30-60-90 Day Plan Template & Guide [+ Free PowerPoint & Excel Download]
30% of new employees quit within the first 90 days on the job. Creating a 30-60-90 day plan helps engage your new hires from the very start, setting them up for long-term success in record time.
A well-designed 30-60-90 day plan, also called a 3-month plan, guides new employees and managers in navigating their new workplace and roles. It provides structure and direction around expectations, processes, and company culture and is integral to a successful onboarding process.
This article provides you with a comprehensive guide on how to create a 30-60-90 day plan for the onboarding of new employees as well as for internally promoted employees. We also provide you with a free 30-60-90 day plan template in PowerPoint, as well as a 30-60-90 day plan template Excel download.
Contents
What is a 30-60-90 day plan?
Benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan
Types of 30-60-90 day plans
30-60-90 day plan examples
How to write a 30-60-90 day plan for new employees
Free 30-60-90 day plan templates
FAQ
What is a 30-60-90 day plan?
A 30-60-90 day plan is a document that outlines the goals and milestones an employee aims to achieve during the first 30, 60, and 90 days in a new role. It sets clear expectations, aligns the employee’s work with the company’s goals, and empowers employees to maximize their productivity.
This plan also serves as a strategic tool for both the employee and their manager to track progress, identify potential challenges early on, and make adjustments as needed to ensure the employee’s successful integration and long-term contribution to the organization.
Although 30-60-90 day plans are most often used for new hires, they can also be extremely beneficial for employees who have been promoted to a new (managerial) role or even for teams when a new project is launched.
HR’s role in the 30-60-90 day plan
Around the world and across industries, HR professionals are tasked with onboarding new hires as efficiently as possible. How well an employee is onboarded impacts how quickly they become a valuable member of the team. To achieve this, HR engages in several critical activities, including:
- Helping employees visualize how they align their work and goals to the business and connect day-to-day tasks to the larger purpose of work
- Working with managers and employees to create a clearly defined plan based on specific and measurable goals
- Regularly checking that the plan is being followed and key metrics are being achieved.
Benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan
Using a 30-60-90 day plan has a positive impact both on the organization and the individual employees. Here are its key benefits:
For organizations
- Better alignment: A structured 30-60-90 day plan ensures that the employee understands how their work contributes to shared objectives and the company’s strategic goals. This clarity encourages collaboration and helps team members work together more effectively toward common goals.
- Improved onboarding: Creating a smoother and more structured onboarding process with a clear plan reduces the time it takes for new hires to become productive contributors.
- Early identification of issues: By tracking an employee’s progress through the 30-60-90 day onboarding plan, managers can identify potential challenges or skill gaps early and enable timely interventions and support to keep the employee on track.
For employees
- Clear expectations: A 30-60-90 day plan provides employees with a clear understanding of what is expected of them in their new role, reducing uncertainty and anxiety.
- Goal-oriented progress: Employees work to achieve specific, measurable goals, which boosts their confidence and motivation as they see tangible progress.
- Accelerated learning and integration: A clear plan encourages rapid learning and adaptation to the new role, helping employees integrate more quickly and effectively into the team and company culture.
Types of 30-60-90 day plans
30-60-90 day onboarding plan for new employees
Great onboarding processes matter. In fact, they matter so much that 69% of employees are more likely to stay with an organization for three years or more if they feel they had a good onboarding experience.
A 30-60-90 day plan is an excellent way to introduce the new employee to the role and industry they’ll be working in.
The benefits of a 30-60-90 day onboarding plan for new hires include:
- Clarifying the role of new employees, ensuring they understand their responsibilities and deliverables
- Providing valuable insights through discussions with new hires, giving managers a better understanding of their skills and abilities, as well as what they know about the business
- Facilitating the building of relationships with new hires through regular communication and check-ins
- Helping new employees manage their time effectively by providing focus and direction for their tasks during their first 90 days.
Learn how to effectively onboard new hires
If you want to learn how to create memorable onboarding experiences, AIHR’s HR Generalist Certificate Program provides a deep dive into onboarding strategies, including the creation of effective 30-60-90 day plans for your new hires.
You’ll master designing and implementing an efficient onboarding process that helps your new employees become productive faster and stay at your organization longer.
The 30-60-90 day plan for an interview
Using the 30-60-90 day plan during an interview can also be an effective method to assess the candidate’s preparedness, strategic thinking, and ability to set and achieve goals. When a candidate presents a well-structured 30-60-90 day plan during the interview, it demonstrates their understanding of the role, industry, and organization. It provides valuable insight into what they would like in an onboarding process and how they foresee their contribution during the first three months.
