In an entrepreneurial company, you don't have time for someone to be lagging behind. Everyone has to make a contribution immediately — especially here at Motek, where every member of our tech team is billable from the beginning.

Three years ago we started a training program, "The Buddy System," which gives every new employee a mentor. This is not about going to lunch once a week to see how you're doing — it's about working side by side.

New employees actually share an office with their mentor. We have a series of rooms designed to house two people: There are two desks, two phones, two computers, etc. A senior person moves in with the new employee typically for a three-month period. Not only does this help the new employee get up to speed faster, exposure to a senior person allows the new hire to find out what's happening at the top of the company.

The mentoring is also a plus for the senior employee — working with someone younger or new to the industry gives you a fresh perspective. Instead of being restricted by a this-is-the-way-we've-always-done-things mindset, new employees enrich your workplace with new ideas.

Our training system also serves as a collaboration tool. From the very beginning, you're part of a two-person team, which helps integrate new employees into a larger company team. A collaborative team takes better risks, and especially in a technology business, you need risk takers to forge ahead.

It also creates tremendous freedom for employees. Too often software programmers are chained to their desks because no one knows what they're working on. Yet under our system, mentors serve as a backup, so if you need to take a day off, there's someone to fill your shoes. (Sometimes your backup may change, depending on your responsibilities in the company.)

Our mentor system goes beyond the mechanics of our business to teach corporate culture. In our company, the employee comes first, not the customer. We believe in flexibility and quality of life. Many technology companies run "software sweatshops" where they hire mediocre people and then overwork them. We hire the best people and believe they should be able to do their work in an eight-hour day.

Your Peer Connection: Ann Price, founder and CEO, Motek. annp@motek.com