Seeking Insights: How Does Your Organization Approach Buddy or Mentor Programs?

Anybody out there would like to share the policy regarding a buddy/mentor in their organization.

Regards,
Pranati

Hi Pranati,

The buddy/mentor scheme is mostly used in call centers. We have a period where the agents have to undergo OJT (On-the-job training), wherein they are accompanied by a senior agent on how to handle calls, rebuttals, and pitching. The entire responsibility lies with the senior trainer to train the new agents. We have an OJT trainer who oversees the system.

The period for OJT is 2 weeks after the process training, after which the agent is absorbed by the company and awarded a certificate for successful completion of the training.

Regards,

Vanita Kadam

Hi Pranati,

Buddy mentoring is commonly known as assistance during induction. The origin of this practice is not known, but it is generally followed in the West. This type of activity is commonly seen in service-oriented sectors such as retail stores, BPOs, and any service sector with a large number of employees in the same department.

Here is a brief overview of what typically happens:

When a new employee joins the organization, they may feel tense due to the new culture, surroundings, people, and work ethics.

On the first day, the new employee is usually inducted by the HOD (Head of Department) who will explain the do's and don'ts expected of the employee. The HOD may provide the policy manual (the work Bible) and ask the new employee to fill out all necessary forms.

The initial induction usually takes up half of the first working day. In the latter half, the immediate supervisor may take over to assist the new employee with the finer details of the job, such as watching videos, reading literature, and going through presentations. This is done to familiarize the new employee with the organization's structure and operations.

After the first day, the HOD will assign an existing employee from the same department to be a buddy mentor to the new employee. This mentor is typically from the same region and speaks the same language to help the new employee feel comfortable. The mentor will assist the new employee for about a week during the induction period, ensuring they learn about the job, facilities, colleagues, and department procedures through daily follow-ups and log entries.

In summary, a buddy mentor is an employee who befriends the new employee to make the induction process more enjoyable and satisfying.

Regards,

Stan

Hi Pranati

I work with an IT company and we follow both the Mentorship and Buddy programs. They are both two totally different initiatives carried out by the HR groups here. To describe the purpose of each

Mentorship Program

Purpose :Mentoring is a process where we ensure personal and professional growth, by identifying a senior employee as a Mentor for a Mentee(new joined person), whose vast knowledge, skill and experience would assist and guide the mentee during first six months at the organisation. It is crucial for the organization to ensure that the new employees pick-up the nuances of our business, work culture and practices early and in a comfortable manner.

Benefits to the Mentee:

Knowledge:-Organization dynamics, culture, history and practices

Experience:-Networking with people in the organization, how to face difficulties, meet new challenges, contribute to the organization, be responsible/accountable, dealing with stress

Personal Qualities:-His work style and appropriate behaviors

Role of a mentor :-A mentor is different from the supervisor.

While the mentee would have a direct reporting relationship with the supervisor, the mentor would be more like a coach guiding him / her not only in terms of short term goals but more in terms of shaping the future.

Buddy Program (Known as Bank on the buddy)

This was recently introduced at the organisation and has proved to be a great success in helping the new joinees settling in well.

“Buddy" -is a person selected to facilitate the adjustment of a new employee to the organization.

Buddy program to end when new employee completes three months in i-flex.Buddy to mandatorily meet new joiner on first day and everyday during second week of joining.

Benefits to the new employee:

Impart greater comfort and home feeling to new employees

Introduce new employees to people in the office

Reduce strangeness of the office

Provide necessary help to get the workplace and other facilities organized

Benefits to the organization:

Facilitate Organizational Socialization - The process by which people learn the values, norms, and required behaviors of an organization's culture.

During initial orientation to the organization, coworkers can become invaluable resources to new employees.

The advantage of the buddy scheme is that we need not have a senior member being a buddy...it could be someone of the same level as well.The buddy scheme is only for the first three months and helps new employee settle in on job..but the buddy's role is limited to that he doesnot guide the new employee for career goals like the Mentor ship scheme does.

Do let me know if you need any help on this front , but we have no policy as such on this, this is just an HR initiative.

Thanks

Khushnum