Discussing the 30-60-90 day plan also helps the hiring manager or recruiter evaluate the candidate’s thought process and alignment with the company’s objectives. You will quickly gain a better understanding of how the candidate prioritizes tasks and is able to set realistic goals.
The 30-60-90 day plan for internal promotions
When your employees take on new roles within the organization, a 30-60-90 day plan can help them familiarize themselves with their new responsibilities and become effective in their new position as quickly as possible.
The benefits of a 30-60-90 day plan for internal promotions include:
- Setting clear expectations aligned with high-level objectives
- Alleviating new job jitters by clearly reminding employees of priorities, empowering employees to self-manage their work, and supporting goal setting.
HR pro tip
Adjusting the 30-60-90 plan for internal promotions is an excellent way to highlight and encourage the behavior that earned the employee their promotion in the first place. Work with them to outline their skills and the value they bring to their team, department, and the business, and then align these with their short- and long-term goals.
30-60-90 day plan examples
A key aspect of an effective 30-60-90 day plan is the focus on setting clear, measurable goals. This allows individuals and teams to track their progress, demonstrate tangible results, and ensure alignment with broader organizational goals. Examples of such plans often include specific metrics, timelines, and benchmarks that serve as critical indicators of success, providing a clear path to achieving both short-term wins and long-term success.
Below are a few 30-60-90-day plan examples for different scenarios.
1. 30-60-90 day sales plan example
| Goals/Actions | Key metrics | 30 Days | 60 Days | 90 Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market research | Number of market research reports completed | Develop actionable insights and present them to sales leadership | Synthesize findings to identify top 3 market opportunities | Develop actionable insights and present to sales leadership |
| Prospect identification | Size of qualified leads database | Build a database of 50 potential prospects | Qualify at least 25 prospects through initial outreach | Develop a target list of 10 high-potential leads |
| Customer outreach | Number of initial contacts made | Initiate contact with 50% of qualified prospects (at least 12 contacts) | Secure 5 introductory meetings or calls | Convert 2 prospects into active opportunities with follow-up meetings |
| Product knowledge | Product knowledge assessment score | Complete product training and pass a knowledge test with a score of 80% or higher | Participate in a product demo with a senior rep | Conduct an independent product demo, scoring 90% or higher in a peer review |
| Sales training | Number of new techniques implemented | Attend two sales training sessions on advanced techniques | Implement 2 new sales techniques in prospect interactions | Mentor a junior sales rep on 3 key techniques and share success stories with the team |
| Sales targets | Sales revenue achieved | Set up the sales pipeline and forecast potential revenue from qualified leads | Close the first sale, achieving 10% of the quarterly sales target (e.g., $10,000 if the target is $100,000) | Achieve 30-50% of the quarterly sales target (e.g., $30,000 – $50,000) by closing additional deals |
| Sales strategies | Strategy effectiveness rating | Develop an initial outreach strategy based on market research insights | Test and refine the strategy through A/B testing with 10% of prospects | Fully implement the optimized strategy, targeting the remaining 90% of prospects |
| Reporting and analysis | Performance improvement rate | Track key metrics (e.g., contact rates, conversion rates) weekly | Analyze performance data and identify 3 key areas for improvement | Create a detailed report with actionable recommendations for optimizing sales processes |
| Collaboration | Team collaboration rating | Schedule and attend weekly team meetings, actively participating in discussions | Collaborate on at least one cross-functional project with marketing or product teams | Lead a team initiative to improve a sales process or tool, presenting results to management |
| Personal development | Skill improvement assessment score | Identify 2-3 key areas for personal growth with manager feedback | Attend a relevant workshop or training to develop these skills | Demonstrate improved skills through a presentation or project, receiving positive feedback from peers or manager |
2. 30-60-90 day plan for managers example
| Goals/Actions | Key metrics | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team assessment | Employee satisfaction survey results | Conduct individual meetings with each team member to assess dynamics and performance | Identify top 3 areas for improvement and create development plans for team members | Implement initiatives to improve satisfaction, targeting a 10% increase in survey scores |
| Goal setting | Goal achievement rate | Meet with each team member to understand their personal and professional goals | Align individual goals with broader organizational objectives, setting SMART goals for each team member | Track progress on goals and adjust strategies to ensure at least 70% of goals are on track for completion |
| Communication plan | Employee feedback and clarity of messages | Establish regular team meetings and one-on-ones, and create a communication schedule | Ensure consistent messaging by reviewing team feedback and adjusting communication as needed | Implement feedback mechanisms to enhance clarity and increase communication satisfaction scores by 15% |
