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Onboarding Journey Maps

This document defines standards for creating and maintaining developer onboarding journey maps at Bayat.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Onboarding journey maps provide a structured path for new team members to become productive contributors. They combine technical setup, knowledge transfer, and cultural integration into a cohesive experience.

Goals of Onboarding Journey Maps

  1. Reduce Time to Productivity: Accelerate the path to meaningful contributions
  2. Ensure Consistency: Provide a standardized experience across teams
  3. Build Confidence: Create a supportive environment for learning
  4. Transfer Knowledge: Share critical information systematically
  5. Reinforce Culture: Integrate new team members into company values and practices

Benefits

  • Reduces onboarding anxiety for new team members
  • Creates accountability for both the new hire and the team
  • Provides clear expectations and milestones
  • Enables measurement and improvement of the onboarding process

Journey Map Structure

Each onboarding journey map should follow a consistent structure:

Core Components

  1. Timeline: Clear phases with time-based milestones (day 1, week 1, month 1)
  2. Tasks: Specific activities to complete at each stage
  3. Resources: Links to tools, documentation, and people
  4. Expected Outcomes: Clearly defined goals for each phase
  5. Checkpoints: Scheduled reviews to assess progress

Visualization Standards

Onboarding journey maps should be visualized as:

  1. Linear Timeline: Showing progression through phases
  2. Kanban Board: Tasks organized by status and phase
  3. Interactive Document: Checklist with embedded resources

Example timeline format:

Pre-boarding → Day 1 → Days 2-5 → Week 2 → Weeks 3-4 → Month 2 → Month 3

Onboarding Phases

Phase Definition Standards

Each onboarding phase should be clearly defined with:

  1. Phase Name: Clear, descriptive title
  2. Duration: Expected time commitment
  3. Primary Goals: 2-3 key outcomes
  4. Key Activities: Prioritized list of tasks
  5. Success Criteria: How completion is measured

Example phase definition:

## Technical Environment Setup (Days 1-2)

**Duration**: 2 days

**Primary Goals**:
- Complete development environment setup
- Access all required systems and tools
- Run and test local development workflow

**Key Activities**:
1. Install required development tools
2. Set up project repositories
3. Configure local development environment
4. Complete first build process
5. Pass environment verification script

**Success Criteria**:
- All verification tests pass
- First code change successfully built and tested
- Access confirmed for all required systems

Standard Phases

All onboarding journey maps should include these core phases:

  1. Pre-boarding: Before first day (account setup, basic access)
  2. Orientation: Day 1 (introductions, overview, initial setup)
  3. Technical Setup: Days 1-2 (environment, tools, access)
  4. Initial Training: Days 3-5 (fundamentals, architecture, processes)
  5. First Contributions: Weeks 2-4 (guided tasks, simple issues)
  6. Independent Work: Month 2 (self-directed work with support)
  7. Full Integration: Month 3 (regular workflow, reduced supervision)

Prerequisites

Pre-boarding Standards

The pre-boarding phase is critical to ensure a smooth first day. Standards include:

  1. Communication Package:

    • Welcome email template with first-day instructions
    • Pre-reading materials (company values, high-level architecture)
    • Contact information for onboarding buddy and manager

  2. Access Preparation:

    • Email account creation
    • Directory services account
    • Initial access to communication tools
    • Hardware preparation checklist

Example pre-boarding checklist:

## Pre-boarding Checklist

Manager/HR tasks to complete before first day:

- [ ] Create company email account
- [ ] Add to directory services
- [ ] Set up Slack/Teams account
- [ ] Prepare workstation with standard image
- [ ] Assign onboarding buddy
- [ ] Schedule welcome meetings for first day
- [ ] Share welcome package with first-day instructions
- [ ] Grant access to onboarding documentation

New hire pre-reading:
- [ ] Company overview and values
- [ ] Team structure and roles
- [ ] High-level product architecture
- [ ] Development workflow overview

First Day Experience

Day One Standards

The first day should be carefully structured to make new team members feel welcome while providing essential setup:

  1. Welcome Process:

    • Team introduction meeting
    • 1:1 with direct manager
    • Onboarding buddy introduction
    • Tour of systems and tools

  2. Setup Milestones:

    • Account access verification
    • Communication tool setup
    • Development tool installation initiation
    • Documentation access

