Working with others
Welcome a new teammate
A simple exercise to help someone new find their feet, and start a good working relationship from the first week
In a new teammate's first week, offer a short chat, three people worth meeting, and one thing you wish you'd known when you started.
- 15 minutes
- You and a new teammate
- Whenever someone joins
- Conversation
Why this can work
A new person's first week is full of small unknowns: who to ask, what matters, what's safe to say. A short welcome from a peer answers some of that before they have to ask, which helps them find their feet faster and tends to set the tone for how you'll work together. It costs you fifteen minutes, and it's often what they remember about their start.
Read moreHow to welcome a new coworker
You’ll come away with a new teammate who knows who to ask, and that they can ask you.
- Reach out in their first few days.
A short message before they're buried: who you are, what you work on, and an offer of fifteen minutes. Early matters; by week three they've worked out the basics the hard way.
To: your new teammateWelcome to the team! I'm your name, and I work on what you do.
Would you have 15 minutes this week for a quick hello? No agenda. I'd like to hear what you're starting on and pass along a few things that helped me when I was new.
Swap the highlighted parts for your thing. Works on Slack, in email, or said out loud. - Ask what they're starting on first.
Before you offer anything, find out what they've been asked to do and what feels unclear. What's useful depends on their first weeks, not yours.
You“What are you starting on, and what's felt least clear so far?” - Name three people worth meeting.
People who'd help with what they're starting on, with a reason for each. Offer to introduce them if that would help.
You“Three people worth knowing early: Dana runs the release calendar, so she knows what's shipping when. Marcus has been here longest and knows why things are the way they are. And Leah on support hears what customers are struggling with before anyone else.” - Share one thing you wish you'd known.
Something practical and kind: which acronyms matter, which recurring meeting is worth attending, who to ask before changing anything shared. Leave out old grievances; they'll form their own view.
Tip: One thing is plenty. Someone new is already taking in a lot.
- Check in after a couple of weeks.
One line: how's it going, anything I can help with? The second check-in often gets the real question, because by then they know what they don't know.
Good times to repeat it: in someone's first weekwhen someone joins from another teamwhen a new hire is remote
Making it work for you
Every workplace is different. Here’s what to think about before you start, and what might get in the way.
Things to think about
What helps depends on what they're starting on. Two questions first make everything after them more useful.
What might make this harder
That's an advantage, because you remember what was confusing. Share that, and point them to someone longer-tenured for the rest.
Questions people ask
How do I welcome a new coworker?
Reach out in their first few days, offer fifteen minutes, ask what they're starting on, and suggest a few people worth meeting. Small and early tends to beat a big gesture later.
What should I say to a new team member?
Who you are, what you work on, and an offer of help. Then ask what they're starting on and what's felt unclear, so what you share is useful to them.
What is an onboarding buddy?
A colleague, usually a peer, who helps someone new find their feet by answering questions, making introductions and explaining how things work. Some companies assign one; anyone can be one informally.
How can I help a new hire feel included?
Introduce them to a few people with a reason for each, include them where it makes sense, and check in again after a couple of weeks. Being noticed early matters more than a big welcome.
Why this works, and where it comes from
A first week somewhere new is mostly guesswork. Who do I ask about this? Is this meeting important? Is it okay that I don't know what that acronym means? New people often hold back the most basic questions, because asking feels like admitting they're behind. So they work things out slowly and alone, and the slow part is usually avoidable.
A welcome from a peer changes that. It gives the new person someone to ask who isn't evaluating them, and it answers a few questions before they have to be asked. What makes it useful rather than just friendly is the order: find out what they're starting on, then offer what fits. Three people worth meeting, each with a reason, is often the most valuable part, because it hands them a small map of how work actually gets done.
This is Truest's take on the onboarding buddy, a common practice many companies formalize, done by anyone who notices someone new. That nobody assigned you is part of why it lands. It's also a relationship move: the first person who was generous to you somewhere new tends to hold a particular place in your working life. Fifteen minutes in someone's first week can shape how you work together for a long time.
There's something in it for you too, and that's fine. A teammate who gets up to speed faster makes your work easier, and explaining your team to someone new shows you what it looks like from the outside. Just keep it about them. Pass on what's useful, leave out the old grievances, and let them form their own view.
Other simple things to consider
What to do next
More in Working with others
A few minutes that compound
Do it with Truest and it goes on your permanent record, in a Career Vault your employer doesn’t own.
See how Truest worksAlready a member? Log in- A reminder beforePut it on your calendar and Truest reminds you before it starts.
- It comes back if it slipsA missed one comes back around instead of disappearing.
- On your recordWhen it's done, it goes on your record with your priorities and progress.
Read this alongside your role page
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An exercise written by Truest, based on our experience. Last updated September 25, 2026. We sell a career membership; where that’s relevant above, we say so.