| Performance evaluation | Performance improvement plan effectiveness | Review recent performance data and identify at least 3 key skills gaps within the team | Provide targeted feedback and initiate coaching sessions for improvement in identified areas | Measure performance improvement with a goal of 20% enhancement in key performance areas |
| Process improvement | Efficiency improvement percentage | Conduct a process audit to identify inefficiencies in current workflows | Develop and roll out a process improvement plan targeting at least 2 major inefficiencies | Measure and monitor process efficiency, aiming for a 15% improvement in overall workflow efficiency |
| Team development | Employee development plan completion rate | Assess the development needs of each team member and create individual development plans | Implement at least 2 training and development initiatives tailored to team needs | Evaluate employee growth, aiming for at least 50% completion of development plans and tangible skill improvements |
| Relationship building | Stakeholder satisfaction and feedback | Identify key internal and external stakeholders and their expectations | Build and strengthen relationships through regular check-ins and updates | Achieve a 20% improvement in stakeholder satisfaction and engagement based on feedback |
| Problem solving | Time to resolution for key issues | Identify the top 3 challenges or problem areas affecting the team | Develop and implement targeted solutions for each identified problem | Monitor and refine problem-solving approaches, aiming for a 30% reduction in time to resolution |
3. 30-60-90 day plan for executives example
| Goals/Actions | Key metrics | 30 days | 60 days | 90 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strategic planning | Number of strategic initiatives identified | Conduct a comprehensive assessment of current business landscape and gather data from all departments | Define 3-5 strategic goals and objectives based on initial analysis | Develop a detailed strategic plan with clear timelines, resources, and responsible parties |
| Team assessment | Employee engagement survey results | Conduct individual and team assessments through surveys and one-on-one meetings | Address identified areas for improvement by creating tailored development plans | Implement initiatives to build a high-performing team culture, aiming to improve engagement scores by 15% |
| Stakeholder engagement | Number of key stakeholder meetings | Identify and map out key stakeholders, both internal and external, and understand their needs | Hold at least 5 initial meetings to establish rapport and open communication channels | Foster strong partnerships by organizing regular updates and collaboration sessions, targeting a 20% increase in stakeholder satisfaction |
| Financial analysis | Profitability and revenue growth | Review and analyze the latest financial statements and key performance indicators (KPIs) | Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the current business landscape and gather data from all departments | Develop and begin implementing financial strategies aimed at achieving a 10% improvement in profitability and revenue growth |
| Process optimization | Efficiency improvement percentage | Identify key bottlenecks and inefficiencies within current processes through analysis and team feedback | Implement process improvements, including automation of at least one major task, to enhance efficiency | Monitor and measure process efficiency, targeting a 20% improvement in overall workflow efficiency |
| Change management | Employee satisfaction and adoption rate | Assess the organization’s readiness for upcoming changes through surveys and readiness assessments | Develop a comprehensive change management plan, including communication strategies and training sessions | Execute change initiatives, measure adoption rates, and aim for a 25% increase in employee satisfaction regarding the changes |
| Performance evaluation | Key performance indicators (KPIs) | Review existing performance metrics and identify gaps in current KPI tracking | Set clear, measurable performance targets and align them with the overall strategic objectives | Evaluate team and individual performance, providing feedback and adjustments to ensure at least 70% of targets are on track |
| Leadership development | Employee retention rate and leadership feedback | Identify key leadership development needs and opportunities within the team | Implement leadership training programs and establish mentoring relationships | Evaluate leadership effectiveness and growth through feedback, aiming to increase retention rates by 10% and improve leadership competency scores |
4. 30-60-90 day plan for an internal promotion example
Below is an example of an internal promotion from an HR Generalist role to an HR Manager role:Goals/Actions Key metrics 30 days 60 days 90 days Transition and learning Adaptation and knowledge acquisition rate Meet with current HR Manager and key leaders to fully understand new responsibilities Shadow current HR Manager and complete role-specific training to grasp complexities of the HR Manager role Demonstrate proficiency by independently managing key HR functions and decision-making processes Stakeholder management Stakeholder satisfaction and feedback Identify and map key internal stakeholders and their expectations Hold one-on-one meetings with stakeholders to establish relationships and gather feedback Implement strategies to enhance stakeholder satisfaction, aiming for a 15% increase in engagement scores Team leadership Employee engagement and productivity Conduct a team assessment to understand dynamics, strengths, and areas for improvement Provide tailored support and guidance to team members, setting clear expectations Implement initiatives to improve team collaboration and productivity, targeting a 10% increase in engagement scores Strategic planning Alignment of HR initiatives with organizational goals Review and align with the company’s strategic