30-60-90 Day Plan
Starting a new job is probably one of the most exciting parts of our careers. Yet, it can also be an extremely nerve-racking process. With new coworkers, new workspace, culture changes and new tasks to deal with, it may seem like no amount of preparation is enough.
For employers, scoring high-quality hires feels like you’ve hit the jackpot. That is, until they leave. Perhaps it is because 30% of new hires leave within the first six months, but organizations and individuals should do more to secure relationships by using a well-crafted onboarding strategy. On the new hire’s end, a 30-60-90 Day Plan can help align with employee strategy as well as plan for success.
What is a 30-60-90 Day Plan?
As the name suggests, the 30-60-90 Day Plan is a documentation of goals and strategy for the first three months in a new career position. By having a goal-based strategy, you will be able to boost efficiency and optimize output by creating action steps to achieve specific target objectives. The plan is also tied to the organization’s goals and values, ultimately aiming to convey goals into achievable tasks.
As the saying goes “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” Beyond the focus on high performance, a 30-60-90 Day Plan ensures that new candidates are always mentally prepared for the new scope of work and environment, as well as helps them to adjust quickly. This sets a precedent for future success through organizational alignment and maximized productivity.
What should be included in a 30-60-90 Day Plan
A 30-60-90 Day Plan is created through collaboration between employee and employer. New hires should align organizational growth with their personal development goals, and communicate this to the employer.
Similar to an Onboarding Checklist, this should include activities for before, during and after the first day of work. Depending on business objectives and values, each organization will have a different plan. In general, a 30-60-90 Day Plan should include the following elements:
Introduction
A 30-60-90 Day Plan is different for every new worker that comes on board. The report should begin with the employee’s name, as well as the manager that they have prepared it for. This will indicate the parties that will collaborate on the plan together.
Objectives
Before execution, define the objectives and focus of the plan. This will help to establish the direction new employees are headed in. For instance, you may want to take the first 30 days to familiarize yourself with the job scope, processes and tools in the workplace. You can have multiple goals in a certain month. Maybe you want to start actively contributing in your first week. Or perhaps you want to submit your first project plan by the end of the month. Start by envisioning your next 30 days into the job and the targets you wish to achieve.
Priorities
As mentioned, 30 days, or four weeks, can be a long time to achieve one specific target, so employers often require a few milestones. However, these objectives should be listed according to priority. There are often some tasks that are more urgent than the rest. High-priority tasks, usually driven by tangible results, can be completed before moving on to improving on other skills, such as collaborating better with teammates, getting to know coworkers, and more. Alternatively, some organizations may prioritize workplace harmony over measurable KPIs. Then, it can be helpful to arrange your priority list accordingly.
Learning objectives
To ensure that you have learnt something in your first 90 days of your new job, it can be helpful to list out the specific learning goals you have in mind. Research and discuss with your hiring manager on what are some things you can learn about in your first few weeks, and communicate this in your plan.
Metrics
Learning goals are achieved through actionable steps, and metrics tell you whether they were met. A goal only works as a metric if it has a clear yes-or-no answer by the deadline: shipped my first pull request can be checked at the 30-day mark, but get up to speed on the codebase cannot, which is why vague goals make check-ins useless. Metrics also present the outcomes of the 30-60-90 Day Plan in a readable format for the hiring manager, and tracking your progress shows that you are detailed and result-oriented, a good quality to have in interviews and new jobs.
A Sample 30-60-90 Day Plan Template
Want to get started on a 30-60-90 Day Plan to prepare candidates for success in their new careers? Check out our Sample 30-60-90 Day Plan Template above that we have curated for new hire success!
Keep close tabs on your focus, priorities, targets and goals as you adapt to a new role. Our 30-60-90 Day Plan Template Sample is intuitive and formatted in a way that’s easily-integrated into a centralized system, so that hiring managers, managers and new hires can collaborate together to refine objectives.
What are the benefits of developing 30-60-90 plans
A 30-60-90 Day Plan is a way to equip new employees with the plan infrastructure they need, rather than diving headfirst into a position. The benefits of developing a 30-60-90 Day Plan are:
- Setting a reasonable timeframe to complete each task
- Ensures big picture planning, aligns with company values and priorities
- Allows for feedback before commencing with implementation
- Aids in goal-based planning based on a written representation
Best practices when writing 30-60-90 Plans
Preparing for a new role can be overwhelming. But it doesn’t have to be. When coming up with a 30-60-90 Day Plan, it can be helpful to keep these best practices in mind.
Think about employee-employer harmony
Your 30-60-90 plan should not be only about your own growth. Ask yourself: what problems can I solve for this company, what is the scale of my work, and what skills do I bring that the team does not already have?
Clarify doubts
It can be confusing to start on a new plan, especially if you’re working on it alone. Sometimes, new hires shy away from making enquiries as they think it’ll make them come off as clueless. However, that is not the case. Asking questions shows the employer that you are ready to learn, as well as clarifies any lingering ambiguity that can lead to misunderstandings.
Make space for flexibility
Not everything will go according to plan. Priorities shift, and parts of your 30-60-90 Day Plan may fall short as a result. That is not a failure: you are in a new role with new expectations, so it is normal to course-correct or extend the plan when you need to.
