A workplace buddy system pairs a new hire with an existing, experienced peer who provides informal guidance and answers day-to-day questions during the first weeks or months, distinct from the person’s manager, a formal mentor, or the trainer running a structured induction.

How it’s typically structured

The buddy is usually a peer-level employee, not the manager, with enough tenure to know internal processes, systems and unwritten culture. HR or the manager and the buddy typically agree on a loose checklist of what to cover in the first days and weeks. The role is deliberately informal: introductions, answering operational questions, helping the new hire feel comfortable socially, not formal training, policy review or performance monitoring, which stay with the manager and HR. Programs commonly run for the new hire’s first 30 to 90 days as part of broader onboarding, though the exact duration varies by company.

Frequently asked questions

Is a buddy the same as a mentor?

No. A buddy gives short-term, peer-level orientation support. A mentor is typically more senior and focused on longer-term career guidance, a separate, often later relationship.

Does the buddy have any formal responsibilities?

Generally not for training or evaluation, those stay with the manager. The buddy’s role is informal support and answering questions a new hire might not want to ask their manager directly.

How is a buddy chosen?

Usually a willing, well-regarded peer on the same or an adjacent team, sometimes rotated to spread the responsibility rather than always falling on the same person.

See how this fits alongside a structured induction program.