It is widely accepted that the initial 90 days at a new company can undoubtedly be daunting for anyone. It’s a period characterized by learning curves, adaptation to new tools, understanding team dynamics, and aligning personal expectations with organizational realities. However, this challenge isn’t solely attributed to individuals or the onboarding process itself.
By offering comprehensive guidance and clear expectations to new hires, organizations empower people to embark on their journey with confidence and competence right from the outset. This proactive approach ensures that new team members are equipped to hit the ground running and contribute meaningfully to the organization’s objectives from day one.
A Roadmap to New Hire Success
A well-designed 30-60-90 day plan serves as a structured framework for onboarding new employees, delineating goals and activities over distinct 30-day, 60-day, and 90-day intervals.
In this article, we’ll go through the process of creating such plans, ensuring that new hires are seamlessly integrated into the organization and provided with the necessary support and context at each stage of their onboarding journey.
What is a 30-60-90 days Plan?
A 30-60-90 day plan serves as a comprehensive roadmap outlining the trajectory of a new hire’s initial three months within your team. It precisely delineates the objectives and milestones your new employee is expected to achieve, spanning from their inaugural week to the culmination of their third month. The primary aim of this plan is to furnish team members with a structured blueprint for acclimating to their new role and accomplishing their learning objectives. By providing clear guidance, the plan facilitates the seamless integration of every new hire into the company, ensuring they grasp the intricacies of their position.
Key Milestones in a 30-60-90 Day Plan
1–30 days: During the initial month, the focus is on immersive training tailored to the requirements of the new role. This period entails acquainting the new hire with company policies, product offerings, team dynamics, and job responsibilities.
31–60 days: The subsequent month offers an opportunity for the new employee to apply their acquired knowledge by undertaking new tasks. While mistakes are expected as they familiarize themselves with procedures, this phase is pivotal for consolidating learning.
61–90 days: In the third month, the new hire transitions towards mastery of their role, demonstrating proficiency in meeting job expectations and embarking on the pursuit of long-term performance objectives.
A visual representation of a 30-60-90 day plan can provide clarity and serve as a reference point for both the new hire and their supervisor. While certain components of the plan, such as company policies and resources, may remain consistent across all new hires, it’s imperative to customize sections to align with each individual’s specific role and responsibilities.
Key Components of an Effective 30-60-90 Day Plan
Breakdown of Goals: A successful 30-60-90 day plan involves breaking down overarching objectives into smaller, actionable milestones. This approach enables new hires to focus on manageable tasks while steadily progressing towards larger goals.
Structured Timeline: The plan should delineate specific objectives to be accomplished at the 30, 60, and 90-day intervals. This structured timeline provides clarity and direction, guiding new employees through their initial phases of onboarding.
Balanced Challenge: Goals outlined in the plan should strike a balance between being attainable and challenging. Setting realistic yet ambitious targets encourages new hires to push their boundaries and strive for continuous improvement.
Engagement and Ownership: Encourage active participation from new employees by involving them in the creation or refinement of their 30-60-90 day plan. This collaborative approach fosters a sense of ownership and commitment, enhancing their motivation to succeed.
Alignment with Company Mission: Ensure that the objectives outlined in the plan align with the broader mission and objectives of the organization. By contextualizing their role within the company’s overarching goals, new hires gain a deeper understanding of their contribution and purpose within the organization.
Benefits of Implementing a 30-60-90 Day Plan
Introducing a structured 30-60-90 day plan into your onboarding process offers numerous advantages, enhancing the experience of new hires and fostering their success within the organization. Here are some key benefits:
Establish Clear Goals and Expectations
The plan enables you to articulate specific objectives and milestones for the first three months of employment, providing new hires with a roadmap for success from day one.
Gradual Onboarding Process
By spacing out training sessions and introductions over the 90-day period, you prevent overwhelming new team members and facilitate a smoother transition into their roles.
Gradual Onboarding Process
By spacing out training sessions and introductions over the 90-day period, you prevent overwhelming new team members and facilitate a smoother transition into their roles.
Reinforce Company Values
It offers opportunities to communicate and reinforce core company values, fostering alignment and a sense of belonging among new hires from the outset.
Foster Trust Through Feedback
Regular feedback sessions throughout the onboarding process build trust and rapport between managers and new employees, encouraging open communication and continuous improvement.
Additionally, implementing a proactive 30-60-90 day plan can enhance your hiring and interview processes. Candidates are often eager to understand what their initial months on the job will entail. Having a well-defined plan in place allows hiring managers and recruiters to provide concrete details during job interviews, showcasing the organization’s commitment to structured onboarding and employee development.
Incorporating SMART Goals into Your 30-60-90 Day Plan
To optimize the effectiveness of your 30-60-90 day plan, integrate SMART goals. Ensure that your objectives are:
Specific: Define clear and precise objectives for each 30, 60, and 90-day milestone. Instead of vague aspirations like ‘improve project efficiency,’ specify goals such as ‘reduce project timelines by 10%.’
