Onboarding new engineers on a project can be a time-consuming process. However, by implementing a structured approach, the transition can be made smoother.
An effective onboarding strategy includes:
- Providing a comprehensive overview of the project's architecture and making relevant documentation easily accessible.
- Assigning tasks or tickets that focus on the implementation of business logic, giving the new engineer a clear understanding of the project's objectives.
- Collaborating on the definition of main test cases, including the happy path and potential exceptions.
- Delaying the implementation of external dependencies by using techniques such as dependency injection or the dependency provider pattern. This approach allows the new engineer to focus on the core functionality of the project.
- Encouraging the new engineer to submit a pull request early, allowing for timely feedback from senior engineers.
- Scheduling regular pair programming, code swarming or office hours sessions to provide additional support and guidance.
By following this approach, a new engineer can quickly become productive, and contribute to the success of the project.