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[New job anxiety](https://www.recruiters.ie/blog/starting-a-new-job-anxiety/#:~:text=It's OK for the nerves,of weeks after you start.) is real. It can be especially hard to come into a fully remote team if you're not used to it. To make the onboarding experience smoother and less stressful, we assign an onboarding buddy to each new team member.

Buddy responsibilities

• Write a nice welcome message to the team member 1-2 weeks before the start date (as follow-up on People Ops welcome aboard email).
• Contact and meet the new team member on their first day and welcome them to the team. (Kaylie sets up the first meeting as part of onboarding!)
• Check in regularly with them to understand how they're doing and make sure their questions are getting answered. Encourage them to find answers to their questions by pointing them to the right direction/people. Reach out via Slack and schedule at least 2 follow-up calls for the week after their start date.
• Remind them about introducing themselves in the #office Slack channel. Encourage them to make it personal and maybe add a picture or two.
• Introduce them to Slack. Ask if they have experience with Slack and if not, give them a quick overview of how to use. Additionally, give them some tips on how use Slack, such as:
  • #office for office chat, #general for company-wide announcements and work-based matters etc
  • Non-sensitive communication in public channels (employee handbook)
  • Expectation of participation and reading: when you're mentioned directly (employee handbook)
  • More Slack expectations here.
• Encourage them to correct outdated documentation and report problems if they run into any. New hires are the perfect candidates for spotting things we explain poorly etc.

Who can be a buddy?

Ideally, the onboarding buddy is someone who's been at Checkly for at least 3+ months, preferably with not too much of a timezone difference with the new team member. It's helpful when there's some similarity of work between the buddy and the new team member, but not absolutely necessary.

If you'd like to be a buddy, let your manager and/or People Ops know!