Measurable: Include quantifiable metrics to gauge progress, such as project completion time, cost savings, or customer satisfaction scores. Measurable criteria provide tangible benchmarks for assessing achievements.
Achievable: Set goals that are both challenging and attainable. While aiming for a 50% reduction in project timelines within 30 days may be overly ambitious, a 10% reduction could be a more realistic target.
Relevant: Ensure that your goals are aligned with the overarching objectives of the company and the specific project. Each objective should contribute directly to the success of the organization’s mission.
Time-bound: Establish clear deadlines for accomplishing each goal to maintain focus and accountability. Setting time-bound targets enables you to track progress systematically and adjust strategies as needed.
By adhering to the principles of SMART goal-setting, your 30-60-90 day plan becomes a strategic roadmap for success, guiding you towards measurable outcomes and tangible achievements.
Ensure New Hires Thrive with KiteSuite's 30-60-90 Day Plan
The 30-60-90 day plan is a cornerstone of successful onboarding strategies, providing hiring leaders with a roadmap to seamlessly integrate new team members, conduct periodic performance evaluations, and outline expectations for the crucial first months of employment and beyond.
Yet, crafting this plan effectively is paramount to setting new employees up for success from the start.
With KiteSuite, empower new hires to embrace change, work efficiently well beyond the initial 90 days, and assess their progress with a thoughtful and comprehensive 30-60-90 day plan. Sign up now for free to optimize your onboarding process and maximize the potential of your new talent!
Streamline Onboarding with KiteSuite
- Define the Company Mission
Start by outlining the company’s mission and goals. This sets the foundation for the new employee’s role within the organization. - Establish 30-Day Objectives
Identify what you want the new hire to accomplish in the first month. Focus on three to five key goals with measurable metrics for each. - Develop Goals for 60 and 90 Days
Extend the plan to cover the next two months with clear objectives. Maintain consistency in goal-setting and measurement criteria. - Provide Necessary Resources
Ensure the new employee has access to essential resources, including key contacts, training materials, internal tools, and external resources. - Monitor Progress
Regularly assess the new hire’s progress against the outlined goals. Address any challenges and ensure alignment with company objectives.
By following these steps, you can create a comprehensive and effective 30-60-90-day plan that sets new employees up for success.
Discover the Effortless Onboarding Solution with KiteSuite's 30-60-90 Day Template
Streamline your onboarding process and set new hires up for success with just one click using KiteSuite’s intuitive 30-60-90 Day Template:
Key Features:
Personalized Objectives: Map out tailored objectives and business goals for each new hire to ensure a smooth transition into their role.
Task Management: Stay organized by assigning and tracking onboarding tasks, behaviors, skills, and competencies with ease.
Quick Integration: Get new employees up to speed quickly by documenting progress and tracking action items from day one.
Unlock the Potential of Time Management and Employee Retention
Enhance your time management and boost employee retention by leveraging the power of 30-60-90 day plans:
Time Management Tips
Prioritize Tasks: Utilize color-coded flags to indicate task priority, ensuring new employees focus on the most important objectives first.
Reflect and Strategize: Incorporate self-reflection time and strategic development goals into the plan to promote continuous improvement.
Foster Learning: Allocate time for professional development initiatives and ongoing learning opportunities to support employee growth.
Take Control of Time with KiteSuite Calendar View
Never miss a beat with KiteSuite’s Calendar View, seamlessly synced with Google Calendar for easy task management and scheduling. Connect KiteSuite to Google Calendar for streamlined task management and scheduling.
Drive Employee Retention with Engagement Strategies. Create a positive onboarding experience and promote employee engagement with these retention-focused strategies:
Employee Feedback: Gather valuable insights by surveying new hires after 30 days to demonstrate their voices matter and foster a sense of belonging.
On-Demand Content: Provide on-demand resources highlighting company culture, values, and mission to strengthen employee connections and loyalty
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Clarity and Collaboration: Collaborate with new employees to develop clear, action-oriented plans for their first 90 days, setting the stage for a fulfilling work experience.
Supercharge Your Recruitment Process with Smart Hiring Practices
Optimize your recruitment efforts and gain valuable insights into candidate suitability with 30-60-90 day plans:
Goal Alignment Assessment: Evaluate candidates’ understanding of the role and alignment with organizational objectives by discussing their proposed goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
Adaptability Evaluation: Assess candidates’ adaptability by exploring their approach to pivoting strategies based on role requirements and challenges.
Resourcefulness Inquiry: Gauge candidates’ resourcefulness by discussing how they plan to leverage available resources to achieve their goals effectively.
Problem-Solving Assessment: Present hypothetical scenarios and challenges to evaluate candidates’ problem-solving skills and readiness to overcome obstacles in the first 90 days.