Example first day schedule:

## First Day Schedule

**Morning**
- 9:00-9:30: Welcome meeting with manager
- 9:30-10:30: HR orientation and paperwork
- 10:30-11:30: Team introduction meeting
- 11:30-12:00: Setup workstation with IT support

**Lunch**
- 12:00-1:00: Team lunch with onboarding buddy

**Afternoon**
- 1:00-2:00: Development environment setup (Part 1)
- 2:00-3:00: Overview of systems and architecture
- 3:00-4:00: Continue development setup with buddy
- 4:00-4:30: End-of-day check-in with manager

First Week Experience

First Week Standards

The first week should focus on understanding the project and making initial contributions:

  1. Technical Depth:

    • Architecture deep dives
    • Codebase walkthroughs
    • Development workflow practice
    • Testing procedures

  2. Initial Contributions:

    • Documentation improvements
    • Minor bug fixes
    • Test creation or enhancement
    • Paired programming sessions

Example first week plan:

## First Week Plan

**Day 2**
- Complete environment setup
- Architecture overview session
- First code repository walkthrough
- Set up monitoring and observability access

**Day 3**
- Development workflow walkthrough
- First pull request (documentation update)
- Testing framework introduction
- CI/CD pipeline overview

**Day 4**
- First bug fix assignment (paired programming)
- Code review process training
- Database schema review
- Security practices overview

**Day 5**
- Complete first independent bug fix
- Week review with manager and buddy
- Set goals for week two
- Team retrospective participation

First Month Experience

First Month Standards

The first month should transition from guided to independent work:

  1. Knowledge Expansion:

    • Cross-functional workflows
    • Incident response procedures
    • Performance optimization practices
    • Advanced tooling capabilities

  2. Contribution Progression:

    • Feature implementation (small scope)
    • Cross-component changes
    • Technical design documents
    • Production deployment participation

Example first month milestones:

## First Month Milestones

**Week 2**
- Implement a small feature independently
- Participate in all team ceremonies
- Complete security training
- Shadow on-call rotation

**Week 3**
- Create first technical design document
- Contribute to architectural discussion
- Implement feature with cross-service impact
- Review pull requests from other team members

**Week 4**
- Lead a production deployment
- Present work at team demo
- Complete first on-call shift (shadowed)
- End of month review and planning session

Role-Specific Journeys

Customization Standards

Onboarding journeys should be customized for different roles while maintaining a consistent structure:

  1. Role-Specific Modules:

    • Specialized training paths by role
    • Custom technical setup requirements
    • Role-appropriate first tasks

  2. Implementation:

    • Base journey with role-specific inserts
    • Clear marking of role-specific content
    • Regular updates based on role evolution

Example role-specific section:

## Frontend Developer Specialization

Complete these additional steps alongside the core onboarding journey:

**Technical Setup Additions**
- Install design tools (Figma, Sketch)
- Set up component library access
- Configure frontend performance testing tools

**First Week Additions**
- Component architecture overview
- Design system training
- Accessibility guidelines review
- Frontend testing framework training

**First Contributions**
- Update UI component documentation
- Fix a CSS/styling issue
- Implement a new UI component
- Add unit tests for UI components

**Learning Path**
1. Core HTML/CSS standards (Day 3)
2. Component library overview (Day 4)
3. State management patterns (Week 2)
4. Performance optimization techniques (Week 3)
5. Advanced animation patterns (Week 4)

Onboarding Checklists

Checklist Standards

Standardized checklists should be used for tracking onboarding progress:

  1. Format Requirements:

    • Digital, trackable format
    • Assigned owners for each item
    • Clear completion criteria
    • Estimated time investment

  2. Distribution:

    • Three-way checklists (new hire, buddy, manager)
    • Regular progress reviews
    • Automated reminders for overdue items

Example onboarding checklist format:

## Technical Setup Checklist

| Task | Owner | Due | Est. Time | Status | Notes |
|------|-------|-----|-----------|--------|-------|
| Install development tools | New Hire | Day 1 | 2 hours | □ | See \1\2) |
| Configure local environment | New Hire | Day 2 | 3 hours | □ | \1\2) |
| Request system access | Buddy | Day 1 | 30 min | □ | Access form requires manager approval |
| Verify CI/CD access | Buddy | Day 2 | 1 hour | □ | Ensure build permissions |
| Review security policies | New Hire | Day 3 | 1 hour | □ | Complete acknowledgment form |

