The First 90 Days: Onboarding New Hires for Success

# The First 90 Days: Onboarding New Hires for Success

You've made the hire. Now what? The first 90 days determine whether that hire becomes a long-term asset or an expensive mistake.

Why Onboarding Matters

### The Stakes - 20% of turnover happens in the first 45 days - Time to productivity affects ROI - Early experience shapes long-term engagement

### The Opportunity Good onboarding: - Accelerates productivity - Increases retention - Reinforces culture - Builds relationships

Before Day One

### Administrative Setup - Equipment ordered and configured - Accounts and access created - Desk/workspace prepared - Welcome materials ready

### Planning - 30/60/90 day goals defined - Onboarding buddy assigned - Meeting schedule drafted - First project identified

### Communication - Welcome email with logistics - Team introduction - What to expect on day one

The First Week

### Day One - Warm welcome and office tour - Equipment and account setup - Team introductions - Culture and context overview - Lunch with manager or team

### Days 2-5 - Product and business deep dive - Technical environment setup - Initial training and documentation - First small tasks - Daily check-ins

The First Month

### Goals - Understand the product and business - Complete initial training - Ship first meaningful contribution - Build key relationships

### Structure - Weekly 1:1s with manager - Regular buddy check-ins - Cross-functional introductions - Feedback collection

The First 90 Days

### 30-Day Check-in - How is it going? - What's confusing? - What support is needed? - Early performance feedback

### 60-Day Check-in - Increasing responsibility - Independent work assessment - Relationship building progress - Goal adjustment if needed

### 90-Day Review - Performance against goals - Culture fit assessment - Two-way feedback - Forward-looking planning

Common Onboarding Mistakes

### Information Overload Spread learning over time. Nobody absorbs everything in week one.

### Sink or Swim "Figure it out" isn't a strategy. Provide structure and support.

### All Training, No Doing People learn by doing. Get them contributing early.

### Forgetting Culture Technical training matters, but so does cultural integration.

### No Feedback Loop Check in regularly. Don't wait 90 days to discover problems.

Making It Work at a Startup

Startups often lack formal onboarding programs. Minimum viable onboarding: - Clear first week plan - Assigned buddy - Documented basics - Regular check-ins - Early feedback

Good onboarding isn't about elaborate programs—it's about intentional integration that sets new hires up for success.