Code by Tom

Having worked as a software engineer for over a decade across multiple companies and teams, I’ve experienced the onboarding process from a newcomer’s perspective more times than I can count.

Each team I’ve joined has had its own onboarding approach, shaped by their unique responsibilities within the product and the different codebases they manage. This can feel overwhelming, especially when you join a team mid-project and worry that your questions, however basic they seem are pulling your colleagues away from their work. (Spoiler: they mean it when they say there’s no such thing as a stupid question.)

Here are some ideas for how both seasoned team members and newcomers can make the onboarding process smoother.

For Team Members

1. Explain the current project: Take a moment to give your new colleague a rundown of the project at hand. Walk them through how the pieces connect, the history behind it, and the problem you’re solving for users. A few hours spent here can save countless more down the road.
2. Turn testing instructions into learning tools: Following testing steps is a goldmine for learning. It introduces newcomers to the product environment and sheds light on confusing terms, abbreviations (keep a glossary handy!), workflows, and features in context. Write testing instructions with zero prior knowledge in mind. If there are repetitive setup steps, link to them in a project doc or thread for easy reference.
3. Be detailed when assigning tasks: When breaking down project work into tasks (say, in a tool like GitHub), go the extra mile with descriptions. Explain why the task matters, how it fits into the bigger picture, and any specific criteria for completion. This context helps newcomers jump in with confidence and cuts down on back-and-forth later.
4. Pair up more often: Pair programming doesn’t get enough love. Starting a task? Share a video call link with your team as an open invite. Newcomers get a front-row seat to your debugging process, pick up productivity tricks, and build stronger connections. Especially valuable when many of us are working remotely.
5. Leverage LLMs for quick explanations: Large language models can be a great resource for generating clear, concise explanations of complex concepts or code snippets. If a newcomer’s stumped on something niche, try feeding a question into an LLM and refining the output together. It’s a fast way to bridge knowledge gaps without derailing your day.

For Newcomers

1. Ask your questions publicly: There’s truly no such thing as a dumb question. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve found answers by searching public team Slack channels. The more you admit you don’t know, the more you’ll learn and others might benefit, too.
2. Request to pair on tasks: Don’t hesitate to ask your team if you can team up on something. Suggest hopping on a call to help (or just observe) a colleague in action. You’ll both walk away with new insights.
3. Look for testing opportunities: If tasks like pull requests come with clear testing instructions, jump in. It’s a low-pressure way to learn the ropes. Not ready to sign off on it? No problem, let someone else handle the final approval.
4. Build a solid bookmarking habit: Resource discovery tools are great, but I often revisit the same docs or articles. Having a personal bookmarking system has saved me tons of time.
5. Experiment with LLMs for clarity: Stuck on a concept, code block, or jargon? Try asking an LLM to break it down for you. It’s like having an on-demand tutor, just double-check the output with your team’s resources or a colleague to ensure accuracy.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you found this helpful!