What aspects should be included in the recruitment process to support onboarding?
Anita: Before starting the recruitment process, it is important to think about how much self-reliance the company expects from the junior colleague. At the same time, the senior mentoring capacity needed from the company should be assessed in advance as well. If both the team and the new colleague are aware of these expectations, misunderstandings can be avoided to ensure an optimal onboarding process.
Péter: In addition to skills and abilities, it’s worth considering how well the new colleague’s personality fits into the existing team and company culture. Programming is teamwork, where smooth cooperation and effective communication are very important.
What influences the success of onboarding?
Péter: First, the attitude and openness of the team towards the juniors. It is important that they get a clear picture of why a new team member is needed, what their tasks will be and how they will work with them. I would also emphasize the importance of the skills of the team-leader, who can guide and mentor the team through the change. In addition, a “buddy”, or dedicated mentor, who can provide support on any workplace issues through a personal presence, can be extremely helpful for newcomers.
In terms of onboarding, what is different between a career changer and a new graduate?
Anita: Career changers, like the students at Green Fox Academy, have already been able to perform tasks effectively and independently in a previous field, so they have high expectations of themselves. They are keen to put their newly acquired skills to use as quickly as possible and are therefore highly motivated. They can learn quickly and effectively if they have the support to do so. In their case companies can focus more on professional onboarding than with a new graduate.
What are the criteria for a new employee to be placed on a project?
Péter: In my experience, the first thing to do is to assign a relatively easy but realistic task to the junior developer. This will give them the opportunity to start getting to know the code base thoroughly, while the sense of achievement associated with the task that matches his skills will encourage them to develop further. An effective method is pair-programming, where the junior and senior developer take turns in typing and managing the project. This agile software development technique allows colleagues to learn quickly and increases their commitment.
Anita: Presenting the tasks to the junior developer in terms of the whole project and pointing out the next steps in the process is highly beneficial. This will give them a clearer picture of the work and enable them to think more complex.
What happens when you add more than one person to the team at a time?
Anita: With the arrival of several new colleagues including career changers, a more diverse team could be created, and the team leader should be prepared for this. If the team leader has an insight into the strengths and challenges faced by junior colleagues and career changers, it can greatly help to foster openness and understanding within the team. A one-to-one workshop led by the Green Fox Academy can provide effective support for this. In addition, companies can consciously prepare their colleagues for the role of mentor, and we are happy to provide tailored guidance and tools for them.
Green Fox Academy has already taken the importance of onboarding into account when designing its courses. What tools do you have to support this process?
Anita: An integral part of the courses provided by Green Fox Academy is a project phase of several weeks. During this phase, students work on a joint project in teams with mentoring support. In this way, they gain practical knowledge that can be put to use immediately. The presence of mentors gradually decreases as the project phase progresses, and in the last week the teams work completely independently. Unlike the mentors, our organizational psychologist is always present, and we also offer individual coaching sessions during the project phase. These methods can significantly shorten the training period in the company and even replace parts of it.
All of this is of huge importance in helping the new employee to see a longer-term career with the company. By supporting junior developers not only in the initial phase but throughout their career, we help them to develop professionally and to become a medior developer within the team.
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