Re:Ask HN: How are you onboarding new team members?
by tcbasche on Saturday September 11, 2021 @11:46AM
(#28492902)
I’ve seen this “deploy on day one” rule and it just seems arbitrary.
I would argue that pairing with someone else and working on something together (regardless of shipping or not) on their first day is far more valuable than focusing on shipping something independently.
That at least to me would make me feel far more welcome and like I’m contributing from the get go.
Re:Ask HN: How are you onboarding new team members?
by mrweasel on Saturday September 11, 2021 @12:36PM
(#28493324)
That could work equally well in my mind, the point is, as you say to ensure that people feel welcome and like they are contributing. There's nothing worse than starting at a new job at feel like you're just taking up space for the first few months.
It just depend of the company whether or not pairing up with someone makes sense. If you don't really work that way day to day, then you shouldn't give new employees that impression. There is however a point to not having people feel like they are just picking off a list of never ending tasks, which could just as a easily have been solved by someone else.
While at a previous job, and being responsible for onboard new co-workers, having easy tasks ready at day one help create a sense of purpose and being part of the team.
We would alway try have a new co-worker deploy something to production on day one. Ideally something they could point to on the website a say "I did that". Combined with your point 6, letting them know that they did something that mattered created a sense of being part of the company on day one.