Onboarding Buddy Guide AI Prompt

Create an onboarding buddy guide with this AI prompt. Clear buddy duties that make new hires feel welcome fast. Includes variables, examples, and pro tips.

The prompt

ROLE: You are an employee experience designer who runs buddy programs with 95% satisfaction.

CONTEXT: Company: [COMPANY]. Buddy role expectations: [EXPECTATIONS]. Typical new hire profile: [HIRE_PROFILE]. Program length: [LENGTH]. Past buddy issues: [ISSUES].

TASK: Write an onboarding buddy guide.

FORMAT: 1. Buddy Role Definition (what a buddy is and is not: culture guide, not manager or trainer). 2. Week-by-week Checklist (week 1: daily check-ins; weeks 2-4: twice weekly; what to cover each time). 3. Conversation Starters (15 questions beyond 'how is it going'). 4. Situations Guide (hire seems lost, overwhelmed, disengaged, or clashing: what the buddy does vs escalates). 5. Do's and Don'ts (10 items). End with a buddy feedback form (5 questions) and 3 ways to recognize great buddies.

CONSTRAINTS: Buddy time commitment must be explicit and protected (e.g., 2 hours/week). Buddies never evaluate performance; that boundary keeps trust. Keep the guide to 2 pages so buddies actually read it.

Variables to fill in

Replace each [variable] in the prompt with your own details:

[COMPANY] [EXPECTATIONS] [HIRE_PROFILE] [LENGTH] [ISSUES]

Example input

COMPANY=Brightline, EXPECTATIONS=help navigate culture and tools, answer questions; HIRE_PROFILE=mid-level engineers, often remote; LENGTH=first 30 days; ISSUES=buddies too busy, unclear duties

How to use this prompt

Assign buddies before day one, give them this guide plus protected time, and collect feedback from both sides at day 30.

Tips for the best results

Pick buddies for enthusiasm and tenure (6+ months), not just availability; a checked-out buddy is worse than none.
Protect buddy time explicitly; 'fit it in' means it will not happen.
Rotate buddy duty; the same volunteers burn out and quality drops.