goals, identifying where HR can contribute Develop HR strategies and initiatives that align with the company’s objectives, gaining leadership approval Begin implementing strategic HR initiatives, monitoring alignment and impact on organizational goals Performance management Employee performance improvement rate Review existing performance management processes and identify areas for enhancement Implement at least one performance improvement initiative, such as a new feedback system Evaluate the effectiveness of performance management initiatives, aiming for a 20% improvement in employee performance Talent acquisition Time-to-fill key positions Review and assess the current recruitment process to identify bottlenecks Streamline the recruitment and selection process, reducing time-to-fill by 10% Improve recruitment efficiency by filling key positions with higher-quality candidates, achieving a 15% reduction in time-to-fill Employee development Employee satisfaction and career development plans Identify development needs through discussions with employees and performance reviews Implement targeted training and development programs, focusing on key skill gaps Evaluate the impact of these programs on employee growth, aiming for a 20% improvement in satisfaction and professional development outcomes HR policy and compliance Compliance with HR regulations and policies Conduct a thorough assessment of the existing HR policy and compliance framework Update HR policies to reflect current regulations and best practices, ensuring clear communication to all employees Measure and monitor compliance adherence, aiming for a 100% compliance rate and resolving any identified gaps
How to write a 30-60-90 day plan for new employees
Regardless of job level, improving an employee’s skills requires concrete performance goals. It is, therefore, critical to avoid vagueness in the goals, objectives, and metrics included in a 30-60-90 day plan.
For example, ‘increase productivity’ or ‘become a better strategic planner’ are great ambitions, but they do not provide clear steps for achieving these objectives or how progress will be measured. Instead, the goals captured in a 30-60-90 day plan should be realistic, quantifiable, and focused.
Let’s take a look at a checklist for creating an effective 30-60-90 day plan.
Checklist: 30-60-90 day plan for new employees
The 30-60-90 day plan and onboarding pack should include the following:
- New employee welcome
- Planning get-to-know meetings
- Outlining high-level goals
- Clarifying short and long-term priorities
- Creating SMART goals
- 30-day goals
- 60-day goals
- 90-day goals
- Defining metrics of success
- Feedback and review checkpoints
Let’s break this down.
1. New employee welcome
This is HR’s opportunity to lay the foundation for setting a new employee up for success. A great welcome helps new employees understand where they fit into the larger organizational structure, what is expected of them, and which activities will help them get up and running as quickly as possible. It is not a complete list of their responsibilities but rather a summary that helps them focus on the key goals and metrics they need to achieve in their first 90 days.
The welcome should include:
- Role details
- How the role supports the broader organization’s objectives
- A summary of expectations and the support the employee should expect from their manager.
HR pro tip
Personalize the welcome to the employee, their role, and how they will add value to the business, clients and colleagues. This will set the stage for a memorable onboarding experience.
2. ‘Get to know’ meetings
There is a specific list of people that every new hire should connect with to help them understand their role.
The ‘get to know’ section should include:
- Who the employee is meeting, including their name, role, and responsibilities
- The key objective of the meeting
- Why this meeting will help the employee in their new role
- What topics should be discussed and suggested questions that the employee can ask to gain the most they can from the meeting.
3. Outlining high-level goals
A high-level view lets new employees know what is expected of them by the end of their first 90 days. It should be outcomes based and linked to specific goals. For example, high level goals could include contributing 15% of all new sales after 90 days, building a sales plan or optimizing a new client onboarding process.
The long-term goals section should include:
- A list of outcomes-based goals to be achieved in 30, 60, and 90 days
- Context around how this goal relates to their position. For example: As a sales executive in this organization, one of your roles is onboarding new clients.
- A clear understanding that the employee should be aiming for fluency in their role by the 90-day mark and that this plan will help them achieve this goal.
HR pro tip
Align long-term priorities to the organization’s key strategic goals. From there, work backwards to determine where the employee should be at the end of their first 90 days to be best positioned to support those priorities and which short-term goals need to be achieved within 30 and 60 days support key outcomes at the end of 90 days.
SMART goals
As an HR professional you can support new hires by helping them to set SMART goals that they can achieve.
SMART goals are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Attainable
- Realistic
- Time-bound.
Example: Instead of setting a goal to increase the company’s website, a digital marketer’s SMART goal could be to increase traffic by 2% in the first 30 days.
Here are some examples of goals for the first 30, 60, and 90 days.
30 days
The first month is about getting to know the organization and helping the new employee find their feet. Goals here should be internally oriented towards getting to know “how to do the job.” If there are external goals, they should be small and reachable.
