement the same in your organization and share your views with all of them.

Some of the things which you should keep in mind while implementing this system.
  • Ensure you ask employees to nominate themselves to be buddy of new joinees. This has to be volunteer and not forced.
  • Ensure that you select right person who is engaged with organization and satisfied as Buddy else you he can impact new joinees in negative way.
  • Keep taking feedback from new joinee in between so that you know the progress.
  • Take feedback from manager also on new joinees and see how this system working.
  • At the end of the Buddy program, do take written feedback. Download copy of feedback questions format
  • Keep duration of buddy program for 2-3 months. Too long and short duration will also not give desired result.

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27 comments:

Anand C said...

I totally agree with the views of Govind. In my company, we have a robust buddy program for 2 weeks wherein we ensure that the new joiners are felt at home & settle easily.

Even though some might feel this time frame is short, we ensure that as much contact happens with new joiners by the buddies . This has been effective to an certain extent. We measure the success of this program by the New hire experience feedback survey.

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Anand, Thats great.. infact, i appreciate your efforts to find out effectiveness of such system and new joinee feedback is one the best way to do. Appreciate

lata said...

Dear Govind,

Can you please tell which company's are adopting this BUDDY programme in India?

Regards
Lata

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Lata,

I may not be able to give your particulars of the other companies using the same but surely my company (cannnot name) do use the system and get benefited out it.

Anonymous said...

Can anyone provide a copy of the questionnaire to improve the Buddy Program

Gemma Thompson said...

Does anyone have the questionnaire to improve the Buddy Program that they would like to share with me.

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Gemma,

Please share your email id. We can provide the sample questionnaire copy to you.

Nitin Gupta said...

to me too please!! (hrp.nitin@gmail.com)

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Nitin,

Hope you have received the material on your email id?

Himi said...

Can i also get a copy of questionnaire on my mail id i.e himshikha.khati@gmail.com.

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Himshikha,

Check your mail.

sowmini said...

pls provide me the list of questionnaire my mail id soumi20.maben@gmail.com

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Sowmini,

Please check your mail.

Unknown said...

Can i also get a copy of questionnaire on my mail id- shilpi6sharma@gmail.com

Unknown said...

Sir I also need the questionnaire to understand the process practicaly....@rashi.joshi87@gmail.com

Govind Singh Negi said...

Check your email id.

Unknown said...

Can i also get a copy of questionnaire on my mail id- zacharia.john@gmail.com

Govind Singh Negi said...

sent. Please check your email.

Unknown said...

Hi Govind,

Can you pls share a copy of the same at neha.bajaj.86@gmail.com?

Thanks for the help!

Neha

YP said...

pls send me a copy of the questionnaire too.... jane.hor@gmail.com

Thanks!

Govind Singh Negi said...

You can download from below link:

http://hrsuccesstalk.com/forum/Thread-Feedback-Questions-post-Buddy-Program

Deepti said...

Hi Govind,

Can you please share the copy at: deepti.dhawan@newmediaguru.co.uk

Regards,
Deepti

Govind Singh Negi said...

Dear Deepti,


You can download from below link:

http://hrsuccesstalk.com/forum/Thread-Feedback-Questions-post-Buddy-Program

Anna Schafer said...

That also means helping them understand your organizational culture and politics. A buddy program is a great tool to assist in both of these objectives.speech recognition program

Unknown said...

Dear Govind,

Nice to read through this Buddy Program, as i was completely unaware of such program it made me realise how important role it would play for retention of employees. can i also get a copy of the list of questionnaires at my corporate email id which is evelyna@stratnextsolutions.com.

Thanks in Advance

daisy said...

Great suggestion. Very good opinion.

Leena Sahu said...

We have designed a buddy program but we have decided to have high performers from each department to act as buddies. This will create a win-win situation. The new hires will have buddies who can navigate the organisation culture and workplace and also the high performers will have a live demonstration on how to do people management