Structure, studying, and human connection: How we onboard new support reps at Front

I officially joined Front three months ago, but my onboarding journey started long before day one. From the moment I accepted the offer, I was getting welcome messages, LinkedIn DMs, and emails from future teammates who were genuinely excited to have me on board. It was simple, thoughtful, and honestly, kind of unexpected.

That early warmth set the tone for what turned out to be the most supportive onboarding experience I’ve ever had.

I’ve had jobs where onboarding felt like being handed a stack of docs and left to figure things out. This was different. Over the course of three months, I was introduced to a well-structured, people-first approach that balanced independent learning with hands-on support, thoughtful check-ins, and meaningful mentorship.

Here, I’ll share what made Front’s onboarding process so effective — from the resources and learning structure to the human touch points that made all the difference. Whether you’re building a support onboarding program from scratch or just looking to level up your current approach, I hope these insights help spark ideas for making the experience smoother, more empowering, and a lot more human.

Learning isn’t just about reading, it’s about doing (and doing it together)

One thing that stood out to me right away was how well Front balances independent learning with collaborative support. There are three key resources that helped me ramp up with confidence:

• Our internal knowledge base: The source of truth for all things support, from workflows to troubleshooting to how we talk with customers.

• Front’s public help center: The same one our customers use. I used it from day one to understand how we present the product externally and how to help customers more effectively.

• Front Academy: A structured, course-based way to learn more about the product. These courses are the same ones our customers use too, so again, there’s that shared understanding built right in.

Having access to all these tools made it easier to learn at my own pace. But it was the real-time interactions that helped everything click.

Two key roles that made a huge difference

Tools and documentation are essential, but the real game-changer in onboarding? People.

At Front, there are two key roles that played a huge part in helping me feel supported, confident, and ready to take on the work: the Onboarding Manager and the Support Buddy.

The Onboarding Manager — mine was Luke Atkins, Senior Customer Support Specialist — acts as the architect of the onboarding journey. They plan out what the first few months will look like, schedule training, assign learning materials, and check in regularly to adapt the plan based on progress. This role ensures that onboarding is not a checklist but a guided experience with a clear path forward.

The Support Buddy — I had Senior Customer Support Specialist Phoebe Killick – is the go-to person for day-to-day questions and feedback. They review draft replies, offer guidance on how to handle different types of cases, and share tips and context that aren’t always written down. They help new hires feel safe asking questions and confident handling real conversations.

Together, these roles create a sense of structure and belonging. And while those two people were my main points of contact, the culture at Front encourages reaching out to anyone on the team, something that really helped me learn faster and feel connected early on.

Shadowing, support, and the power of human connection

Some of the most helpful moments came from learning directly alongside my teammates. Here’s what that looked like:

• Shadow sessions: I watched experienced support specialists handle live cases, learning how they tackled complex issues and communicated with customers.

• Reverse shadowing: When it was my turn to take the lead, a teammate was right there with me, offering real-time feedback and support.

• Office hours: As I gained more independence during my onboarding, reverse shadow sessions gradually shifted into Office Hours—dedicated time where a more experienced teammate was available to answer any questions I had. It felt a lot like tapping a teammate on the shoulder for a quick question in a physical office.

• Deep dives: Focused sessions where we unpacked specific parts of the product or process. Shoutout to Luke Atkins, for leading these with so much enthusiasm.

And while it wasn’t technically part of onboarding, our Queue Crushes program — collaborative sessions where teammates work through tough cases together — gave me space to practice, ask questions, and laugh with the team.

Onboarding as a foundation for growth

By the time I wrapped up my three-month onboarding at Front, I had handled real customer conversations, explored the ins and outs of our product, and built relationships with teammates I now lean on daily. I’d made it through the learning curve — and more importantly, I didn’t feel like I was doing it alone.

On my final day of onboarding, I got something called a “graduation report” — a walkthrough of everything I’d accomplished, highlights from my progress, and some thoughtful feedback on where to keep growing. It was personal. Encouraging. And a clear sign that the team genuinely cared about my long-term success, not just checking a box that onboarding was “done.”

That kind of intentional close-out matters. It gave me a moment to reflect, celebrate, and look ahead, and it gave the team a chance to recognize the milestone, too. It’s easy to overlook, but that feeling of “you’ve got this” makes a big difference when you’re stepping into the full rhythm of the role.

Great onboarding really comes down to this…

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience, it’s that effective onboarding isn’t just about preparing someone to do the job. It’s about helping them feel grounded, capable, and connected from the very beginning.

Whether you’re building a new onboarding program or refining an existing one, here’s what I’d encourage you to keep in mind:

1. Make the experience personal, not just practical.

2. Balance structure with flexibility.

3. Build in human touch points, not just tools.

4. Always celebrate progress, not just completion.

The first few months shape everything that follows. Get those right, and you’re both onboarding a new hire and building a stronger team.