30-60-90 day plans outline key goals and critical tracking metrics for your new hires as they begin their newly assigned position. Hiring managers can make their teams more effective by following these planning guidelines.
An overview of the 30-60-90 plan
It is recommended that new hires develop a goal list within these time frames with the assistance of their manager.
As part of their plan, each milestone should be measurable, utilizing S.M.A.R.T goals.
- S – Specific
- M – Measurable
- A – Achievable
- R – Realistic
- T – Timely
These five elements should guide the milestones in a 30-90-day plan. During the first few months of employment, a 30-60-90 day plan can help a new hire stay organized and focused.
Most commonly, the 30-60-90 day plan is broken down into three monthly or thirty-day periods. There should be milestones in each of these three months. Achieving goals in the first 30 days should be carried forward to the next 60 days, and so on until 90 days.
What should you do in the first 30 days?
Make sure your new hire understands the skills that are required and that they are immersed in the culture of the company from day one. An example of a first 30-day plan would be as follows:
- Get to know your team members and find out the platforms they use to communicate.
- Participate in projects and understand daily tasks
- Carrying clients through daily projects on an individual basis
- Get a better understanding of the company’s culture code, values, and critical responsibilities beyond just the job description
What should you do in the 60 days?
This is how a typical 60-day target sheet looks:
- Measurable metrics should be raised by 20 percent
- Understand the company’s processes in depth
- Be fully immersed in the day-to-day operations of the company
- Improve the efficiency of business processes by developing original ideas
During the next 30 days, you want every new hire on the team to be able to perform their job efficiently. Within the first 30 days, the focus has been on understanding what needs to be accomplished, but within 60 days, the focus will shift to doing the job.
What should you do in the final 30 days?
Starting from scratch in an entirely foreign environment, they will now be a full team member with their responsibilities. Additionally, they’ll have already met a set of goals and a track record of personal and professional growth.
A typical 30-day goal would be:
- Multi-team project management skills
- Demonstrates success with the key performance indicators of the company
- Fully understands how the department works and the team’s processes
- Upon completion of training, challenging assignments will require little assistance
- Your new hire will become an influential team member if they follow the SMART goals you’ve set.
To sum up
The 30-60-90-day plan ensures that new employees understand the processes they’ll be using daily. Every 30 days of this plan will provide a different focus, which will become more challenging as time passes. As a result of this onboarding strategy, your new hire training will run smoothly right from the interview process.
