What is the onboarding buddy experience?

The onboarding buddy experience is when a new starter is connected with someone more experienced at MUI.

Why

For a new starter, this offers you someone (outside of your manager) as the first point of contact for day-to-day questions. Granted, the onboarding buddy program is often seen as a way to help someone new become familiar with MUI, but it's not purely that.

At MUI, we view the onboarding buddy experience as the beginning of social connectedness in the workplace, helping you expand your network, develop your leadership and communication skills, and improve your overall work/life experience.

How to find a match?

Ideally, the onboarding buddy will be someone who:

• has been in the company for long enough, living the company culture
• is culturally close to the new hire. It makes it easier to create bonds (ideally from the same team or working in the same product domain e.g Core, X, Toolpad).
• Is close in the organizational chart to the new hire: from the same team, or working closely with her/his team. (The most common questions, in the beginning, will be related to the way the new hires’ team operates or how the project internals work)

What does it look like?

The best onboarding buddy experiences are casual and unstructured so you are free to determine the what, when, and how in a way that best suits your style and availability.

Everyone is different, and this experience is a special one rooted in friendship, not what you should or shouldn't do.

In fact, what your buddy needs and wants cannot be read in a guide, but is discovered in good listening and empathy.

Suggested program

<aside> 💡 The onboarding buddy is responsible for scheduling meeting times with the new starter that works for both buddies.

</aside>

First day

Say hello to your buddy and schedule a first 25-min meeting.

1. Check up on the Onboarding process. This could be your guide to make sure your buddy is well-adjusted.)
2. Suggested meeting topics:
   1. Introduce yourselves to each other
   2. How you came to MUI
   3. What you are working on in and outside of MUI
   4. What you hope to get out of the experience
   5. What you like to do in your free time
   6. Sharing about MUI's culture, values, and ways of working