A 30-60-90 day plan sets out what a new hire or newly promoted employee will learn, do and deliver in their first three months, in three steps. It gives both the employee and their manager a shared picture of a good start.
| Phase | Goals | Check-in |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30: learn | Work every station; learn opening and closing; meet each team member one-on-one | Day 30 with manager |
| Days 31 to 60: contribute | Run shifts alone; approve swaps; complete the first schedule draft | Day 60 |
| Days 61 to 90: own | Own the schedule; cut missed handovers; train one new hire | Day 90 review |
Keep each phase to three or four goals. If everything is a goal, nothing is.
A grocery store promotes a strong cashier to evening shift lead. In the past, new leads were given keys and told to figure it out, and two of the last three stepped back down within two months.
EZTime digital HR forms let you send, sign and file employee documents online.
This time the store manager writes a 30-60-90 day plan with her before the promotion starts. In the first 30 days she works every department on evenings and holds a 10-minute talk with each of the 12 people on the shift. By day 60 she runs shifts alone and approves shift swaps. By day 90 she builds the evening schedule and trains a new cashier.
At each check-in they adjust the plan: closing procedures take longer to learn than expected, so the schedule-building goal moves two weeks later. At day 90, she is fully running the shift, and a short review becomes the starting point for her first quarterly goals.
The plan only works if the check-ins happen. Put all three on the calendar on the first day. Each one has the same three questions: which goals are done, which are behind and why, and what changes for the next phase. Write the answers on the plan itself, so there is one document that shows the whole start.
Adjust the plan when the facts change. If the store is short-staffed in the second month, a goal to build the schedule may need to move. Changing a goal openly is better than letting it quietly lapse, because the person knows the standard did not just disappear.
A plant hires a maintenance technician from another industry. His plan: in the first 30 days, learn the 6 main machines with a senior tech and complete lockout training; by day 60, handle routine breakdowns on 3 machines alone; by day 90, handle all 6 and take one on-call weekend.
At day 60, he is solid on 2 machines, not 3, because one was down for a rebuild. The plan moves that machine to the 90-day goals. At day 90 he is signed off on all 6, and his first on-call weekend goes without a call to the senior tech.
A few goals for each phase: learning in the first 30 days, contributing in days 31 to 60, and owning the role in days 61 to 90, with check-in dates.
Usually the manager and the employee together, before or during the first week.
No. It works for any role with a learning curve, including newly promoted shift leads and skilled hourly jobs.
A 30-60-90 day plan supports a new start. A performance improvement plan addresses specific performance problems.
Discuss why at the check-in, adjust the plan or support, and set a new date. It is a guide for a good start, not a disciplinary document.
Yes. The manager drafts it, then reviews it with the employee so both agree on what success looks like.
Send digital HR forms for e-signature before day one, and keep every signed document in the employee’s digital file.