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Ramping up to a new software development project is a process. Typically, many tasks must be completed before a teammate can really start contributing to velocity, no matter how senior in the field they may be and the time required to complete these tasks can vary from project to project. From my experience, common things that need to be addressed from the onset include:
- Completing security training
- Requesting permissions and access
- Installing and downloading certain software
- Understanding project architecture
- Organizing new meeting cadences
- Establishing relationships with new team members
- Meeting expectations around team norms
The list I outlined above is not the end-all-be-all, but it’s relevant and can easily block a new team member from feeling valued on their new team.
I have experience joining teams at every stage of development, from initial discovery and requirement gathering to delivery and product handoff. Each stage comes with its own unique benefits and limitations; however, the bottom line is that if you aren’t part of the initial team (for whatever reason) that partakes in discovery and requirement gathering or at least the start of delivery, the task list from the jump can be extensive and daunting.
What it typically looks like during this process is that the established team is aware of these blockers for the new teammate, so the team is welcoming the new team member in all of the agile ceremonies. Still, the latest member isn’t fully included and is often talked around due to a lack of product knowledge, access, or another impersonal reason. It is also a real thing to join a team that may be impatient for you to start “working” because they are close to a deadline or haven’t been meeting expectations — so they need more hands, like yesterday.
