A buddy is a way to orient new employees or to “onboard” them. It can make a huge difference to the speed at which new recruits manage to settle in a new role, department and organisation, and can make a significant difference to whether new recruits are retained or leave. Retaining staff is a very important objective as it takes a lot of time and money to find, recruit, and induct new starters, they are precious.
Buddies need to be a friendly, welcoming face and an informal source of information on anything and everything to do with how things work across the organisation. Buddies need to be prepared to answer questions and share their knowledge and experiences of the workplace, including where the staff facilities are, who does what, what happens for birthdays or other events, any traditions or routines as well as about their shifts, local bus routes, etc.
They should be able to signpost, provide information, listen, answer questions and also involve newcomers in the social side of working to help them feel part of the team. The buddy needs to have been at the workplace for quite a few months in order to provide the best experience for the new person.
Tops Day Nurseries are introducing a Buddying course in 2019! To register your interest, please email marketing@hadlandcaregroup.co.uk or speak to your manager.
