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Buddy Schemes

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Although we run half day Corporate Inductions, we are currently pretty poor at the overall induction process. We have put together a generic process but we are also wanting to set up a 'buddy scheme' to help staff through the first few weeks of employment. Does anyone have experience of running buddy schemes - pro's and con's and methods of running them?
Do you pay people for doing it? Do they get specific training to help them do it? What issues do we need to bear in mind?

I have been involved in such schemes before but that was for management and a multi site environment. This is for operators in a single site environment.

Thanks in advance for your help
Sue Beatt

3 Responses

  1. Funnel Effect Induction
    Hi Sue

    I have written a toolkit on the funnel effect induction, which is a method of inducting anyone using a general to specific process.

    Regarding buddies, this can be a great way of helping the participant find their feet, but some people are reluctant to take that mantle.

    Call them mentors, not buddies

    Have a specific mentor criterion, numbers allowing (Own performance satisfactory,at least 6 months service etc.) This allows you to keep control on the quality of the members of staff you expose your new starters to

    Link being a mentor to some sort of career progression/development

    Do train them in coaching and one to one training skills

    Set up and maintain a support network for them to use should they feel they need it.

    Hope this helps, you can see more on the toolkit at http://www.supremacytraining.com under ready made training at the bottom of the page

    Best wishes

    Rich

  2. Buddy Scheme
    Sue
    If you want to see what happens when a good buddy scheme is created read “Its your Ship” by Captain D. Micheal Abrashoff. pages 149 to 152.

    Captain Abrashoff understood absolutely what he lost when he did not treat his people with value and respect.
    The whole book is about creating the environment that allowed his crew to be as good as they could be.

    Like you he identified the opportunity that exists when people join to show them what the organisation they are joining thinks of them.

    We have a choice of two messages to send to people who join. “We are not interested, work it out for yourself”, or “You are a valiuable addition to our organisation we want to look after you”.

    The rest of the book is about what happened when he applied the same thinking to the rest of his organisation.

    There is a review of his book at http://hunter-consultants.blogspot.com/ and it is available from Amazon.

    Reading this book will answer your question and reveal an awful lot more as well.

    Peter

  3. buddy schemes
    Hi Sue,

    have implemented Buddys Schemes at a number of companies – with varying success. Its really important to define the role of the buddy (eg whats on and off limits). I would also recommend limiting the time that the buddies are expected to spend working with the new team members. I have never paid buddies but do allow them to put a “cheap” lunch on expenses once a fortnight for the first couple of months