To: Samantha Lee, ENGL 301
From: Yifan Wang, ENGL 301
Date: Oct 16, 2021
Subject: Peer Review of Research Proposal
The proposal “improving the onboarding process for new tech hires at Article” is a pleasure to read. It clearly states the current situation of onboarding new developers at Article and proposed feasible solutions to address the problem. Impressive!
Introduction:
This part introduces readers to a detailed onboarding process that is currently adopted at Article, which involves new hires setting up their development environment according to the documentation and seeking help from co-workers whenever they are stuck. The language used in this part is mostly non-technical, and is clear enough to be understood by people without any technical background.
Statement of Problem:
This part points out the problem that new-hires might encounter during the onboarding process, such as having technical difficulties but co-workers could not help. It also states the possible mental problems that could be the consequence of such difficulties. The causal relationship is clear.
Proposed Solution:
The proposed solution is clear and doable. It is about revising the current onboarding process. You also supported your proposal by listing what some other companies are doing, such as mentorship programs, social events, and better documentation.
Scope:
The scope very well addresses the problems that might concern the management.
- Instead of saying “pros and cons of the current onboarding process”, “what we have done well in the current onboarding process and what could be improved” might be better.
Methods:
Methods provide rich resource for the research, with both primary and secondary sources. The primary sources include interviews with a senior software engineer and a senior product designer focusing on improving hire retention.
- One suggestion would be to also interview other new hires, as you would get a better understanding about new hires’ views on the current onboarding and come up with solutions that could target the problems they have.
Qualifications:
As a computer science student and a Co-op student at Article, you are certainly qualified for doing this research.
Conclusion:
The conclusion is clear. It mentions the importance of improving current onboarding process and echoes the statement of the problem.
Revisions:
Please note the suggested revisions in this review that will improve the quality:
- Change the phrase in the Scope section.
- Add more research methods.
Overall, this proposal is well-written. Looking forward to reading your formal report. Please feel free to ask any question.
Enclosure: 301 Samantha Lee Research Proposal
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