Free template
New-Hire Buddy Program Template
A one-page plan for pairing each new hire with a buddy. Covers who qualifies, what a buddy does, a first-weeks checklist, and when the buddy role hands over.
- Time to complete
- 30 minutes to adapt, then 10 minutes per new hire
- Use it when
- You hire people on a regular schedule and want each one to have a named person to ask in the first weeks.
What is a new-hire buddy program?
A new-hire buddy program is a plan that pairs each new employee with a current colleague who answers practical questions in the first weeks. The buddy explains how work gets done and who to ask. A buddy is not the manager and is not a long-term mentor. The role has a start date and an end date.
How to use this template
Copy the plan below into a document. Replace every item in [BRACKETS]. Send the new hire and the buddy the same page before day one, so both know what is expected.
New-hire buddy plan
New hire: [NAME] Start date: [DATE]
Buddy: [NAME] Buddy role ends: [END DATE]
Manager: [NAME]
What does a buddy do?
A buddy covers the questions a new hire feels awkward asking a manager.
- Explains how the team works day to day: tools, channels, meeting habits.
- Shows who to ask for what, by name.
- Shares the unwritten rules: how decisions get made, what "urgent" means here.
- Invites the new hire to lunch or a coffee chat in the first week.
- Says "I do not know" and finds out, when they do not know.
A buddy does not review performance, report on the new hire to the manager, or give career advice. Career guidance belongs to a mentor. See the mentor training checklist for that role.
First-weeks checklist
Adjust the timing to your own onboarding calendar.
| When | Buddy action | Done |
|---|---|---|
| Before day one | Send a short welcome message. Share this plan. | [ ] |
| Day one | Meet in person or on video. Walk through the team's tools and channels. | [ ] |
| Week one | Introduce the new hire to three colleagues they will work with. | [ ] |
| Each week until [END DATE] | Hold a short check-in. Ask what has been confusing. | [ ] |
| [END DATE] | Close the buddy role together. Agree what the new hire still needs. | [ ] |
How does the buddy role end?
Close it on the date written above, in a short conversation. Ask the new hire what was useful and what was missing. Pass those answers to the program owner so the next buddy plan improves. If the new hire wants a long-term relationship for career growth, offer a mentor. Use the mentor and mentee agreement for that relationship and the first mentor meeting agenda for its first session.
Rules for the program owner
- Ask for buddy volunteers. Do not assign by default.
- Set a limit on how many new hires one buddy supports at one time.
- Keep the buddy separate from the manager.
- Tell buddies what is private. Practical questions stay between the two of them, unless a safety or policy issue must be escalated.
- Record the start date, end date and buddy for each new hire in one place.
Where to go next
A buddy plan covers the first weeks. A mentoring program covers growth over a longer term: a pair can agree on a term that fits its goals. For the full program setup, read the Program in a Box guide.
Questions about this template
- What is the difference between a buddy and a mentor?
- A buddy answers practical questions in the first weeks: where things are, how things work, who to ask. A mentor supports career growth over a longer term. Many teams run both in sequence. The buddy role ends on a date you set, and the new hire can then join a mentoring program.
- Who should be a new-hire buddy?
- Pick someone on the same team or an adjacent team, who knows the day-to-day work and has time to answer questions. A buddy should not be the new hire's manager. Ask for volunteers rather than assigning, and set a limit on how many new hires one buddy supports at a time.
- How long should a buddy assignment last?
- Set a fixed end date in the plan, and write it down before the new hire starts. Your onboarding calendar decides the length. At the end date, the buddy role closes and the new hire can start a mentoring pair if your program offers one.
- Can a buddy program run inside MentorStack?
- Yes, as a 1:1 pairing with a start date and an end date, inside a cohort for the intake. Free Pilot supports up to 10 participants. You still choose who the buddies are and what they cover. MentorStack does not decide that for you.
Related templates
- First Mentor Meeting Agenda
A 60-minute agenda for a first mentoring session, with the actual questions to ask. Gets a pair from strangers to a working relationship with a next step booked.
- Mentor and Mentee Agreement Template
A one-page agreement pairs sign at kickoff. Sets cadence, confidentiality, scope, and how the relationship ends, so none of it has to be negotiated awkwardly later.
- Mentor Training Checklist
A ten-minute briefing for first-time mentors. Covers the four failure modes, the questions that work, and what to do when the relationship stalls.