The Complete Guide to Creating Effective 30-60-90 Day Plans for New Employees

A 30-60-90 day plan, also referred to as a 90 day plan, is a blueprint that guides new employees, and sometimes existing employees who have been promoted, through their first three months in a new role. These critical first 90 days are pivotal for onboarding successfully and hitting the ground running in your new position. With a clearly defined 30-60-90 day plan, both employees and employers have clarity on the goals and expectations for the initial period of employment.

Creating and implementing a well-structured 30-60-90 day plan has numerous proven benefits for individuals and organizations alike. For employees, it provides clear guidelines and structure during a time of transition, when the new work environment and requirements can feel overwhelming. Having specific, measurable short-term goals helps employees integrate more quickly by keeping them focused on priority areas. For an employer, 30-60-90 day plans accelerate how soon new hires can become productive team members. They also help identify and resolve any potential issues or knowledge gaps at an early stage.

This article will explain everything you need to know about using the 30-60-90 day planning framework to maximize success for new employees. So let's get started with understanding what exactly a 30-60-90 day plan is.

What is a 30-60-90 day plan?

A 30-60-90 day plan divides the initial onboarding period for a new hire or existing employee in a new role into three critical phases - the first 30 days, the second 30 days (days 31-60), and the final 30 days (days 61-90). The goal is to break down larger, long-term objectives into shorter-term, actionable goals and guidelines for each sequential phase.

By setting expectations and specific, measurable deliverables or targets to achieve within the initial 30, 60 and 90 day windows, new employees have clarity on priorities and how to structure their time effectively. It also enables them to build gradual momentum and see progress being made toward longer-term success criteria.

A well-crafted 30-60-90 day plan typically focuses on the following key components:

• Learning organizational processes, systems and culture
• Gaining a solid understanding of the new role and its requirements
• Building relationships with colleagues, partners and stakeholders
• Completing essential training and onboarding activities
• Developing appropriate performance metrics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
• Achieving tangible work-related targets and milestones

The 30-60-90 day plan outlines what success looks like in the new position and provides employees with a structured yet flexible navigation tool. It helps them align their efforts and development based on the organization's goals from day one.

Benefits of 30-60-90 Day Plans

There are significant upside benefits for both organizations and individuals who take a strategic, proactive approach towards onboarding through 30-60-90 day planning:

For Organizations

Faster Ramp-Up to Productivity
When an organization utilizes a 30-60-90 day plan during onboarding, it provides clear guidelines and goals for new hires to work towards from day one. By mapping out expectations for the first 30, 60, and 90 days, employees have a roadmap to follow as they learn their new roles and responsibilities. This structured approach allows them to start contributing value more quickly by focusing their efforts on priority tasks that align with company objectives. Rather than spending time figuring out what they should be doing, employees can hit the ground running with a predefined plan of action.

Early Identification of Gaps
Through frequent check-ins scheduled within the 30-60-90 day plan, managers can provide ongoing feedback and guidance to new starters. This regular communication helps identify any areas where additional training or support is needed early on. For example, the plan may highlight that public speaking skills need improvement. With this awareness, managers can arrange relevant training before the issue impacts work. Early intervention ensures employees have everything required to succeed in their roles.

Alignment with Company Objectives
The 30-60-90 day plan lays out how employee's goals and priorities connect to the organization's broader mission and strategic plans. By emphasizing this alignment, new starters understand how their daily work contributes to the bigger picture. They can see the impact of tasks completed during onboarding. This contextualization within company objectives facilitates faster assimilation of new hires into the existing culture. It allows them to "hit the ground running" in a manner consistent with the rest of the team from the initial weeks.

Structured and Measurable Onboarding Process
By quantifying expectations using metrics, key results areas (KRAs) and specific/measurable/attainable/relevant/time-bound (SMART) goals, organizations can track an employee's progression objectively. Check-ins are anchored to pre-scheduled review points. This brings structure and transparency. It avoids ambiguity over what constitutes success. The measurable nature of goals also makes it easy to course-correct if needed. Because progress is tracked systematically, the 30-60-90 plan transforms onboarding into a streamlined process with identifiable learnings.

Assessing Fit and Potential Early
The plan provides interim performance feedback well before typical 90 probation periods. Through insights from check-ins, engagement with goals and manager observations, recruiters gain useful data points to gauge fit for role, team and culture. While the initial months focused on onboarding, these longer term implications are also considered. The structured process builds predictability around retention, future potential identification and talent development. Problems are identified before decisions need to be made on confirmations.

