Insights · For organisations
Planning the first 90 days for new staff
By Keri Zeller, Founder · 3 minute read
Use with this guide
30-60-90 day onboarding plan
A template for a new hire's first three months, with roles for the manager and a buddy.
Many organisations treat onboarding as a welcome email, a stack of policies, and a laptop. New staff then spend months working out how things really work. Good onboarding is planned across the first 90 days, and it gives clear jobs to three people: HR, the manager, and a buddy. The template that goes with this article sets this out on one page.
Before day one
Send practical information: where to go, who they will meet, and what the first week looks like. Make sure their equipment and accounts are ready. A short message from the manager makes a strong first impression.
The first 30 days: learn the job and the people
- Meet the team and key colleagues in other departments.
- Learn the core tasks of the role, with the most important ones first.
- Complete mandatory training.
- Agree three to five goals for the first 90 days with the manager.
Pair each new person with a buddy who is not their manager. The buddy answers the questions people do not like to ask: where things are, how decisions are really made, and who to go to for what.
Days 31 to 60: contribute with support
New staff take on real work with regular check-ins. Short self-paced modules can cover systems and processes, so that live time with the manager is spent on judgement and feedback. Ask what is still unclear, and fix it in the onboarding plan for the next person.
Days 61 to 90: work independently
By now, new staff should handle most of the role on their own. Review the 90-day goals together, agree goals for the next six months, and ask for feedback on the onboarding itself.
What managers need
Managers carry most of onboarding, and many have never been shown how. Give them a simple checklist for each stage and a short guide to the first conversation and the 30, 60, and 90-day check-ins. This one step often improves onboarding more than any new content.
Free download
30-60-90 day onboarding plan
A template for a new hire's first three months, with roles for the manager and a buddy.
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This guide relates to our Onboarding programmes service. Contact us to talk about your organisation or school.
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