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- Employee onboarding plan
Employee onboarding plan template
Plan preparation and the first 90 days for one new hire. Assign the manager, buddy, HR and IT, then adapt the work and reviews to the role.
- 6 groups
- 31 tasks
- 3 milestones
- 33 dependencies
- About 15 weeks
- Updated October 11, 2026
Plan one person's first 90 days
Use this plan to coordinate the manager, buddy, HR and IT for one new hire. The sample starts two weeks before day one and covers roughly fifteen weeks in total. Copy it for each person and adjust the dates, responsibilities and review process to their role.
The preparation rows cover equipment, access and a first-week plan, so owners can check readiness before the agreed start date.
What happens in each group?
Checkpoints sit at the top, followed by preparation, the first week and three stages of learning, taking ownership and delivering work. The timings below describe the sample.
| Group | When | What happens | Owners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Checkpoints | Review dates | A check-in at the end of week one, reviews at 30, 60 and 90 days, and the probation decision. Each review links to the work or feedback to discuss. | Manager |
| Before day one | Two weeks out | Contract and payroll forms, the laptop ordered and its delivery drawn as a wait, accounts set up, a buddy chosen and briefed, the first-week plan written and sent. Ends on Day one. | HR, IT, manager |
| Week one | Day by day | Monday: welcome, kit and logins. Tuesday and Wednesday: intro meetings and the tools walkthrough. Wednesday to Thursday: a first small task. Thursday and Friday: shadowing the buddy on real work. | Manager, buddy, new hire |
| Days 1 to 30: learn | Weeks 2 to 5 | Reading, product and process training, meeting the people they will work with most, and a first real piece of work reviewed by the buddy. The weekly one-to-one starts here and runs to the end. | Buddy, new hire |
| Days 30 to 60: own | Weeks 6 to 9 | A project owned end to end, chosen at the 30-day review, plus joining the rota for their area. The manager collects feedback from the buddy and two peers before the 60-day review. | New hire, manager |
| Days 60 to 90: deliver | Weeks 10 to 13 | The buddy steps back, the project is delivered and presented to the team, HR prepares the probation paperwork. Ends with the probation decision. | New hire, buddy, HR |
Adapt it to the new hire
- Set the agreed start date. Work back from Day one to schedule equipment, access and introductions. Keep that date fixed when assessing a preparation delay.
- Name the owners. Replace Manager, Buddy, HR and IT with the people responsible. Check their availability during the first week.
- Choose suitable work. Add an initial task and a project that match the person's experience and role. Agree the expected result and support.
- Set the review dates. Use your organisation's process and the person's terms. A probation review records a decision; it does not assume confirmation.
- Check equipment delivery. Ask IT or the supplier for the actual lead time, including shipping for a remote hire, and start preparation early enough.
- Remove irrelevant rows. Delete a rota or buddy handover if it does not apply, then check the remaining dependencies.
Check readiness before day one
The sample allows time to order a laptop, wait for delivery and set up accounts. Kit and accounts ready is linked to Day one so a delay is visible in the schedule.
Do not use a moved chart milestone as a new employment start date. If equipment will arrive late, keep the agreed start date and arrange a workable first day, such as temporary equipment or activities that do not require it.
Confirm the buddy, send the first-week schedule and let the new hire know who to contact. These tasks need named owners as well as dates.
Give each review something concrete to discuss
- End of week one: review the first small task and check access, questions and support needs.
- Around 30 days: discuss the first substantial piece of work and agree the next project.
- Around 60 days: review progress and feedback from the buddy and colleagues.
- Around 90 days: discuss the delivered work and record the review outcome with any required HR paperwork.
Move the sample checkpoints to your actual review dates. Keep regular check-ins even if a task is delayed; unfinished work may be something the review needs to address.
Adjust responsibility as the person learns
The sample introduces an owned project after the 30-day review. An experienced hire may be ready sooner, while another role may need more training. Agree responsibility from what the person can do and the support available.
Plan how the buddy's support will change, and keep a regular manager one-to-one throughout the period. The long one-to-one bar represents recurring meetings; schedule the individual meetings in your calendar.
Read the plan at the right scale
Use Month zoom for the full onboarding period and Week zoom for the first week. Compare effort estimates with each owner's other work rather than assuming short tasks will fit automatically.
For the hiring work before onboarding, the monthly Gantt chart template includes a workstream from the job advertisement through the offer and notice period.
Breeze
Timen