For Employees

Clarity on Priorities and Deliverables
Stepping into a new environment, industry or job family is an overwhelming experience. The 30-60-90 day plan becomes an anchor, guiding employees through choppy initial waters. By providing transparency on essential initial outputs, it reduces ambiguity over what constitutes success. Employees can approach each day with direction and focus, making efficient use of their time settling in. The structure boosts confidence as the role is demystified systematically.

Reduced Stress Through Structured Support
Starting a new position comes with performance anxieties. Will I adapt fast enough? Is my work up to standard? With no baseline, insecurities are common. The 30-60-90 plan mitigates these concerns using scheduled check-ins and manager guidance. Receiving support and developmental feedback at regular intervals calms nerves. It also prevents issues from mushrooming by keeping employees and mentors on the same page. This consistency lowers the stress of uncertainty and increases psychological safety in new surroundings.

Early Insight into Performance and Improvement Areas
Clearly laid out goals come with their own assessments built-in. By quantifying achievements, new recruits gain self-awareness on the caliber of work through metrics. They understand how tasks are tracked against targets. If aspects require bolstering, it gets identified upfront for focused efforts, rather than discovering issues later in the cycle. This clarity in performance prevents mixed signals. It empowers individuals to drive results and development from the start through measurable progress.

Accelerated Learning and Maximized Productivity
Learning new systems, tools and processes is easier with a guide. The 30-60-90 plan connects employees to relevant resources, training and stakeholders as required by each goal. This structured onboarding compacts the adoption learning curve by curating experiences purposefully. By leveraging coaching channels integrated into goals, new hires optimize productivity gains sooner thanks to tailored support.

Increased Confidence and Visibility
Achieving pre-allocated milestones develops momentum that feeds into greater self-assurance over time. Celebrating micro-wins along the journey inspires continued motivation. Managers highlighting such progress amplifies confidence further through recognition. Concurrently, mandatory exchanges with leadership establish familiarity within the internal network during a crucial relationship-building phase.

Mutual Benefit

Aligned Expectations for Success
An additional key benefit for both parties is the use of 30-60-90 day planning discussions to set aligned expectations. This eliminates surprises by clarifying upfront what effective performance looks like and how it will be evaluated over the critical first quarter. New hires understand criteria for success from recruitment itself. Managers get realistic previews of new talent abilities too through two-way transparency.

How to Write a 30-60-90 Day Plan

With an understanding of what a 30-60-90 day plan is and why it matters, here are the practical steps to follow to create an actionable plan:

• 1. Gather Introductory Materials
  Ensure you have access to important initial documents like the new job description, company culture brief, organizational chart, and introductory training schedule.
• 2. Determine Overall Objectives
  Refer to your position requirements and discuss with your manager to clarify the 3-6 month goals you should work towards.
• 3. Define SMART Goals
  Set specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals for the 30, 60, and 90 day checkpoints.
• 4. Outline Activities & Deadlines
  List the key tasks and target dates required to achieve each 30-60-90 day goal. Be as detailed as possible.
• 5. Identify Required Resources
  Note the internal and external support, tools, contacts and information sources needed for goal completion.
• 6. Establish Review Timeline
  Schedule interim performance discussions with your manager, feedback surveys, etc. during the 90 days.
• 7. Circulate Plan for Validation
  Review your drafted plan with your manager to ensure goals are aligned and appropriately challenging before finalizing.
• 8. Maintain Plan & Provide Updates
  Document your progress, lessons learned, and any changes needed to keep stakeholders informed throughout.

A sample template and 30-60-90 day plan example for a Marketing role will also be provided further below for illustration purposes.

30-60-90 Day Plan Example For Marketing Strategist

Here is a potential 30-60-90 day plan outline to show what one may look like for a new Marketing Strategist position:

30 Day Goals

• Complete all new hire onboarding activities and certifications
• Shadow current marketing team members for a week to understand workflows
• Draft a social media content calendar for the next month
• Hold introductory meetings with 2 key client stakeholders
• Compile competitor benchmarking analysis report

60 Day Goals

• Launch social media campaign as outlined in content calendar
• Help manage responsive customer queries for one product launch
• Present social analytics report evaluating past 6 months’ performance
• Coordinate and host one marketing team meeting
• Draft SEO optimization plan for top 3 company pages

90 Day Goals

• Generate new lead from social channels through targeted campaign
• Execute SEO optimization plan and gauge impact on organic traffic
• Present integrated marketing recommendations report to senior leadership
• Help develop campaign for new product introduction in Q3
• Organize two targeted social media advertising tests

Potential Tasks

• Meet with clients x 2 per week
• Support 3 marketing initiatives or projects
• Conduct industry research 1x per week
• Attend all team meetings and provide monthly update to manager
• Track and report on all relevant KPIs on weekly/monthly basis

Required Resources

• Media calendar and social publishing tools
• Analytics and tracking dashboards
• CRM and email platform access
• Agency and vendor partnership contacts
• Budget and operations approval processes

This sample gives a sense of phased, progressive goals across key marketing disciplines that move the strategist towards fully ramped capabilities within 90 days. The focus is integration, relationship building and performance improvement using set KPIs and targets tracked over time.

