Templates · 5 min read
30-60-90 day plan template for new hires (with examples)
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The first three months in a new job shape everything after them. A new hire who knows what is expected settles in faster and feels more confident. A 30-60-90 day plan gives that clarity. It splits the first 90 days into three stages: learn, contribute, and own. This post gives you a free template for each stage, a checklist for managers, and examples by role.
What is a 30-60-90 day plan?
A 30-60-90 day plan is a short document with goals for a new hire’s first three months. Each stage has a different focus. The first month is about learning. The second is about early contributions. The third is about taking real ownership.
The plan is shared between the new hire and their manager. The manager writes a first draft before day one. The new hire adds to it in their first week. Both review it together every few weeks.
Why it helps new hires and managers
- The new hire knows what good looks like, so they do not have to guess.
- The manager has a clear way to check progress without micromanaging.
- Problems show up early, while they are still small.
- Both sides have a record to look back on at the end of probation.
- It sets the habit of clear goals and regular check-ins from the start.
Days 1-30: learn
The first month is about listening and learning. Do not expect big output yet. The goal is to understand the people, the product and how work gets done.
- Meet your manager and agree on how often you will have 1:1s.
- Meet every person on your team for a short intro chat.
- Meet three to five key people outside your team.
- Set up your tools, accounts and access.
- Read the main docs: team goals, product overview, how we work.
- Learn who our customers are and what problems we solve for them.
- Shadow a teammate on their daily work for at least two days.
- Finish one small, real task from start to finish.
- Write down questions and things that seem confusing or odd.
- End of month: review this plan with your manager and agree on goals for days 31-60.
Days 31-60: contribute
In the second month, the new hire starts to add value on their own. They still ask lots of questions, but they now take on real work with less help.
- Take on two or three tasks of normal size with light support.
- Join team planning and share at least one idea.
- Learn the main tools and processes well enough to explain them to someone else.
- Ask for feedback from your manager and one peer.
- Pick one small improvement from your list of confusing things and fix it.
- Agree with your manager on one or two goals you will own in days 61-90.
- Start a simple log of your wins and what you learned.
- End of month: review progress with your manager and adjust the plan.
Days 61-90: own
By the third month, the new hire should be working close to full speed. They own an area or project and start to shape how the team works.
- Own one project or area from start to finish.
- Work with less day-to-day guidance and make decisions within your scope.
- Share what you have learned with the team, in a doc or short talk.
- Help the next new person settle in, if one joins.
- Collect feedback from your manager and two peers.
- Write a short look back: what went well, what was hard, what you learned.
- Set growth goals for the next quarter with your manager.
- End of month: hold a 90-day review with your manager.
Manager's checklist
A new hire’s first 90 days depend a lot on their manager. Use this checklist to make sure nothing important is missed.
- Before day one: write a first draft of the 30-60-90 day plan.
- Before day one: make sure laptop, accounts and access are ready.
- Before day one: pick a buddy on the team to answer daily questions.
- Week one: hold a first 1:1 to learn how they like to work.
- Week one: share the plan and ask them to add their own goals.
- Weekly: hold a 1:1 and check progress against the plan.
- Day 30: review the first stage together and agree on next goals.
- Day 60: give clear, specific feedback on what is going well and what to improve.
- Day 90: hold a 90-day review and set goals for the next quarter.
- Throughout: ask what is confusing and fix what you can.
30-60-90 day plan examples by role
The template works for any role. Here are examples of what the main goal in each stage could look like.
- Engineer: learn the codebase and ship a small fix (30), ship a feature with review (60), own a part of the system (90).
- Designer: learn the design system and users (30), design a small feature end to end (60), lead design for a project (90).
- Sales: learn the product and pitch (30), run first calls with support (60), manage your own pipeline (90).
- Support: learn the product and common questions (30), answer tickets with review (60), handle complex cases on your own (90).
- Manager: meet every report and learn the team (30), run 1:1s and fix one team problem (60), set team goals for next quarter (90).
Tips for a plan that works
- Keep each goal small and clear. "Ship a fix" is better than "learn the codebase".
- Write goals the new hire can check off, not vague hopes.
- Review the plan together. A plan nobody looks at does not help.
- Change the plan when things change. It is a guide, not a contract.
- Celebrate progress at each stage, even small steps.
Common mistakes
- Too many goals. Five clear goals beat fifteen fuzzy ones.
- Expecting full output in month one. Learning takes time.
- Writing the plan and never looking at it again.
- Skipping the 90-day review. It is the best moment to set the next goals.
New hire plans in glariu
glariu includes 30-60-90 day plan templates you can adapt for each role. New hires see their plan from day one and check items off as they go. Managers see progress at a glance and can bring open items into their 1:1s.