MANAGEMENT
Onboarding in the first 90 days: a plan for autonomy.
Onboarding goes well when the new colleague knows what is expected, has someone to ask, and reaches a first result of their own.
THE HUMX TEAM
~3 MIN READ
An onboarding plan helps the new colleague understand the role and work with autonomy. The markers below are indicative and adapt to the role; they do not define the legal length of the probation period.
Four things, before day one
Access. Account, equipment, rights in the necessary systems, ready on the first morning.
The responsible manager. One person who owns the onboarding, not "the team".
The buddy. Someone they can ask anything, without a hierarchical filter.
The first result. A real, small task they can finish within the first two weeks.
The markers: 30, 60, 90
At 30 days, the focus is on understanding: who does what, how information travels, what a job well done means here. Alongside that, a first guided task, with someone next to them.
At 60 days, the same kind of task is repeated, this time with less support, and the feedback becomes concrete: what worked, what will be done differently next time.
At 90 days, you agree what they can carry alone and what stays in discussion with the manager. It is an agreement, not a guarantee: some roles need more time, others get there sooner.
Who does what
The factsheet published by CIPD on the induction of new employees highlights the role of welcoming, orientation and support, so that the new employee can work in their role.
The work plan and an illustrative example
The plan, on one page
The result expected at each marker, in plain sentences.
The tasks of the first month, with who accompanies them on each.
The conversations fixed in the calendar, at 30, 60 and 90 days.
What is learned on the job and what requires dedicated training.
Illustrative example: an observable deliverable
The situation is hypothetical. A new colleague in purchasing has as a first result the preparation of a complete order for a known supplier: they check the stock, fill in the document, send it for approval. At 30 days they do it together with the buddy, at 60 alone with a check, at 90 without a check for the suppliers on the agreed list.
The deliverable is observable: either the order reached approval correctly or it did not. That keeps the feedback conversation short and concrete.
Three questions and what you follow
What is clear to you now about your role and what is not yet?
Where did you get stuck in the last two weeks and who did you ask?
What could you carry on your own from tomorrow, if we agreed on it now?
Three things are followed: the clarity of the role, the blockers that keep coming back, and the progress on the agreed tasks. If the person doing the onboarding is a manager early in the job, it is also worth reading the article on the specialist who became a manager.
Let's prepare the onboarding.
We build the plan around the specific role and the people who support it. See how we work on training and management development.
Let's prepare the onboarding →