30-60-90 Day Plan Template

Here is a customizable 30-60-90 day plan template that can be used across job roles and industries:

Name:
Position:
Manager:
Date Prepared:

30-Day Goals

• Goal 1
• Goal 2
• Goal 3

Tasks & Deadlines

• Task 1: Date
• Task 2: Date
• Task 3: Date

60-Day Goals

• Goal 1
• Goal 2
• Goal 3

Tasks & Deadlines

• Task 1: Date
• Task 2: Date
• Task 3: Date

90-Day Goals

• Goal 1
• Goal 2
• Goal 3

Tasks & Deadlines

• Task 1: Date
• Task 2: Date
• Task 3: Date

Required Resources

• Resource 1
• Resource 2
• Resource 3

Review Timeline

• Date 1
• Date 2
• Date 3

Additional Notes

• Performance metrics
• Feedback mechanisms
• Communication plan

This template can be customized with company and role-specific goals, tasks, deadlines, and review points.

Tips for Creating 30-60-90 Day Plans

Here are some tips for creating effective 30-60-90 day plans.

Be specific in your goals and action items

Goals listed in the plan should be clearly defined, concrete, and outline exactly what needs to be achieved rather than vague objectives. Provide action items alongside each goal that lay out the specific steps and tasks the employee needs to complete to meet the goal. This specific focus helps employees stay on track and understand precisely what is expected of them.

Use SMART goals

All goals included in the plan should follow the SMART framework - they should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Goals like "learn the company processes" are not as effective as "attend the new-hire onboarding training program by the end of the first month." Quantify goals wherever possible so progress is easily tracked.

Consider different types of goals

Aim to include learning goals which will help the employee gain required knowledge and skills, performance goals centered around execution and contributions, and personal development goals to help them settle into the company culture. Covering all these types of goals gives a well-rounded plan.

Break goals out by time period

Clearly delineate and differentiate the goals for the first 30 days, next 30 days, and final 30 days. This provides employees with short-term wins to motivate them and a roadmap for their initial months. Keep the number of goals for each period limited to 3-5 for clarity and focus.

Provide necessary resources

Be sure to equip employees with everything they need to achieve their goals like access to internal documentation, introductions to key contacts, or training courses. List these resources alongside each goal so employees know exactly how to accomplish it. This ensures minimal dependence on managers.

Plan for feedback and progress checks

Schedule periodic check-ins for managers to sync with new employees, gather feedback, and ensure they are on track. Note these checkpoints in the plan. Evaluating progress is key for making adjustments if goals require reprioritizing or timelines need to shift.

Maintain adaptability

While goals stated in the plan provide guidance, recognize that no plan is fully exhaustive or accounts for on-the-job realities. Emphasize to employees that the plan will evolve based on feedback. Encourage them to actively approach managers if roadblocks arise or goals need reformulation to ensure continued success.

Keep it concise

The 30-60-90 day plan is a reference document, not a lengthy procedures manual. Aim to contain it to 1-3 pages maximum so it remains digestible and user-friendly. Overly detailed plans discourage engagement and easy comprehension.

Customize per role

Goals and areas of focus will differ based on whether the plan is for an entry-level individual contributor or senior executive. Account for level-specific responsibilities when setting goals across departments too. Customization shows employees their plan is intentional and role specific.

Involve new employees

Collaborate with incoming staff members to develop their 30-60-90 day plan. Get their feedback on realistic goals and timelines based on their role and allow ownership of the plan. This buy-in makes employees more invested in achieving the milestones outlined.

These tips can help create 30-60-90 day plans that are highly relevant, useful resources for new employees to maximize success in their initial months through clear guidance, goals and structure. With the right approach, 30-60-90 day plans become valuable onboarding tools aiding both employee performance and retention.

Conclusion

A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that helps new employees navigate their first three months in a new role. It sets clear goals and priorities for the employees' first 30, 60, and 90 days to ensure a smooth onboarding process. Creating and following a well-designed 30-60-90 day plan benefits both employees and employers during the onboarding process.