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Once you have hired the right candidate for a job vacancy, their first three months in the role are crucial. By having a structured 90-day onboarding process, you can get new employees up to speed and contributing to your business. Without one, you will find that your new staff are improperly trained and directionless.
Letโs break down the first 90 days in stages so you have a guide for all new employees.
Stage 1: Pre-start prep
You need to prepare your employee for a successful first 90 days โ this starts before they begin their first day. Create yourself a checklist and gather a few things together:
- Paperwork: Workplace policies, WH&S, superannuation paperwork, insurances, etc. Having dedicated onboarding software can help cut down the paperwork process.
- Workplace necessities: Work uniform, tools, clear desk, computer, swipe card, IT permissions and clearances, etc.
- Roadmap: Have a defined plan for training your new employee, and how your staff (or yourself) will support them during their first 90 days.
Setting Expectations
Set expectations from the very start, as a strong first 90 days helps your employees ease into their work and contribute to your business. Donโt throw your employees into the deep end. Your employee will only be as good as your training. Overwhelming a new hire with a messy first 90 days can risk turnover, leading you to start the hiring process all over again.
Stage 2: Day 1-30 Induction & Learning
In the first month, your focus should be on helping your new hire learn the role and integrate into your business.
- Introduction: After your new hire completes your pre-start requirements, show them around the office or jobsite, and introduce them to team members and colleagues. This is a first impression of your workplace culture.
- Learning: Introduce the systems, services, and tools that they will be using for their role.
- Role Specifics: Provide context for what the role requires and provide a buddy/mentor (preferably another team member, not management).
- Scheduled check-ins: Hold weekly check-ins to gauge where they are and if they have all the support they need for their next few weeks.
Your expectations:
Everyone learns differently and at varying paces; thatโs a given, but there needs to be a universal benchmark your new hires must meet. Otherwise, you could be expending resources on a hire that may not work out.
For the first 30 days, keep your expectations in line with small beginnings. You want to see your new hire paired with a buddy/mentor (preferably not you), complete all paperwork, and start contributing to low-risk tasks relevant to their role.
Stage 3: Day 31-60 Task Performance & Guidance
The second month transitions from the learning phase to the doing phase. Your new hire will apply what they have learnt in the first 30 days to tasks that require more independence. You will want to support them while also letting them contribute in their own way.
- Role specifics in-depth: Introduce more complex parts of their role where they use tools specifically needed, and tasks that comprise a larger project, campaign, or job.
- Planning & involvement: Involve your new hire in broader business meetings so they can contribute to the problem-solving process. This gives them insight into the process and motivations beyond task execution.
- Feedback & performance: Your check-ins now involve examining performance and how they approach tasks. You want to provide guidance, but donโt tell them what to do. Ultimately, you want to cultivate independence in your new hire so that you can delegate more effectively.
Your expectations:
Your expectations now shift from small beginnings to a solid foundation for contributing to your business. You want them to be showing independence in their work and engaging with team members in tasks and discussions.
Stage 4: Day 61-90 Independence & Reviews
The last 30 days of your employee’s first three months centre on independence, responsibility, and goal management.
- Stable workload: Your employee should now have a clear understanding of their role and the ability to handle the required workload.
- Ownership of role: They should require less hand-holding and be responsible for their tasks. Help is, of course, available, but you should no longer have to check in.
- Review & goals: Provide feedback on your new hire’s performance in their first 90 days (what worked, what didnโt). Now you can develop your new hires’ ongoing key performance indicators (KPIs).
Your expectations:
Your new hire should be responsible for their work and be able to contribute to the business. They should be proactive, show initiative in taking on tasks autonomously, and have ongoing KPIs to evaluate their performance going forward.
First 90 days in action
Now that weโve outlined a detailed structure and set the expectations of a solid 90-day plan, letโs look at an example in action.
Joey the apprentice
Barry has hired Joey, a new apprentice, for his small electrician business. Barry wanted to make sure that Joey could contribute from day one and be brought up to speed as a sparky apprentice. He evaluated him over his first 90 days of apprenticeship.
| Aspects | Days 1-30 | Days 31-60 | Days 61-90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary focus | White Card completed; siteโspecific induction; PPE issued; intro to WHS, risk assessments, lockโout/tagโout; basic tool use and care. | Competency on core basics (measuring, markingโup, fixing and securing, basic terminations, pullโthroughs); reading simple drawings; safe isolation steps. | Consistent application of safe work and quality standards; time management; professional communication with clients (with supervisor cover for scope/variations). |
| Type of work | Shadowing + simple tasks (roughโin, cable runs, mountings, housekeeping); no energised work; practice โtest before touch.โ Supervision: Direct. | Larger portions of an install (with checks), brackets, conduits, basic device terminations, labelling; introduce testing under supervision; Supervision: Direct > General (taskโdependent). | Small jobs or defined parts of larger jobs endโtoโend (prep > execute > tidy up > present for inspection); assist with client updates |
| Support | Toolbox talks; daily preโstart; endโofโday debrief; microโlessons on WHS and quality. | Startโofโtask brief + midโtask spot checks; endโofโday review; targeted coaching on errors. | Startโofโday goals; midโday checkโin as needed; endโofโweek QA review. |
| Feedback | Focus on safety behaviours, attitude, tool care, housekeeping, and learning ability. | Focus on accuracy, firstโtimeโright installs, and documentation habits. | Focus on initiative, communication, finishing quality, and readiness for broader supervision. |
| Results/success | White Card on file; site induction complete; demonstrates safe behaviours and housekeeping; can perform simple tasks safely under direct supervision. | Fewer reworks; can set up and complete defined tasks to standard with general supervision; understands when to stop and ask. | Reliable delivery of small/defined scopes; positive client interactions; zero safety breaches; all work checked and compliant. |
Barry was happy with how Joey handled their first 90 days and expects them to become more independent, though they will still need more supervision; they are more capable than previous apprentices. Barry has created a 12-month plan to improve understanding of high-risk electrical tasks.
Onboarding for small businesses
Hiring new staff and giving them the tools to succeed is essential for your long-term success. If you throw new hires into the deep end without support, how can you expect them to be competent and contribute to your business? By developing a defined 90-day plan, you give your new hires a chance to become valuable assets to your business.