Documentation Standards

Documentation Requirements

Onboarding documentation should follow these standards:

  1. Format Standards:

    • Use Markdown for all onboarding documents
    • Store in version-controlled repository
    • Link to authoritative sources rather than duplicate
    • Use consistent templates

  2. Content Requirements:

    • Clear step-by-step instructions
    • Screenshots for UI-based tasks
    • Troubleshooting sections for common issues
    • Last updated timestamp and owner

Example documentation template:

# [Task Name]

**Last Updated:** [Date] by [Owner]  
**Required for:** [Roles]  
**Estimated time:** [Duration]

## Overview

Brief description of the task and its importance.

## Prerequisites

- Required access rights
- Prior tasks to complete
- Required tools

## Step-by-step instructions

1. First step with detailed instruction
   ![Screenshot description](path/to/image.png)

2. Second step with detailed instruction

   ```command
   Example command or code if applicable
   ```

3. Third step with detailed instruction

## Verification

How to verify the task was completed successfully.

## Common Issues

| Issue | Solution |
|-------|----------|
| [Common problem] | [Resolution steps] |
| [Another issue] | [How to fix it] |

## Additional Resources

- [Link to related documentation]
- [Link to video tutorial]
- [Contact for help]

Feedback and Iteration

Feedback Collection Standards

Continuous improvement of onboarding requires structured feedback:

  1. Feedback Mechanisms:

    • Day 5 initial feedback survey
    • End of week 2 detailed survey
    • End of month 1 comprehensive review
    • Regular buddy feedback sessions

  2. Metrics Collection:

    • Time to complete onboarding phases
    • Time to first contribution
    • Blockers encountered and resolution time
    • Confidence ratings at key milestones

Example feedback template:

## Week 1 Onboarding Feedback

Rate your experience on a scale of 1-5 (5 being best):

1. How clear were the onboarding instructions? [1-5]
2. How helpful was your onboarding buddy? [1-5]
3. How smoothly did the technical setup process go? [1-5]
4. How well do you understand your initial tasks? [1-5]
5. How comfortable are you with the development workflow? [1-5]

Short answer questions:
1. What was the most challenging part of your first week?
2. What additional resources would have been helpful?
3. What went particularly well during your onboarding?
4. What suggestions do you have to improve the onboarding process?

Blockers encountered:
1. [Description of blocker]
   - Time to resolve: [duration]
   - Resolution method: [how it was resolved]

Improvement Process

A standardized improvement process should be followed:

  1. Quarterly Review:

    • Analyze accumulated feedback
    • Identify common pain points
    • Prioritize improvements
    • Update journey maps and documentation

  2. Version Control:

    • Maintain versioned onboarding journeys
    • Document changes between versions
    • Track effectiveness of changes

Example improvement process:

## Quarterly Onboarding Review Process

1. **Collect Data**
   - Compile all feedback from the quarter
   - Calculate key metrics (time to productivity, satisfaction)
   - Interview recent hires for qualitative feedback

2. **Analyze**
   - Identify top 3 pain points
   - Determine root causes
   - Evaluate effectiveness of recent changes

3. **Plan Improvements**
   - Prioritize based on impact and effort
   - Document proposed changes
   - Get stakeholder input and approval

4. **Implement**
   - Update onboarding documentation
   - Brief buddies and managers on changes
   - Create migration plan for in-progress onboarding

5. **Measure**
   - Define success metrics for changes
   - Set review date to evaluate effectiveness

Implementation Checklist

Use this checklist to implement the onboarding journey map standards:

Initial Setup

  • Establish onboarding coordinator role
  • Create template journey map documents
  • Set up onboarding tracking system
  • Develop role-specific modules
  • Create feedback collection tools

Process Deployment

  • Train managers on onboarding responsibilities
  • Brief onboarding buddies on expectations
  • Set up automated reminders for onboarding tasks
  • Integrate with HR onboarding systems
  • Create escalation path for blockers

Monitoring and Improvement

  • Establish baseline metrics for current onboarding
  • Schedule regular review meetings
  • Create dashboard for onboarding effectiveness
  • Document lessons learned and best practices
  • Develop continuous improvement process