Hey everyone, I'm a solo founder managing a small team of developers for my startup, and I've been having some real challenges with onboarding my new hires. I've been working on a software project for a while before bringing anyone on board, and I thought that the onboarding process would go smoothly. However, it seems like no matter what I do, they struggle to grasp the project vision, the workflow, and even the codebase itself.
I understand that onboarding can take time, but I'm starting to wonder if I'm missing something in my approach. Beyond having a basic checklist and documentation, what can I do to help my new developers get up to speed? Has anyone else experienced similar issues when they started a new role or project?
4 Answers
Have you talked it over with your team? It's key to understand their challenges and maybe document those insights to help future hires. You might not be able to speed up their learning process, but having a clear guideline could definitely help them along the way.
Onboarding can be tough! How long have you been dealing with these challenges? I actually think it helps if newcomers have a singular task to focus on in the early weeks. Maybe getting them involved in small tasks can help them become familiar with the project and support each other thereafter.
Documentation is super important for onboarding. Don't skip on it! Try holding whiteboard sessions to walk them through requirements and architecture before diving into the codebase. Plus, giving them space to ask questions is crucial. You could even incorporate some mob programming sessions to bring everyone together on the coding side.
This is pretty common in many companies, even big ones where new devs don’t code for the first month or two. From my experience in a small startup, I suggest two things: first, clearly explain what the product is in simple terms—like you're pitching to investors, but in more detail. Secondly, have them tackle small problems in a limited part of the code to build their confidence. Just keep in mind that not every developer will jump into problem-solving immediately, especially if they're new.
I get that not everyone learns at the same pace, and quantifying their progress isn't always possible. It can be tough to find a one-size-fits-all solution.