- Work with the new employee and their manager to define between three and five goals.
- Encourage the employee to learn as much as they can and to suggest which goals they believe they need to reach.
- Highlight that the employee is not working in a vacuum – they should be encouraged to ask questions, learn.
60 days
Month two should focus on helping the employee step into more role-specific activities. At the end of month two, the employee must have a more solid understanding of the basics of the organization and its pain points and be a contributing member of the team.
- It is important not to overwhelm the employee as this plan is formulated as the new hire arrives.
- Work with the employee and their manager to extend their roadmap, but make it clear that they are not expected to be able to meet these goals as they start their role.
90 days
The aim of the 90 day plan is to ensure an employee is effectively onboarded and adding value to the business within three months. To achieve this objective, the 90 day goals should be closely aligned to the longer term performance expectations of the role. This is very much an execution phase that leverages the learnings of the previous 60 days. Its success depends on how well the 30 day and 60 day goals were achieved.
- Ensure the employee understands this is the last month before they are expected to fully transition into their role.
- Set goals and expectations that can be used as the basis for the first performance contracting conversation.
- Allow the employee to also state what support they need during this last month to be able to fully transition into their role.
HR pro tip
The third month is when the strategy mapped out during days 31 – 60 is executed. By this phase, the employee must be actively contributing to projects and working with their team to achieve results. Key metrics must reflect this.
4. Defining metrics of success
Each phase needs metrics. This is often covered by the measurable aspect of a SMART goal, but success lies in the detail. The deliverables of each goal should, therefore, be quantifiable and captured in the 30-60-90 day plan.
Having the right metrics in place not only helps a new employee visualize their role and what success looks like but also gives the new employee and their manager a clear basis to measure how effective the onboarding process is and where the employee needs additional support, tools, or insights. It’s also how progress can be determined through regular feedback sessions.
5. Feedback and review checkpoints
In this section, outline when both the new employee’s manager and a member of the HR team will check in with them during the 90-day process. These check-ins should be diarised.
HR’s role
Ensure there is adequate time in each feedback session for:
- The employee to give feedback
- The manager/leadership team to give feedback
- Metrics to be reviewed against goals
- Planning around additional support if metrics have been missed.
HR pro tip
To support both managers and new employees in this journey, you can create a short template that helps them to document what was covered in the meeting, including a recap of goals, metrics, what was achieved and any key outcomes or learnings.
Free 30-60-90 day plan templates
30-60-90 day plan templates are invaluable tools for new hires, from juniors to managers and leaders, as well as for those transitioning into new roles within an organization.
They provide a clear and structured framework that helps individuals set measurable goals and track their progress in a transparent way. By using a template, employees can efficiently navigate the critical first few months, quickly become productive, and make a positive impact, while managers can maintain consistency in onboarding and development processes.
30-60-90 day plan template: PowerPoint
A PowerPoint template for a 30-60-90 day plan offers a visually organized and easy-to-use format for presenting role details, strategic goals, actions, and milestones.
30-60-90 day plan template: Excel
A 30-60-90 day plan Excel template provides a customizable and detailed structure for tracking goals, actions, and progress, ensuring that both employees and managers can monitor performance and make adjustments as needed to stay on track.
FAQ
A 30-60-90 day plan is an essential tool that helps HR professionals to support a successful onboarding process by helping new hires and their managers to outline the new employee’s goals and objectives for the first 90 days of their employment across three 30-day phases.
A 30-60-90 day plan is a roadmap that outlines specific goals and tasks for new employees to accomplish within their first three months on the job. To create a plan:
– Identify the key objectives and expectations for the role
– Break down the objectives into specific, measurable tasks that can be accomplished within the 30-60-90 day timeframe
– Prioritize the tasks and assign deadlines for completion
– Identify any training or resources that the employee will need to complete the tasks
– Schedule regular check-ins to review progress and provide feedback
It’s important to keep in mind that a 30-60-90 day plan should be flexible and adjust to the employee’s learning curve and individual needs.
A 30-60-90 day plan and onboarding pack should include the following:
1. New employee welcome
2. Planning get-to-know meetings
3. Outlining high-level goals Clarifying short and long-term priorities
a. Creating SMART goals
b. 30-day goals
c. 60-day goals
d. 90-day goals
4. Defining metrics of success
5. Feedback and review checkpoints.
In general, a well-structured 30-60-90 day plan can be concisely communicated within 1 to 3 pages. But the length of a 30-60-90 day plan can vary depending on the level of detail and the specific content you need to include.
Learn more
Related articles
Are you ready for the future of HR?
Learn modern and relevant HR skills, online
