Buddy System Meaning | Buddy characteristics | Akrivia HCM

A buddy system is an orientation approach that pairs a new employee with an experienced co-worker for a few weeks. Sharing knowledge and experience helps new employees learn more about their new workplace’s mission, culture and responsibilities. It also fosters an organization’s culture by allowing employees to share their previous work experiences. The buddy system is an effective way to help new employees acclimate to their new environment and quickly get them up to speed. However, it can also be used for mentoring and career development. By pairing experienced employees with newer ones, organizations can create a culture of learning and development that benefits everyone involved.

Why Employ a Buddy System in the Workplace?

1. Provides a warm welcome to new employees: New job can be stressful even for an experienced employee, but with a person in hand makes them feel valuable and comfortable.
2. Enhances employee satisfaction: Even though the responsibilities are mentioned in the offer letter, having a buddy to understand the new role boosts their confidence.
3. Promotes productivity: According to research, happy employees are more productive. Imagine having a friend on the very first day of your job. Friendships in the workplace encourage better communication between employees, which results in long-lasting workplace culture.
4. Boosts employee retention: Employees who feel valued and appreciated from the beginning of their employment may be more likely to stay with the company.
5. Training & development: A buddy can help you develop the skills needed to succeed by offering advice, insights, and training from the first day of your employment.

How to Design and Implement a Buddy System for Work

1. Set goals: The first step to implementing a buddy system is to decide on the goals you want your newly joined employees and buddies to achieve. The aim is to make them more productive by assigning them a buddy to pass on as much information as possible. To do this, ensure you provide your employees with the support and resources they need as part of their buddy system.
2. Create a buddy checklist: To ensure that the buddy system works effectively, you should create a checklist of all the topics and tasks you would like each buddy to review with the newly hired employee.

• • Responsibilities: What work will your buddy be responsible for?
  • Duration: Will the buddy program have a specific ending date?
  • Point of discussion: What should the newbie and their buddy talk about?
  • Support: Can the new employee seek help if they are not happy with the present one?

3. Make the Right Choice of Buddies: Selecting the right buddy system is crucial. It is not just about finding someone who will help you during your daily tasks but also about finding someone who can support you when you need it most. Look for someone who works in the same department or division and has similar job responsibilities.

Buddy characteristics:

• Is available when they need your help solving problems or making decisions regarding their job responsibilities.
• The buddy should be of high moral character and have a good past work record.
• Has excellent interpersonal skills and a natural ability to communicate effectively with others
• Patience to teach someone who is learning for the first time.
• The ability to balance workloads while providing guidance and support to new hires.
• Is willing to impart knowledge and skills to others.
• Listening ability to provide support.