The onboarding process for a new hire isn't just about their first week on the job. It's a process that occurs over a 90-day period where employees gain an understanding of their new organization, learn how to do their job effectively, build relationships, and integrate into the organization's culture. Being intentional about an employee's onboarding through the development of a 30, 60, 90 day onboarding plan will ensure an employees's success, and in turn, your success as a manager!
Welcome aboard! Starting a new job at a new organization can be both exhilarating and nerve-wracking for many employees. They are stepping into a new environment, meeting new colleagues, and diving into fresh responsibilities. There are a million moving pieces during an employee's first 90 days at your organization, so much so that it can be overwhelming. However, with a well-structured onboarding plan that is developed over an employee's first 90 days, you can help your new employee navigate this transition smoothly, setting your employee and you up for success.
What is a 30, 60, 90 day onboarding plan
A 30, 60, 90 day onboarding plan is a document that a manager creates for a new hire. It outlines everything a new employee needs to know in order to be successful in their new role. And it is organized in three distinct phases - 30 day, 60 day, 90 day. Key components of this style of onboarding plan include:
Tasks: The plan lists the tasks that your new hire should work on over their first 90 days. This includes small tasks (i.e order business cards) and large tasks (i.e. become product certified).
Goals: The plan maps out and identifies manageable goals that your new hire should focus their time and energy on.
Milestones: The plan provides key milestones and performance gates a new employee should hit during their first 90 days on the job.
Key Partners: The plan should outline key employees and colleagues across the business that your new hire should meet with.
Role Clarity: The plan should list activities and exercises that allow your new hire to see how they will contribute to the success of themselves, the team, and the business.
The importance of new employee onboarding
I can't emphasize enough how important the new employee onboarding experience is. A study by Gallup recently found that only 12% of US employees say their company is doing a good job at onboarding. Additionally, Gallup found that 20% of US employees report their onboarding experience was bad OR that they didn't even receive an onboarding experience. These a terrible statistics!
Onboarding is critical because it helps new employee familiarize themselves with their new environment, integrate into the company culture, and become strong contributors. Data supports these claims. 70% of employees who experience a strong onboarding experience report feeling that their job is the "best possible job". These same employees are 2.6x more likely to be extremely satisfied with their jobs. We want all of our employees feeling satisfied with their jobs so they are engaged and retained at our organizations.
Understanding the 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan
The 30-60-90 day onboarding plan is a strategic roadmap designed to guide new employees through their initial months at an organization. It is structured around three distinct phases:
Month 1: The first 30 days
In this phase, the primary focus for your new hire is learning. The goal during month one is to build foundational knowledge about the company, its customers, and the people at the business. From a process perspective, you want new hires to understand the structure, processes, and systems the organization utilizes so they can begin to navigate these on their own. And, you want to deliver job specific training so your new hire understands what is expected of them in their role. Ultimately, you want your new hire to immerse themselves in the company culture, familiarize themselves with your team and colleagues, and grasp the fundamentals of their role and responsibilities.
These are key take aways you want your new hire to understand/demonstrate by day 30:
Operations: New employees should have a clear understanding of your business, customers, and industry.
Duties: New employees should understand their role and daily responsibilities.
Norms: New employees should understand the operating norms of the business, their goals, and how their goals align to the broader objectives of the company.
Relationships: New employees should have developed a relationship with you, their manager, and met key colleagues across the business.
Month 2: The first 60 days
Once an employee has an understanding of the basics, they enter month two. The focus here is on gaining a solid understanding of their role and the company culture and begin contributing in an active way. The new employee should begin taking on additional tasks, deepening their knowledge, and identifying areas where they can make meaningful contributions. In the 60 day timeframe, we want to see a new hire build momentum from their first month and diving into the job itself. This means spending less time on training and more time on the actual job. The new employee should focus on expanding and demonstrating their capabilities.
These are key take aways you want your new hire to understand/demonstrate by day 60:
Performance: Your new hire should be able to perform all of their responsibilities at an acceptable level.
Prioritization: Your new hire should be able to prioritize their work based on importance to the company/team objectives (and not just based on their preference).
