How to reduce on-boarding time and make developers more productive

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# How to reduce on-boarding time and make developers more productive
August 21 2015

Christian Trabold [@ctrabold](https://twitter.com/ctrabold)

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# Make developers more productive .red.bold[*]
.footnote[.red.bold[*] The short version]

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# What is 'on-boarding'?

- Your first day(s) in a new company
- Your first day(s) in a new project
- Your first day(s) in a new team

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# How fast do you feel _comfortable_<br>in your _new_ environment?

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# Joining a new team <br>is like traveling to a foreign country

- How to understand the new language?
- _They are behaving different than I'm used to_
- *Exciting* vs. *Feels sometimes unconfortable*

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# CULTURE SHOCK!

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background-image: url(assets/images/what_who_where.jpg)

.copyright[http://blog.internations.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Fotolia_9227685_S.jpg]

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# Provide a 'Getting started' document

- Add README.md files to each project
- Help members to help themselves
- Collect feedback from new members to improve the onboarding

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.copyright[http://devopsreactions.tumblr.com/post/125332171991/what-the-host-masks-from-your-vps-performance]

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# Draw your organisation diagram

- also good for pairing: How do you understand our organisation?

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<blockquote style="font-size: 2em">
Putting people’s work into context is important for me, and by talking over the business problem as a team, helps people understand what it is they are contributing to
– Patrick Kua <a href="https://www.thekua.com/atwork/2007/05/onboarding-strategy-big-vision-business-problem/">source</a>
</blockquote>

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# Reduce tasks in the beginning

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# Explain 3-letter words!

They are the _foreign language_
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# Provide a company Glossary

```
# Example Glossary

TBD  = To be discussed
TBA  = To be announced
ETA  = Estimated Time of Arrival
TW   = ThoughtWorks
TWER = ThoughtWorker
TWU  = ThoughtWorks University
```

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# Escalate quickly

- If you are unhappy with the information you get, let your team know!
- Provide contructive feedback!
- Start your own 'onboarding' document when you join e.g. `README.md` and personal wiki page (blog)

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# Tools

- Send preparation email _upfront_
- Set expectations _early_
- What is your role? What _not_ to do?

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# Example 'Welcome Email'

Dear Name,

we are thrilled to welcome you on Monday 20 8:00 AM in our office at 87 Amoy St, Singapore 069906.

Follow [this link](https://goo.gl/maps/0Pe9s) for detailed directions.

Your team will welcome you for breakfast around 9:00 AM!

Please bring your ID and prepare one lie and two truths about you for your introduction.

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# What works well

- Prepare desk & computer early
- Inform IT team to setup the account (EARLY)<br>
- Add date of arrival to company calendar<br>
It's very common that team members are suprised when new people arrive.

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<img src="assets/images/who_is_that_guy.jpg" alt="Who is that?" width="80%">
.copyright[http://cdn.meme.am/instances/55888268.jpg]
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# IT: Make it easy to use best-practices

- Store common settings in `.profile` files
- Use _Configuration management_ to automate the setup
- Avoid setting up your environment over and over again (time waste)
- Focus on _improving_ your on-boarding process

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# Links

- [Best practises](http://www.infoq.com/articles/pat-kua-onboarding-new)
- [Nice 'on-boarding' handbook](http://www.valvesoftware.com/company/Valve_Handbook_LowRes.pdf)

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# Make the first impression great!

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# Thanks!