Template · Onboarding
Onboarding buddy program template
In short
An onboarding buddy checklist tells a peer exactly what to do for a new hire, from the week before day one through day 90. This template covers buddy selection criteria, a week-by-week task list, conversation prompts, what to escalate to the manager, and a short wrap-up, so a buddy program runs the same way on every team and shift.
Onboarding Buddy Program Checklist template
Onboarding Buddy Program Checklist
A buddy is a peer, not the new hire's manager or trainer. Your job is to help [New Hire Name] find their way, meet people and get answers to the questions they would not ask a manager. Expect about 2 to 3 hours in week one and 30 minutes a week after that. Tick each item as you complete it.
Program details
- New hire name
- Job title and team
- Start date
- Buddy name
- Buddy's job title and shift
- Manager name
- Program end date (usually day 90)
Buddy selection (manager or HR)
- Has been in the role or a similar role for at least 6 months
- Meets performance and attendance expectations, with no active written warning
- Works the same shift, site or schedule as the new hire
- Is not the new hire's manager, trainer or QA evaluator
- Agreed to be a buddy and has time freed up in week one
- Has read this checklist and the buddy briefing
Before day one
- Manager introduces buddy to new hire by email or text
- Buddy sends a short welcome message: who they are, where to meet on day one
- Buddy confirms the new hire knows the arrival time, entrance, parking and what to bring
- Buddy plans lunch or a break together on day one
Day one
- Meet the new hire at the entrance or log in to the welcome call
- Tour: workspace, restrooms, break room, first aid, fire exits, where to get supplies
- Introduce them to at least five people they will work with
- Have lunch or a break together
- Show how to clock in and out, request time off and contact the team if late
- End-of-day check: "What was confusing today?"
Week one
- Short daily check-in (10 minutes)
- Explain unwritten norms: how people communicate, when meetings start, what to wear
- Show where to find policies, the knowledge base and team channels
- Explain team acronyms and jargon
- Answer questions about tools and systems, or point to who can
- Invite them to a team social activity or break group
Weeks two to four
- Check in two or three times a week
- Let them shadow you on real work for at least one session
- Ask what they are finding hardest and help them prepare a question for their manager
- Introduce them to people on other teams they will depend on
- Share a mistake you made early on and what you learned
Months two and three
- Weekly 30-minute check-in
- Ask how their workload, schedule and training are going
- Encourage them to start helping newer colleagues
- Ask if they would recommend working here to a friend, and why or why not
- Day 90 wrap-up conversation: what helped, what was missing
When to tell the manager or HR
- The new hire says they are thinking about quitting
- Repeated lateness or absences
- They report harassment, discrimination or a safety concern (report right away)
- Training gaps that are blocking their work
- Schedule, pay or transport problems they have not raised
Program wrap-up (day 90)
- New hire: how useful was your buddy? (1 = not at all, 5 = very)
- 12345
- New hire: what helped most?
- Buddy: what would make the program better?
- Buddy recognized (thank-you note, points, gift card)
- Manager signature
- Date
How to use this template
- Choose a buddy who works the same shift and site as the new hire, meets performance expectations and has agreed to do it.
- Brief the buddy on the role: a peer guide for questions and introductions, not a trainer, evaluator or manager.
- Free up the buddy's time for week one, about 2 to 3 hours, and tell their supervisor so productivity targets are adjusted.
- Have the manager introduce the pair before day one and share this checklist with both of them.
- Ask the buddy to tick off items and raise any of the escalation triggers with the manager straight away.
- Run the day 90 wrap-up, collect ratings and recognize the buddy, then use the feedback to improve the next cohort.
What a buddy actually does
An onboarding buddy is a peer who helps a new hire with everything that is not in the training plan: where the good microwave is, which supervisor wants questions in chat, how to swap a shift without upsetting anyone. Managers cannot cover this, and new hires often will not ask them. A buddy fills that gap, which is why buddy programs tend to show up first in early attrition numbers.
Keep the role distinct. A buddy is not a mentor, who focuses on longer-term career development, and not a trainer or nesting coach, who is responsible for teaching the job and signing off proficiency. Mixing the roles is the most common reason buddy programs fade out: the buddy feels responsible for performance and the new hire feels watched.
Choosing buddies
The best buddies are steady, liked and close in tenure, typically six months to two years in the role. Very senior people are often too busy and too far from the new-hire experience. Match on shift and location before anything else. A day-shift buddy for a night-shift agent is a name on a form and nothing more.
Ask for volunteers, then screen for attendance and performance. Recognize the work: a thank-you from leadership, recognition points or a small gift card per buddy cycle. Some contact centers and warehouses add buddy experience to the criteria for team lead promotion, which gives strong performers a reason to sign up.
Timing across the first 90 days
Most of a buddy's value lands in the first two weeks. That is when new hires feel most lost and when early quits concentrate in hourly roles. The checklist front-loads contact: daily in week one, two or three times a week through week four, weekly to day 90. Use it alongside your new hire onboarding checklist so HR, the manager and the buddy each own different items.
Send a short onboarding buddy introduction email before the start date. A new hire who already knows one name and face shows up on day one noticeably more relaxed, and is less likely to be a first-day no-show.
Running a buddy program for large hiring classes
When a 250-seat contact center brings in a class of 30 agents every month, one-to-one buddies are not always possible. Two workable options:
- Buddy pods. One experienced agent supports three or four new hires from the same class, with a 15-minute group huddle daily in week one.
- Floor buddies during nesting. Buddies are assigned for the nesting phase only and sit near the new agents on the floor.
In both cases, give buddies a short briefing, track who has a buddy in your HRIS or onboarding tool, and send automated check-in reminders so the program does not depend on someone remembering. Compare 30- and 90-day turnover between people with and without an active buddy. If there is no difference, look at buddy selection and time allowance before scrapping the program.
Common mistakes
- Assigning buddies the night before the start date, with no briefing.
- Picking the top performer, who has no time and resents the extra work.
- No protected time, so the buddy chooses between their targets and the new hire.
- Treating the buddy as an informal evaluator who reports back on the new hire's performance.
- No end date. Close the program formally at day 90 and collect feedback.
Frequently asked questions
What does an onboarding buddy do?
A buddy welcomes the new hire, shows them around, introduces them to colleagues, explains unwritten norms and answers everyday questions during the first weeks and months. They are a peer guide, not the person's trainer or manager.
How long should a new hire buddy program last?
Most programs run for 60 to 90 days, with the most contact in the first two weeks. A formal end and a short feedback conversation stop the arrangement from fading away unnoticed.
What is the difference between a buddy and a mentor?
A buddy helps a new hire settle in during their first months, focusing on practical questions and relationships. A mentor supports longer-term career and skill development and can work with an employee at any stage.
What should be on a peer mentor checklist?
Pre-start welcome, day-one tour and introductions, daily check-ins in week one, explaining norms and tools, shadowing sessions, weekly check-ins through day 90, escalation triggers and a wrap-up with feedback.
How do you choose a good buddy?
Pick a peer on the same shift and site with six months or more in a similar role, good attendance and performance, a willingness to help and time freed up to do it. Avoid the new hire's manager, trainer or evaluator.