Email template · Onboarding
Onboarding buddy introduction email
In short
An onboarding buddy email introduces a new hire to the colleague who will help them settle in during their first weeks. It explains who the buddy is, what they will help with and when they will first meet. Below are four templates: a manager introducing the buddy, a briefing note asking the buddy to take the role, a hello from the buddy and a frontline peer version.
When to send it: Brief the buddy one to two weeks before the start date. Send the introduction to the new hire three to five days before day one, and have the buddy follow up within a day.
Onboarding buddy introduction email: 4 versions
Manager introduces the buddy
SubjectMeet [Buddy Name], your onboarding buddy
Hi [First Name], I'd like to introduce you to [Buddy Name], who'll be your buddy for your first [Number] weeks. I've copied them here. [Buddy Name] is a [Buddy Job Title] and has been on the team for [Time on Team]. They're the person I'd go to for [Specific Strength, e.g. anything about how our ticketing system really works]. They'll help with the everyday questions: where things are, who to ask, how the team actually does things. [Buddy Name], [First Name] joins us on [Start Date] as [Job Title]. [One line about the new hire, e.g. They're coming from a regional bank's operations team and know reconciliation inside out.] You two will have lunch together on day one, and [Buddy Name] will set up a short check-in each week after that. Thanks both, [Manager Name] [Manager Title]
Briefing the buddy
SubjectWould you be [First Name]'s onboarding buddy?
Hi [Buddy Name], [First Name] [Last Name] joins as [Job Title] on [Start Date], and I'd love you to be their buddy for the first [Number] weeks. You'd be great at it, and it's good leadership experience. What it involves: - Lunch or coffee on their first day - A 20 to 30 minute check-in once a week - Being the person they can ask "silly" questions - Telling me if they seem stuck or unhappy (not reporting on performance; that's my job) It should take about [Hours] hours a week in the first two weeks, then less. I've adjusted [Workload / Targets] to allow for it. Can you let me know by [Reply Date]? If the timing is bad, no problem. Thanks, [Manager Name]
Hello from the buddy
SubjectHi from [Buddy Name], your onboarding buddy
Hi [First Name], [Manager Name] mentioned you're starting on [Start Date]. I'm [Buddy Name], and I'll be your buddy for the first few weeks. I joined [Time Ago], so I remember how much there is to take in. Some honest tips: - [Practical Tip, e.g. The coffee on the 3rd floor is better.] - [Work Tip, e.g. Nobody expects you to understand the dashboards in week one.] - [Culture Tip, e.g. People use chat for almost everything; email is for external stuff.] I'll meet you at [Location / Video Link] at [Time] on your first day, and we'll grab lunch. Before then, feel free to text me at [Buddy Phone] or message me with anything at all. See you soon, [Buddy Name]
Frontline peer buddy
SubjectYour buddy on the floor: [Buddy Name]
Hi [First Name], When you finish training and join [Team / Shift] on [Production Start Date], [Buddy Name] will be your buddy for your first [Number] weeks on the floor. [Buddy Name] has worked here [Time on Team] and [Specific Strength, e.g. has some of the best quality scores on the team]. For your first few shifts, you'll sit next to them, and they'll help with calls you're unsure about, system shortcuts and the questions you might not want to ask a supervisor. If you have any concerns along the way, you can always come to me too. [Supervisor Name] [Supervisor Title], [Site]
Subject line ideas
- Meet [Buddy Name], your onboarding buddy
- Your buddy for your first weeks
- Hi from [Buddy Name], your buddy
- Would you be [First Name]'s onboarding buddy?
- Introducing your go-to person on [Team Name]
- Your buddy on the floor: [Buddy Name]
- Someone to show you the ropes
SMS and WhatsApp version
Hi [First Name], it's [Buddy Name] from [Company]. I'll be your onboarding buddy. I'll meet you at [Location] at [Time] on [Start Date] and we'll grab lunch. Text me here with any questions before then. Reply STOP to opt out.
Placeholders to replace: [First Name], [Last Name], [Buddy Name], [Buddy Job Title], [Time on Team], [Job Title], [Start Date], [Production Start Date], [Manager Name], [Manager Title], [Supervisor Name], [Team Name], [Location], [Time], [Buddy Phone], [Company]
What a buddy is for
An onboarding buddy is a peer, not a manager or a trainer. Their job is the informal side of starting a job: where to sit, who actually approves expense reports, which meetings matter, what the team means when it says "escalate." New hires ask a buddy the questions they would be embarrassed to ask their boss, which is the whole point.
The introduction email sets that expectation. It should say clearly what the buddy will and won't do. In particular, make it clear the buddy is not assessing performance. A new hire who thinks their buddy reports back on them will stop asking questions.
Sequence: brief, introduce, hello
The three emails work as a set:
- Brief the buddy first, one to two weeks before start. Ask rather than assign, explain the time commitment and adjust their workload or targets. A buddy who is quietly expected to hit full productivity while onboarding someone will do neither well.
- Manager introduces them, three to five days before start, ideally right after the welcome email from the manager. Copy both people so they can reply to each other.
- The buddy says hello within a day, in their own words. This is the email new hires actually remember, because it's from someone a lot like them.
If the buddy writes their own hello, give them the template as a starting point and encourage them to rewrite it. Three honest tips beat three paragraphs of company values.
Choosing the right buddy
Pick someone who is good at the job, likes the company and is patient. Tenure of six months to a few years is often ideal: long enough to know how things work, recent enough to remember being new. Avoid assigning the newest high performer every time; buddy fatigue is real, and one person shouldn't carry three new hires at once.
Match on the things that matter for the first weeks: same team, same shift, same site or same time zone. For remote hires, a buddy who overlaps their working hours matters more than one with the perfect title.
Buddies in high-volume onboarding
Contact centers and warehouses often use "nesting" buddies: experienced agents or associates who sit beside new hires during their first shifts after classroom training. The first two to four weeks on the floor are when early attrition peaks, and a peer who helps with the first difficult call or the first missed rate target can make the difference.
At volume, keep it simple. One buddy per two or three new hires, a short briefing for buddies each cohort and a recognition for buddies whose new hires make it past 90 days. Track buddy assignments alongside other onboarding tasks so no one starts without one.
After the introduction
The buddy should check in weekly for the agreed period, usually four to eight weeks for office roles and two to four weeks of nesting for frontline roles. The manager runs the formal check-ins; a new hire check-in email at 30 days is a good point to ask the new hire how the buddy arrangement is working and to thank the buddy.
Frequently asked questions
What should an onboarding buddy email say?
Introduce the buddy by name, role and tenure, explain what they will help with and for how long, set up the first meeting, and make clear the buddy is a friendly peer rather than someone assessing performance.
Who should send the buddy introduction email?
The new hire's manager usually sends the introduction, copying both people. The buddy then follows up with a short personal hello.
How do you ask an employee to be an onboarding buddy?
Ask rather than assign, explain the time commitment and what the role involves, adjust their workload or targets and give them an easy way to say no.
When should a new hire meet their buddy?
On the first day, ideally over lunch or coffee, after an email introduction three to five days before the start date.
How long should an onboarding buddy relationship last?
Four to eight weeks is typical for office roles. For frontline roles, the buddy period often matches the first two to four weeks on the floor after training.