What is an onboarding buddy program?
A buddy program pairs each new hire with a colleague for their first weeks. The buddy answers practical questions about how things work, who owns what and where to find it. It is shorter and more practical than mentoring, which supports growth over a longer term. Many teams run the buddy first.
How do you run a buddy program with software?
Create a one-to-one match for each new hire and buddy. They get a place to message, schedule meetings and set a first goal, and you can see whether they have met. The new-hire buddy program template gives the plan: who qualifies, what a buddy does, a first-weeks checklist and the handover.
How do you handle each hiring wave?
Run each wave as a cohort, a dated intake with its own start and end. When one wave ends, an admin can prepare the next from it and reuse the setup. A buddy pair that continues keeps its existing match, so its messages and goals carry across.
When does a buddy become a mentor?
At the handover point in your plan, usually when the practical questions slow down. A new hire can move into a longer mentoring match, scored on skills, goals, seniority and availability. Keep the two roles separate so the buddy stays a short, light commitment.
Start with the new-hire buddy program template. For the wider picture, see mentoring software for new-hire onboarding, the mentorship program examples and time-boxed cohorts.
Common questions
- How do you run an onboarding buddy program in MentorStack?
- Create a one-to-one match for each new hire and their buddy, and run each hiring wave as a cohort with its own start and end. Buddies answer practical questions in the first weeks. A pair that continues keeps its messages and goals, so the buddy match can grow into longer mentoring.
- Can the Free Pilot cover a buddy program?
- The Free Pilot supports up to 10 participants, which is enough to test one small hiring wave. It includes a basic dashboard, cohorts for admins and the core matching engine. Report export starts on Starter, and bulk invitations start on Starter, so larger waves need a paid plan.
- What is the difference between a buddy and a mentor?
- A buddy helps a new hire with practical questions in the first weeks, such as tools, people and routines. A mentor supports longer career growth. MentorStack can run both formats, and a buddy pair that continues keeps its history. The owner decides when a buddy match becomes a mentoring match.
- Is there a template for the buddy program plan?
- MentorStack publishes a free new-hire buddy program template. It is a one-page plan that covers who qualifies, what a buddy does, a first-weeks checklist and when the buddy role hands over. It is a plain document, so an owner can use it with or without the software.