Feedback: Your new hire and you should have a level of rapport by this time and be able to effectively share feedback with one another on job performance.
Relationships: Your new employee should have formed relationships with the colleagues they work with most frequently.
Month 3: The first 90 days
By this phase of onboarding, your new hire should be fully integrated into their role and the company. Your new hire should continue to build on their accomplishments, take on more significant projects, and establish themselves as a valuable member of the team. The 90-day section of the plan should focus on your new employee's ability to drive value to the organization.
These are key take aways you want your new hire to understand/demonstrate by day 90:
Competency: Your new employee should now be demonstrating competency in all aspects of their role; not perfection, but a level of competency to do the job and meet the job requirements.
Autonomy: Your new employee should be able to work autonomously with only moderate support and guidance from you, their manager. If a problem or questions comes up, they should be able to find an answer (or at least attempt to find an answer) on their own.
Innovation: Your new hire should now understand their job and the company; they should be able to bring potential ideas or solutions to you for how they can best do their job.
Goal Setting: You and your employee switch roles by day 90 when it comes to goal setting; now your new employee is in the driver's seat setting goals for their work.
Crafting a personalized 30-60-90 day onboarding plan
Every onboarding plan should be tailored to individually to your new employee taking into account the specific requirements of the role and company. I wish there was a one-size-fits-all 30, 60, 90 day plan but each one is unique.
Here's a step-by-step guide to crafting a personalized 30-60-90 day onboarding plan for your new employee:
Set Clear Goals: Define specific, measurable objectives for each of the three onboarding phases. Ensure that the goals you are setting for your new employee are aligned to the team and company objectives.
Establish Key Milestones: Break down your new employee's goals into smaller, achievable milestones to track their progress effectively. Prioritize the tasks based on their importance and urgency, focusing on high-impact activities first. Your new hire will need help with the prioritization process so give it to them; don't expect your new hire simply understand these things.
Schedule Learning Opportunities: As part of the 30, 60, 90 day plan, schedule new employee training sessions, workshops, shadowing opportunities, and assign a buddy/ambassador for your new hire. As you get to know your employee, adjust the plan based on feedback you have for your new hire as it relates to their growth and improvement.
Encourage Relationships: Provide a list of key individuals your new hire should meet with during the onboarding process. Prioritize this list so your employee knows who to meet with first, second, third, etc. Provide a few sample questions for them to ask during the conversations and make a warm introduction on your new employee's behalf. Our founder Jordan King explains this process in a how-to video: Support Employee Collaboration During Onboarding. Encourage your new hire to actively participate in team activities and social events to foster connections and camaraderie.
Evaluate and Adapt: Regularly assess your new employee's progress against your 30, 60, 90 day plan and adjust the onboarding plan accordingly. Solicit feedback from your new employee and colleagues to identify areas where your new employee can improve and grow.
The Growth Edge Project can support the onboarding process
If you need help building out a 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan for your new employee OR you are a company and would like support building a 30-60-90 Day Onboarding Plan Template for your organization, we are here to help! The Growth Edge Project designs & builds employee onboarding programs to accelerate ramp up and integrate employees into your culture. If we can help you with new employee onboarding in anyway, please contact us.
Additionally, our Founder Jordan King offers one-on-one manager and executive coaching to enhance management skills, self-awareness, & leadership style. Specifically, we can discuss how to properly onboarding new team members. If you'd like to begin your coaching journey, please contact us.
Let the journey begin!
A well-executed 30-60-90 day onboarding plan can set the stage for a successful and rewarding career journey. By setting clear goals, establishing key milestones, and encouraging relationship building, you'll not only accelerate a new hire's integration into your organization but you will help reduce the ramp-up time to productive. This is a win for the employee AND it's a win for you as a manager. It's a no brainer!
Remember, onboarding is not just about learning the ropes—it's about building relationships, demonstrating value, and laying the foundation for a fulfilling career. So managers, embrace the journey, get prepared, stay adaptable, and seize every opportunity to help your new employee shine!
Make it a great one!
Jordan
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