Are buddy systems and mentoring programs the same?
No. Buddy systems are initiated by organizations to help new employees adjust to jobs during their first few months of employment. Buddies are most often peers in the same department, who assist new employees for short periods of time and require no specialized training as a buddy. Mentoring is a more complex relationship and focuses on both short- and long-term professional development goals. Though a mentor may be an employee’s peer, most often a mentor is a person at least one level higher in the organization who is not within the mentoree’s direct supervisory line of management.
