Onboarding Engineers: Setting Up Success in the First 90 Days

Why Onboarding Matters

The first 90 days are critical. Poor onboarding leads to slow productivity, low engagement, and early turnover. Good onboarding sets engineers up for success and accelerates time-to-productivity.

The First Week

Day 1: Welcome and Setup

• Welcome meeting with manager
• Complete paperwork and access setup
• Introduction to team
• Tour of office (if in-person)

Days 2-5: Orientation

• Company culture and values
• Technical architecture overview
• Development environment setup
• First small task

The First Month

Week 2: First Project

• Assigned to first real project
• Regular check-ins with manager
• Pair programming sessions
• Code review participation

Week 3: Increasing Responsibility

• Take on more complex tasks
• Participate in team meetings
• Start contributing to codebase
• Build relationships with team

Week 4: Integration

• Full participation in team activities
• Ownership of features
• Mentor check-ins
• Feedback session

The First 90 Days

Month 2: Building Expertise

• Deep dive into codebase
• Take on larger features
• Participate in architecture discussions
• Mentor junior engineers (if senior)

Month 3: Full Productivity

• Independent contributor
• Full ownership of features
• Active in code reviews
• Performance review

Key Components of Effective Onboarding

1. Clear Documentation

Provide comprehensive documentation:

• Company culture and values
• Technical architecture
• Development workflows
• Communication guidelines
• Tools and systems

2. Assigned Mentor

Pair new engineers with mentors:

• Regular check-ins
• Answer questions
• Provide context
• Help navigate company

3. Gradual Responsibility

Increase responsibility over time:

• Start with small tasks
• Progress to larger features
• Build confidence
• Avoid overwhelming

4. Regular Feedback

Provide frequent feedback:

• Weekly check-ins
• Code review feedback
• Performance feedback
• Career discussions

Remote Onboarding Considerations

For remote engineers, additional considerations:

• More structure: Remote engineers need more guidance
• Video calls: Regular video check-ins
• Documentation: Even more important for remote
• Team building: Virtual team activities

Measuring Onboarding Success

Track these metrics:

• Time-to-first-commit: How quickly do they contribute?
• Time-to-productivity: When are they fully productive?
• Engagement: Are they engaged and happy?
• Retention: Do they stay past 90 days?

Common Mistakes

• Throwing them in the deep end: Overwhelming new engineers
• No structure: Unclear expectations
• No mentor: Leaving them to figure it out alone
• No feedback: Not providing guidance

Conclusion

Effective onboarding sets engineers up for success. For UAE tech companies, structured onboarding accelerates time-to-productivity, improves retention, and builds strong teams. Invest in onboarding, and you'll see the returns in engineer performance and satisfaction.