Guide
Build a 30/60/90 day onboarding plan
Give new hires a clear roadmap for their first three months instead of leaving them to figure it out.
Define what 'good' looks like at 30 days
Focus on learning: understanding the product, the team, and the basic tools. Trying to hit performance targets this early usually backfires.
Set contribution goals for 60 days
By now they should be doing real, if supervised, work. List two or three concrete things they should be capable of by this point.
Set independence goals for 90 days
This is where they should be operating with minimal oversight on their core responsibilities. Write down what that independence actually looks like for the role.
Share the plan on day one, not after
Handing over the roadmap immediately gives a new hire something concrete to hold onto, rather than wondering how they're doing for weeks.
Check in against it, not just informally
Brief, scheduled check-ins at each milestone catch problems early and give the new hire a real chance to ask what they're hesitant to bring up unprompted.
That’s the whole thing.
Keep going
What to read next
- 01
Onboarding New Hires
Prepare everything before their first day
Make sure a new hire's first day feels organised, not chaotic and improvised.
- 02
Onboarding New Hires
Set clear expectations in the first week
Make sure a new hire knows exactly what success looks like, right from the start.
- 03
Onboarding New Hires
Avoid the onboarding mistakes that cost you good hires
Sidestep the most common ways a promising new hire quietly disengages in the first few months.