How to Build a 30-60-90 Day Plan for New Hires
April 17, 2025
Share this post:
When a new employee joins your team, the first few months can make or break their experience (and their success). That’s where a 30-60-90 day plan comes in. It’s more than just a checklist of tasks; it’s a roadmap that helps new hires gain clarity, build confidence, and contribute meaningfully from the start.
Whether you’re hiring for an entry-level role or onboarding a senior leader, a thoughtful 30-60-90 day plan sets the tone for performance, accountability, and engagement.
The structure of a 30-60-90 day plan helps both managers and new hires stay aligned on expectations. It provides clear goals at every stage of the onboarding journey, ensuring no one is left wondering, “Am I on the right track?”
A full-scope plan for a new hire’s first 90 days helps instill trust and security, reducing the anxiety of feeling undertrained in a new role or the loss of production due to delayed onboarding. It also empowers employees to take ownership of their growth.
When people know what’s expected, they can self-direct, ask smarter questions, and measure their own progress. For the company, that often translates into faster ramp-up times, stronger retention, and fewer onboarding hiccups. Not to mention the impact it has on the hiring process when potential hires know there’s a plan in motion for their success before they walk in the door.
While a 30-60-90 day plan for new employees as a whole covers onboarding tasks and more, business leaders and managers should expect their new workers to start involving themselves in the bigger picture of the company. For example, outside of general acclimation with an organization’s mission, structure, role description, and team members, new hires who begin setting short and long-term goals are quality identifiers of a high performer.
A reported 20% of employee turnover takes place in the first 45 days, so the first month is essential for building a solid foundation. The focus here is not on productivity but on understanding the company, learning key systems, and integrating into the team and culture.
Five key priorities during a new hire’s first 30 days include:
These sessions lay the groundwork by introducing company policies, values, tools, and resources. They set expectations and help the employee understand how things work from day one.
Early relationship-building fosters connection, reduces anxiety, and opens communication channels that are critical for success.
Getting comfortable with the operational basics—like internal communication tools, workflow systems, and project documentation—boosts independence and minimizes early errors.
Observing others at work offers important context that can’t be gleaned from documentation alone. It also helps new hires absorb team dynamics and social norms.
Understanding the “why” behind the work helps new hires feel more connected to their role and the company’s purpose.
With the basics in place, the second month is about increasing engagement and ownership. The employee should begin to contribute in a meaningful way, while continuing to learn and build confidence.
Five objectives for a new employee’s 31-60 days can include:
Small wins build momentum. Assigning early responsibilities gives the new hire a sense of accomplishment and shows that their work matters.
Interaction with colleagues outside their immediate team helps the new hire understand broader workflows and strengthens relationships across departments.
Frequent check-ins ensure alignment, offer coaching moments, and show that the company is invested in their development.
Encouraging curiosity early on helps employees feel safe asking for help, while also reinforcing a culture of continuous learning.
Each team has its own rhythm and tone. Picking up on these nuances helps the new hire avoid missteps and integrate more quickly.
By this point, the new hire should feel confident in their role and ready to contribute at a higher level. This phase is about maximizing value, identifying opportunities, and planning for future growth.
Five activities for the final 61-90 days of a 30-60-90 day plan might include:
New hires have a unique perspective. Encouraging them to share ideas—even simple ones—can lead to smarter workflows and fresh insights.
Taking initiative signals readiness for more responsibility and provides an opportunity to showcase problem-solving and leadership skills.
Reflection is a powerful development tool. It creates self-awareness, highlights progress, and gives managers insights into what’s working (and what’s not).
Aligning on the next steps helps employees see a path forward. It also reinforces the company’s commitment to career growth and retention.
Giving new hires a voice helps improve future onboarding experiences and creates a culture where feedback is welcomed and valued.
A good 30-60-90 day plan isn’t rigid. It should be clear, but flexible; structured, but personalized. Consider these three best practices to keep in mind:
A well-designed 30-60-90 day plan can transform how new employees experience their first months on the job. Rather than guessing what’s expected or struggling to find their footing, they have a clear path forward and a sense of partnership in their growth.
It’s a powerful signal that your organization values intentional leadership, meaningful onboarding, and long-term success. And when done well, the momentum it creates will carry far beyond the 90-day mark.
Here are some frequently asked questions on the impact and how to build 30-60-90 day plans for new hires.
A well-designed 30-60-90 day plan will help a new hire ramp up faster, build confidence, and align quickly to the company culture by providing a structured roadmap that facilitates a smoother transition and sets clear expectations for each milestone.
Typically, the company is in charge of creating the roadmap for the first 90 days of the employee’s new role. Supervisors often provide the new hire with their 30-60-90 day plan within their first week at the job; nevertheless, if the plan is not provided, employees can be proactive and draft it according to their objectives and discuss it with their supervisor to ensure alignment.
Some of the most common mistakes of 30-60-90 day plans are setting vague goals or overloading with too many, skipping the company culture learning phase, and focusing only on tasks instead of outcomes and building relationships.
Absolutely. A 30-60-90 day plan remains a powerful onboarding method in these work models. This roadmap offers even more value in these settings by creating a structure to help new hires integrate into the team and stay focused and connected regardless of their location.
As the name implies, the plan should be reviewed and updated if necessary at the end of each 30-day mark. Nevertheless, these plans are not exempt from having more regular check-ins—weekly or bi-weekly—to ensure goals are on track and maintain momentum and accountability.
While companies often start working on the new hire’s 30-60-90 day plan during the final stages of the interview process, candidates can present a plan of their own to test their initiative, critical thinking, and understanding of the role, especially for leadership and strategic roles.
Success in 30-60-90 day plans is measured mainly by the completion of defined SMART goals and proven progress toward these objectives. Other indicators of success are manager feedback, how smoothly the new hire integrates, and their contributions to broader goals.
Contributed by Mary Dominguez
WHAT DO YOU NEED TO FIND?
