How to create a 30-60-90 plan for new hires
By: Janice Mejías Avilés, Edited by: Gabriela Pérez Jordán
Published: March 18, 2025
After a thorough recruitment process and offer negotiation, your new employee is ready to start. As their manager, you must provide them with the tools they need for a successful onboarding experience.
Learn how to create a structured plan that helps employees thrive from day one.
What is a 30-60-90 day plan?
A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that details a new hire's job responsibilities and goals during their first three months. This will help them settle into their role and begin contributing to their new team.
To avoid overwhelming new hires, these goals must be achievable and measurable. You may use the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) criteria to define the goals of a new hire's 30-60-90 day plan.
As a manager, you may also track a new hire's progress using key performance indicators (KPIs), weekly check-ins, or industry-specific metrics.
It's important to note that 30-60-90 day plans must adapt goals based on the employee's role and experience level.
Keep in mind...
A 30-60-90 day plan isn't just for new hires. It can also help structure team projects, set quarterly or yearly professional goals for existing employees, or provide expectations for actions going forward after a performance review.
How to create a 30-60-90 day plan
Creating an actionable 30-60-90 day plan requires three steps to set clear goals and establish deadlines to guide a new employee.
Step 1: Establish what you want to include in your plan
Break down the plan into specific, time-bound goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days, hence the name. For example, in the first month, a new employee may focus on training and shadowing, while by the third month, they should be able to handle projects independently. Defining clear milestones establishes accountability and progress tracking.
To monitor progress, consider creating a shared document in a checklist format, a 30-60-90 day plan template, or a project management tool. This document should include:
- A welcome message that integrates the company's mission and culture
- An overview of what the new hire can expect as they complete as they complete 30, 60, and 90 days on the job
- A collection of appropriate communication channels and guidelines on their use
- A breakdown of team structures and a list of key teammates to know, along with these teammates' roles and contact information
- An outline of essential tools they will use
Step 2: Divide the plan into phases
A 30-60-90 day plan should break down a new hire's onboarding into three clear and measurable phases:
| First 30 days | 30-60 days | 60-90 days |
|---|---|---|
| Understand the company's mission and culture | Collaborate with team members to understand the scope of work | Work independently with minimal supervision |
| Complete onboarding tasks, including HR and security training and setting up work tools | Begin taking ownership of tasks and contribute to small projects | Suggest improvements in work processes and team collaboration |
| Attend meetings and become acquainted with team structures and stakeholders | Ask questions and seek feedback on early contributions | Strengthen cross-functional relationships and engage with other departments |
| Shadow colleagues to observe workflows and best practices | Develop a structured workflow, establish priorities, and meet initial deadlines | Set quarterly goals and discuss long-term career growth with managers |
| Meet with managers to discuss responsibilities, performance expectations, and deliverables | Continue networking within the company to build relationships beyond the immediate team | Conduct a formal review with managers to evaluate progress |
Step 3: Set up check-ins with your new hire
Schedule regular check-ins to review progress, address challenges, and adjust goals as needed. Also, check in on your employee's wellbeing and ask for feedback on their onboarding process.
Aim to provide learning opportunities such as internal training sessions and mentorship programs and recommend resources like online courses to help employees build relevant skills.
Foster a culture of continuous learning by providing opportunities such as internal training sessions and mentorship programs. You may also recommend resources such as online courses to empower employees to develop crucial skills like time management.
This approach allows for improvement and can help employees feel supported as they settle into their new roles.
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