GitLab cuts onboarding time with an issue-based workflow, dedicated buddies, early pairing, and weekly feedback, getting engineers to ship code in a week and stay longer.
GitLab's onboarding process is built around a single GitLab issue that acts as a transparent, shared checklist for the hiring manager, the onboarding buddy, and People Experience. From day one the new engineer gets accounts, hardware, and a coffee chat, preventing the silence that often leads to uncertainty or drop-off before the first line of code is written.
The core of the process is the onboarding buddy - a domain expert who pairs with the new hire on early merge requests, runs coffee chats, and guides them through GitLab-specific workflows called "GitLabisms." This one-to-one relationship reduces context switching, builds psychological safety, and accelerates learning far more than a scattered team of mentors.
Pair programming is baked in, with the new engineer pairing on the first few tasks, then joining broader pairing sessions such as Frontend Pairing office hours. This hands-on approach lets the engineer receive real-time feedback, create relationships across a remote-first company, and internalize GitLab's CREDIT values while delivering production code quickly.
Weekly 1:1 feedback loops are mandated, mixing appreciation and coaching aligned with GitLab's values. The loops surface onboarding friction early and feed into an optional retrospective that captures what worked, what didn't, and concrete actions for future hires. The result is a measurable reduction in turnover and faster time-to-productivity.
Overall, the process demonstrates that a structured, transparent, and buddy-driven onboarding workflow can turn a new hire into a code-shipping engineer within a week and a retained team member for years.
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