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30 / 60 / 90 day plan

A 30 60 90 day plan template, filled in for the role.

Most 30/60/90 plans are the same onboarding steps pasted into a deck. Ours starts from the role's 12 month KPIs and works back. By day 90 the new hire is already working toward the right number.

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The short answer

A 30 60 90 day plan sets out what a new hire learns, changes and delivers in their first three months. Give each phase one goal, tied to a KPI the role owns. Then write down the proof you will check when the phase ends. The template and a filled example for a plant manager are below, and our free tool writes one for your role.

Updated

What goes in it

  1. 01The one year target. The number the role owns at twelve months. Every phase points back to it.
  2. 02Days 1 to 30: learn. Who they meet and what they see first hand. On day 30 they hand you a written summary.
  3. 03Days 31 to 60: first change. One improvement they lead themselves. Small enough to finish in the month, and still worth doing.
  4. 04Days 61 to 90: own a result. The first measurable result, and a written plan for the rest of the year.
  5. 05Six months and one year. Where the KPIs should be by then. It gives you something to measure day 90 against.
  6. 06Your check ins. When you meet, what you ask each time, and what on track looks like.

You should write two 30/60/90 plans. The first is for the new hire and covers what they own in their first three months. The second is for you. It holds your check ins, your debriefs and the questions you ask along the way.

Most companies only write the first one, and it comes out generic. Day 1 to 30, learn the team. Day 31 to 60, build relationships. Day 61 to 90, drive results. The new hire could have guessed all of that on their own.

A useful plan ties each phase to the role's 12 month KPIs. If the role owns same store sales growth, day 60 should include a draft of the same store sales plan. If the role owns OEE, day 30 should include floor walks on every shift. Every phase should end with something you can read or measure.

Talent Traction writes both for you: the new hire plan and your check ins. It is free and built around your role and your KPIs. It uses the same method Mike runs on his own searches.

Filled example

A 30 60 90 day plan for a plant manager

This example is for a fictional 240 person plant, Cardinal Manufacturing. The plant runs at 86% OEE. The new plant manager has nine months to get it to 94%. Swap in your own role and numbers.

The one year target

  • All four lines at or above 92% OEE
  • Safety: TRIR under 1.4 for 12 months in a row
  • Hourly turnover under 16% on a rolling basis

Days 1 to 30: floor walks

  • Walk every shift, every day, including nights
  • Meet every salaried person one on one
  • Sit in on each line's morning standup
  • Day 30 proof: a one page summary of the three biggest causes of lost OEE

Days 31 to 60: first Lean event

  • Pick the lowest OEE line (Line 3)
  • Run a focused kaizen with the operators and the engineers together
  • Put the operators' best ideas in place within two weeks
  • Day 60 proof: Line 3 OEE trend, before and after

Days 61 to 90: capex memo

  • Recommend the three highest value capex items from the backlog
  • Show the payback for each one
  • Day 90 proof: the memo is with the CFO and a decision is made

Manager check ins

WhenWhat you askOn track looks like
Week 1What surprised you?A list of names and a first read of the floor
Day 30What would you fix first, and why?Causes backed by what they saw on shift
Day 60What changed on Line 3?A measured OEE move and operators who say they were heard
Day 90What do you need from me to hit 94%?A signed capex decision and a plan for the other lines
Build it yourself

Build one for your role in about fifteen minutes.

Answer a few questions about the role and your company, and the kit fills in as you go. It is free, with no credit card and no sales call.

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Common questions

What people ask us.

What is a 30 60 90 day plan?
It is a written plan for a new hire's first three months. It covers what they learn in the first 30 days. By day 60 they start to change things, and by day 90 they own a result. The best ones end with a number the new hire is accountable for.
Who writes the 30 60 90 day plan, the manager or the new hire?
Both. The hiring manager writes the first draft before day one, so the new hire starts with a clear target. In week one the new hire edits it, and the two of you agree on the final version. Candidates often write their own draft while they interview. That tells you a lot about how they think.
What should the first 30 days focus on?
Learning, with proof. The new hire meets the team, sees the work where it happens and learns how the business measures the role. On day 30 they hand you one written summary of what they found and what they would fix first.
How is a 30 60 90 day plan different from an onboarding checklist?
A checklist covers logins, paperwork and training. A 30 60 90 day plan covers the job itself: what the person delivers and by when. You need both. Keep the checklist in HR and the plan with the hiring manager.
Does the plan stop at day 90?
No. Ours goes on to six months and one year, because most roles are judged on a yearly number. Day 90 is when you check the person is on track to hit it.
What if the role changes in the first 90 days?
Update the plan. It is yours to edit any time, and the method gives the two of you a starting point to agree on.
Method proof

Real numbers from real searches.

200+SearchesRun with this method
20+YearsRefining one method
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