To make new employees feel welcome, comfortable and secure in the company from day one, there are various onboarding measures such as our Welcome Day and the Buddy Programme. In this article, you can find out what exactly a buddy does, how newbies benefit from them and how the programme works.
Digital onboarding from home
The onboarding of new employees takes place completely remotely. Our Welcome Day is also conducted entirely online: On their first day of work, the newbies log in via Microsoft Teams and are then guided through the Welcome Day. They get to know the company and are then divided into small get-to-know sessions. Afterwards, the newbies also learn the most important information for their daily work (for example, about our HR management tool, the feedback process and possible trainings). After the introductions, they also get to know the new colleagues in their respective departments and meet their department heads as well as their buddies.
Our digital Welcome Day happens via Teams.
What is a buddy?
To make our newbies feel particularly welcome and comfortable, we provide each new employee with a buddy from their team for three months from their first day of work. This buddy is something like a personal mentor and helps the new employee with onboarding as well as with settling into the corporate culture. Buddies thus function primarily as a personal contact person so that the newbies can settle into the company – and especially into their own team – on a social level. This is particularly important in the remote setting, because we no longer simply meet our colleagues in person at coffee or lunch, so the company of a buddy still ensures a good integration.
A buddy …
… is a reference person, guide and social link to the company.
… provides support during onboarding.
… helps overcome uncertainties at the start so that the newbie can stand on his or her own two feet as quickly as possible.
… accompanies a newbie, especially on a social level, and communicates the unwritten rules, the dos and don’ts as well as the values and culture of the company.
… is the personal contact person for the newbie in all questions that go beyond the professional.
The buddy is not a classic mentor, however, because he or she does not deal with the professional/technical development of the newbie but enables emotional access to the company.
How exactly does the Buddy Programme work?
As soon as a newbie’s entry date has been set, a decision is made as to which of his or her team members will become his or her new buddy. Once a buddy has been found, the programme runs as follows:
First day: The buddy organises a get-to-know for the newbies first day, where they can introduce themselves. In addition, the buddy gives him important tips and discusses the further procedure.
First week: During this time, the buddy organises a coffee date so that buddy and newbie can get to know each other better. The buddy also introduces the most important and interesting Slack channels and explains all the benefits of the company.
After the first week: The buddy regularly checks with the newbie to see if the onboarding went well, if he or she feels comfortable and if there are any questions.
After the first month: After the first four weeks Kaufland e-commerce, our HR team will contact all the Buddies and Newbies to organize a Virtual Buddy Lunch. Here you can exchange thoughts and network with everyone and enjoy a free lunch which the company is sponsoring.
Advantages for the Buddy
The buddy also benefits from this function, as he has the opportunity to participate directly in the company’s development. In addition, he can develop his mentoring skills, his own knowledge as well as soft skills such as social behavior and communication.