The 30-60-90 Day Plan for New Hires

The 30-60-90 Day Plan format can be applied to everything from job searches to implementing company strategy.

The 3-month structure works particularly well with employee onboarding and orientation, given those processes generally cover a 90-day period. 

The 30-60-90 Day Plan can be started at any time, for a potential hire or a CEO. The purpose is to set a fixed goal and take realistic steps to achieve it. 

For a new hire, the ideal time to begin building this plan is during the pre-boarding stage. Then, on their official first day, the new hire can jump straight in rather than lose potentially productive days to tedious admin work. 

This workflow has been designed to be as flexible as possible so it can be easily adjusted for each employee. 

The plan is divided into 4 sections: 

1. Phase 1 (30)
2. Phase 2 (60)
3. Phase 3 (90)
4. Final review

Each phase is designed to outline the target of that month, set goals to reach the target, and review how successful those goals were. 

You can also edit the workflow as much as you’d like if you need more or fewer features. The following video will fill you in on creating your own workflows:

Document the employee’s details below. This will ensure that a record is kept of the employee’s progress over the next 90 days as well as any plans made for further development.

Use this task to create a general overview of what the entire plan will cover. Ensure that the employee’s goals and company’s goals are in alignment going forward. 

This plan will cover 90 days, which leaves many opportunities for situations to change. Remember to be flexible with the plan, and allow for change when necessary.

Phase 1: Days 1-30

Phase 2: Days 31-60

Phase 3: Days 61-90

The first month will differ from company to company to varying degrees. That said, almost every organization will include some form of onboarding and/or employee orientation during the first month. 

With this being the case, Phase 1 will likely include more research and planning than the other two sections.

This is the phase where most of the employee’s tasks and responsibilities will center around learning company policies and procedures, integrating into the company culture, and figuring out how to use all those new apps. 

Phase 1 provides the foundation for the rest of the plan, though, so remember to give it equal attention even if some of the goals don’t seem as important or exciting at this stage.

Phase 1 only covers your first 30 days. In the previous section, you outlined your long-term goals, but now it’s time to hone in on the details.

For each phase, you’ll be asked to identify your:

• Focus
• Goals
• Priorities
• Metrics

While some of these may remain more or less the same, others will change from phase to phase. Your focus in Phase 1, for example, will be very different from your focus in Phase 3. 

When thinking about your focus this month, consider what you need to learn to perform your job most effectively. 

A few questions to keep in mind are:

• What resources will you need access to?
• What tools will you need to learn?
• Who has expertise in specific areas?
• What can you offer your team, department, and the company?

Now that you’ve identified your focus, you need to set goals to complement them. 

Remember to keep these goals realistic and achievable within the next 30 days. 

The sweet spot for setting your goals is to pick things that will be challenging, but not so challenging that you can’t achieve them.

The next step is to prioritize your goals. When deciding which to approach first, ask yourself the following questions:

• Which goals require collaboration with other team members?
• Are any of the goals dependent on each other?
• Which goals will have the greatest impact?
• Which goals are most relevant to your focus?

Without metrics to measure your success, the previous three sections are meaningless. 

The metric you choose for each goal needs to be tangible and precise otherwise you won’t be able to visualize whether or not you’ve actually been successful. 

Metrics need to be measurable above all else. 

Using the SMART method to lay out your action items for the phase will give you a firm structure to follow while also ensuring you have a solid target to aim for. 

Remember to keep your SMART goals:

• Specific: What should be achieved?
• Measurable: How will you track the progress?
• Attainable: They need to be reachable.
• Realistic: Be relevant to the company or team.
• Time-Bound: Achieved within a certain period of time. 

For a step-by-step walkthrough on setting SMART goals, you can use Process Street’s SMART Goal-Setting Checklist.

Quickly run through the following items to ensure they’ve all been completed. If something hasn’t been done, be sure to discuss it during your review meeting with your mentor. 

General Phase 1 Tasks

Team Phase 1 Tasks

Individual Phase 1 Tasks

Now that you’ve made it to the end of Phase 1, it’s time to review your progress so far. 

Be honest about your obstacles and your wins. As you evaluate your performance during Phase 1, ask yourself:

• Were any of your goals easier than you thought they’d be?
• Were any more difficult?
• Did you manage your time well?
• What unexpected factors impacted your productivity?
• What lessons have you learned that can applied to future tasks?

Phase 1 SMART goals

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Phase 1 action items

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Phase 1 KPIs

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During the second month (Phase 2), you’ll start putting the lessons you’ve learned into action. 

Your second month will continue to center around intensive learning, although now it’ll be more proactive and hands-on. Don’t be afraid to review lessons and resources you’ve already covered; learning is a continuous process.

During this phase, you should start taking initiative and using your own judgment when it comes to decisions. Your mentor will still be available for guidance, but now you should be learning to stand.

Action items from Phase 1

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When completing this section, reflect on your experiences from Phase 1. Were there areas you should have been more specific? Were you able to adequately anticipate time, resources, and potential obstacles? 

