Buddy Buck Rewards — Ops-Facing Policy
Owner: Operations
Applies to: Ops team (assigning buddies, awarding points, running reward spins)
Related: Buddy Buck Program (team-facing) and Buddy Program Guidelines (Ops-facing runbook: pairing, timeline, expectations, and Buddy Buck rewards process) in Notion (Database Hub → Documentation → Documentation (NEW)).
Placement: This is the version-controlled copy. The canonical copy for day-to-day use may live in the Operations Manual in Notion. Sync or copy updates to Notion when you change this file.
1. Purpose
This document defines how Ops determines a successful buddy cycle (1 point or none), how points are tracked, and how the reward spin and reward fulfillment (PTO, dollar) are run. It is intended for Operations only. Team-facing rewards and eligibility are in the separate Buddy Buck Rewards — Team-Facing Policy. Sync both docs to Notion when updated.
2. Who Earns Points
- Eligible: Tenured team members who act as Buddy for a new hire.
- Not eligible: New hires do not earn Buddy Buck points; the program rewards the buddy, not the new hire.
3. Point System: 1 Point or None
- One point per successful buddy pairing. No partial points.
- A buddy earns 1 point when the cycle is deemed successful using the criteria in Section 4 (driven by the new-hire survey).
- If the cycle does not meet the success criteria, the buddy receives 0 points for that pairing. No points are awarded for incomplete or unsuccessful cycles.
4. Success Criteria (New-Hire Survey)
“Successful” is determined by a survey completed by the new hire at the end of the buddy cycle (e.g., end of Week 4 or 5). The buddy does not rate themselves.
4.1 Survey criteria for a successful cycle (1pt)
The new-hire survey must collect the following. Use the criteria below to decide pass (1pt) vs. no point (0pt).
| Criterion | What the survey measures | Pass condition (1pt) |
|---|---|---|
| Reach-out | Did the buddy reach out proactively in the first week? | New hire answers Yes (or “strongly agree” / top scale). |
| Touchpoints | Did the buddy have at least 2 meaningful touchpoints (e.g. intro call + at least one more check-in)? | New hire confirms at least 2 touchpoints (or equivalent scale). |
| Support | Did the buddy answer questions or point you to the right place? | New hire rates support as positive (e.g. “agree” or above on a 1–5 scale). |
| Culture / context | Did the buddy share helpful context about how we work (norms, tools, culture)? | New hire rates as positive (e.g. “agree” or above). |
| Overall experience | Overall, did you feel supported by your buddy? | New hire rates overall experience as positive (e.g. “agree” or above, or “Yes” to “Would you recommend this buddy to a future new hire?”). |
Pass rule: The buddy receives 1 point only if all of the above criteria are met (all pass conditions satisfied). If any criterion fails or the survey is not completed in time, the buddy receives 0 points for that cycle.
4.2 Suggested survey questions (for form build)
Use these as the basis for the actual survey; adjust scale labels to match your tool (e.g. 1–5, Yes/No, Strongly agree – Strongly disagree).
- Reach-out: “My buddy reached out to me proactively in my first week.” → [Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree] (Pass: Strongly agree or Agree.)
- Touchpoints: “I had at least two meaningful conversations or check-ins with my buddy (e.g. intro call + at least one more).” → [Yes / No] (Pass: Yes.)
- Support: “My buddy answered my questions or pointed me to the right place when I needed help.” → [Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree] (Pass: Strongly agree or Agree.)
- Culture/context: “My buddy shared helpful context about how we work (norms, tools, or culture).” → [Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree] (Pass: Strongly agree or Agree.)
- Overall: “Overall, I felt supported by my buddy during onboarding.” → [Strongly agree / Agree / Neutral / Disagree / Strongly disagree] (Pass: Strongly agree or Agree.)
Optional: “Would you recommend this buddy to a future new hire?” → [Yes / No] (can be used as an additional or substitute overall check).
Survey timing: Send to the new hire at the end of the buddy cycle (e.g. Week 4 or 5). Set a deadline for response (e.g. 5 business days). If the new hire does not submit the survey by the deadline, the cycle is treated as 0 points unless Ops has an agreed exception (e.g. extended deadline communicated in advance).
5. Earning a Reward (2 Points = One Spin)
- 2 points = one reward spin. A buddy chooses one of the two reward options per spin (see team-facing doc for options).
- Points do not expire within the same program year unless otherwise stated in the team-facing policy; document any expiry in the team-facing doc and here.
- After a spin is used, the 2 points are “spent”; the buddy continues to accrue new points from future successful pairings.
6. Reward Options (Reference — Full Detail in Team-Facing Doc)
| Option | Cap / constraint | Ops / exec action |
|---|---|---|
| Paid PTO | Max 2 paid PTO days per year from Buddy Bucks. Minimum 30 days apart between each PTO day. | Ops tracks usage and 30-day spacing; approve per policy. Buddy must follow OOO process and add note “Using Paid PTO from BF Buddy”. |
| Dollar incentive | Amount TBD. | Requires Exec review before implementation. Buddy sends request to operations@brainforge.ai; Ops processes in next payout. |
All rewards are paired with public recognition (e.g. Friday sync shoutout, kudos, or equivalent).
Claiming (aligned with team-facing doc): Team members are told: (1) Reward processed in next payout; Paid PTO must follow OOO policy. (2) Dollar incentive: Send request to operations@brainforge.ai; processed in next payout. (3) Paid PTO: Follow usual OOO process; when submitting, add note “Using Paid PTO from BF Buddy”. Ops must apply the same rules so there is no discrepancy.
6a. How to process (routing to Finance)
Once a team member claims a reward or files their PTO, Ops routes as follows so Finance can process:
- Dollar incentive: When a claim request is received at operations@brainforge.ai, Ops confirms the buddy has 2pts and the spin was recorded, then forwards the request to Finance for inclusion in the next payout.
- Paid PTO: When the buddy files an OOO request (e.g. via the usual Slack or form channel) with the note “Using Paid PTO from BF Buddy”, Ops confirms eligibility (max 2/year from Buddy Bucks, 30 days apart) and forwards to Finance for payroll so the day is paid as Buddy-earned PTO.
Document the exact Finance contact or channel in your Operations Manual if it differs (e.g. Finance Slack channel, email, or ticket system).
7. Ops Process Summary
- Before cycle end: Ensure new hire receives the survey link/form and deadline.
- After survey close: Score survey against Section 4 criteria. If all pass → 1pt to the buddy; else 0pt. Log in Buddy Program Tracker (or equivalent).
- When a buddy reaches 2 points: Notify buddy; run reward spin (buddy chooses one of the two options). Record choice and date. Apply caps (PTO: max 2/year, 30 days apart; dollar per approved amount). Dollar requests go to operations@brainforge.ai; Paid PTO follows OOO process with note “Using Paid PTO from BF Buddy”.
- Paid PTO: Verify max 2 per year and 30 days between each Buddy-Buck PTO day before approving.
- Dollar incentive: Do not implement until Exec has reviewed and approved amount and process; then follow approved process.
- Recognition: Ensure every reward is paired with public recognition (Friday sync, kudos, or as agreed).
8. Document History
- 2026-03-03: Added claiming alignment with team-facing doc; added Section 6a “How to process (routing to Finance)” for dollar and PTO.
- 2026-03-03: Reward options reduced to two (PTO, Dollar); added claiming note (operations@brainforge.ai, OOO + “Using Paid PTO from BF Buddy”).
- 2026-03-03: Initial version (success criteria, 1pt or none, 2pts = one spin, four options, PTO cap 2/year and 30 days apart, dollar TBD exec review).