Supporting Older Employees: Do We Have a Buddy Program for Them Too?

I would like to know if we have a buddy program for new employees. Do we have something similar for older employees? Please suggest. You can reach me at [Email Removed For Privacy Reasons].

Regards,
Rajendra

Dear Rajus,

First and foremost, when you ask for information, it is pertinent to provide some basic details like your name, designation, the nature of your company, or the finished product/service, etc. The second set of information required is why you are seeking this information. Has your superior instructed you to launch the "Buddy Programme" in your company, or is it driven by your idle intellectual curiosity? What challenges do you face with your current employees? What kind of training have you provided to them?

Efficacy aside, I have yet to come across any write-up or case study on the ROI of the "Buddy Programme". Real organizational change can only occur when you have a clear understanding of the ROI on the investments made in these kinds of activities. These are not merely OD interventions.

Modern HR often gets enamored with such trends. However, without clarity on ROI, it becomes a waste of time and resources. Occasionally, articles on these topics appear in newspapers or magazines.

If you aim to keep your current employees motivated and ensure they can fulfill higher responsibilities, consider creating a career plan for each individual. Identify the competencies needed for handling future assignments effectively and provide training accordingly. This approach will yield more effective results as you can measure the mastery of specific competencies by each individual.

Ok...

Regards,
Dinesh V Divekar

Many thanks for your feedback and comments with suggestions. My name is Rajendra Sharma, and I am a recent joiner of this site. I am just trying to learn the basics. As of now, I don't feel the need to disclose my company's name.

Buddy Program

While going through the site, I came across the subject "BUDDY PROGRAM," which I believe is for new employees or joinees. I just thought of knowing if there is something similar to it for old employees. Budget, costs involved, expenses to be incurred for conducting such a program—all these issues may and shall be discussed if we come to know that such a program does exist and what are the possible benefits of conducting such programs in any organization, whether big or small.

Regards,
Rajendra K Sharma.

Dear Rajendra,

Apart from your other queries, you also wanted to know whether such programs exist and the possible benefits. Even if they exist in certain companies, they are not well-documented as one has not come across such programs. Why should a company indulge in this for "old" employees?

Purpose of a Buddy Program

The purpose of a "buddy program," in addition to a well-laid-out induction program, is to acquaint the new joiner and make them feel comfortable in the organization. Moreover, a newcomer may need guidance and help initially to get started; once they find their own feet in the organization, these crutches become redundant.

On the contrary, old employees, being familiar with most of the employees, "choose" their own "buddies" without any formal help from HR or HRD.

Warm regards.