Use those lessons – including the remaining action items – to shape your focus, goals, priorities, and metrics for Phase 2.

For a step-by-step walkthrough on setting SMART goals, you can use Process Street’s SMART Goal-Setting Checklist.

Remember to keep your SMART goals:

• Specific: What should be achieved?
• Measurable: How will you track the progress?
• Attainable: They need to be reachable.
• Realistic: Be relevant to the company or team.
• Time-Bound: Achieved within a certain period of time. 

Phase 1 SMART goals

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Phase 1 action items

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Phase 1 KPIs

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Quickly run through the following items to ensure they’ve all been completed. If something hasn’t been done, be sure to discuss it during your review meeting with your mentor. 

General Phase 2 Tasks

Team Phase 2 Tasks

Individual Phase 2 Tasks

Be honest about your obstacles and your wins. 

• Were any of your goals easier than you thought they’d be?
• Were any more difficult?
• Did you manage your time well?
• What unexpected factors impacted your productivity?
• What lessons have you learned that can applied to future tasks?

Phase 2 SMART goals

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Phase 2 action items

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Phase 2 KPIs

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At this point, you may feel like you’ve got a pretty good handle on your role and responsibilities. Don’t get ahead of yourself, though. 

This last phase may actually prove to be the most difficult of the three. Situations and scenarios you haven’t been prepared for will crop up. You’ll be expected to take initiative on your own and be proactive about what needs to be done. You may even feel like you know exactly what you’re supposed to do – until you don’t.

It’s okay. You’re not completely on your own. Your mentor will still be in the background observing your progress. If something comes up that you aren’t sure how to handle, don’t hesitate to reach out to your mentor – or other team members – for a helping hand.

Action items from Phase 2

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When completing this section, reflect on your experiences from Phases 1 & 2. Were there areas you should have been more specific about? Were you able to adequately anticipate the time, resources, and potential obstacles? 

Use those lessons – including the remaining action items – to shape your focus, goals, priorities, and metrics for Phase 3.

For a step-by-step walkthrough on setting SMART goals, you can use Process Street’s SMART Goal-Setting Checklist.

Remember to keep your SMART goals:

• Specific: What should be achieved?
• Measurable: How will you track the progress?
• Attainable: They need to be reachable.
• Realistic: Be relevant to the company or team.
• Time-Bound: Achieved within a certain period of time. 

Phase 2 SMART goals

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Phase 2 action items

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Phase 2 KPIs

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Quickly run through the following items to ensure they’ve all been completed. If something hasn’t been done, be sure to discuss it during your review meeting with your mentor. 

General Phase 3 Tasks

Team Phase 3 Tasks

Individual Phase 3 Tasks

Be honest about your obstacles and your wins. 

• Were any of your goals easier than you thought they’d be?
• Were any more difficult?
• Did you manage your time well?
• What unexpected factors impacted your productivity?
• What lessons have you learned that can applied to future tasks?

Phase 3 SMART goals

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Phase 3 action items

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Phase 3 KPIs

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Remaining action items

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The final section is an opportunity for both the employee and their mentor to reflect and provide feedback on the previous 90 days and the process as a whole. 

Your answers to these feedback questions will be collected and exported to a spreadsheet without any identifiers attached. 

Please be as honest and specific as possible. Reflect on your experiences over the past 90 days and consider what you wish had gone differently.

Were there different decisions you would have made? Was there support or resources not provided when you needed them? Could you have been better supported during this process? Do you now feel prepared to fully take on your role and responsibilities?

Rate each statement on a scale from 1-10.

Reflect on your experiences with the employee over the past 90 days and provide an accurate assessment of the employee’s performance and the process as a whole. 

Rate each statement from 1-10.

The following posts and workflows provide useful information related to employee onboarding and integrating new employees into your company.

Posts

• 6 Checklists to Perfect Your New Employee Onboarding Process

• Why Google’s Onboarding Process Works 25% Better Than Everyone Else’s

• We Need to Talk About Your Employee Onboarding Process (& How to Fix It)

• Employee Orientation vs. Employee Onboarding: The Secret to New Hire Success

• Reduce New Hire Churn With This Employee Onboarding Checklist

• Employee Development Program: The Key to Improving Productivity, Engagement, & Retention

• 10 Ways to Instantly Improve Employee Development

• Employee Development Plan: Top CEOs Use One, and So Should You (Free Template)

• HR Best Practices: What They Are and How You Can Implement Them

• 6 Steps to Build the Perfect Career Progression Plan (+ Free Template!)

• How to Improve Your Employee Training Process to Reduce Turnover by 40%

• The Ultimate Guide for an Effective Talent Management Strategy

Workflows

• Job Description Template
• Accountant Job Description Template
• Editor Job Description Template
• Graphic Designer Job Description Template
• HR Manager Job Description Template
• Web Developer Job Description Template
• Career Progression Plan Template
• Communication Plan Template
• Training Plan Template
• Office Conflict Resolution Template
• Employee Development Plan Template