# Onboarding Design > When to activate: employee onboarding, 30/60/90 day plans, new hire experience, buddy programs, knowledge transfer, ramp metrics, remote onboarding, role readiness - Skill: `mattakushi432/onboarding-design` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add mattakushi432/onboarding-design` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/mattakushi432/onboarding-design/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Coding & Dev Tools - Author: Mattakushi432 (https://skillmd.com/u/mattakushi432) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/mattakushi432/onboarding-design --- # Onboarding Design ## Onboarding Philosophy Onboarding ends when the employee is self-sufficient and producing at full capacity — not after 2 weeks of orientation. For most roles, meaningful onboarding spans 90–180 days. **Three outcomes of great onboarding:** 1. Employee is productive faster 2. Employee feels belonging and commits to staying 3. Company culture and expectations are absorbed correctly --- ## Pre-boarding (Before Day 1) ### Two Weeks Before Start - [ ] Send welcome email from hiring manager (personal, not HR template) - [ ] Ship equipment — target delivery 3+ days before start - [ ] Set up accounts: email, Slack, GitHub, ATS, productivity tools - [ ] Add to relevant Slack channels, meeting series, calendar invites - [ ] Assign onboarding buddy - [ ] Prepare 30/60/90 plan draft ### Day Before Start - [ ] Send "Day 1 logistics" email: where to go / login, schedule, who they'll meet - [ ] Confirm buddy knows their role and is ready - [ ] Hiring manager: block first 30 min of Day 1 for personal welcome --- ## Day 1 Schedule Template ``` 09:00 — Hiring manager welcome (30 min, 1:1) - Reiterate why they were hired, what success looks like - Walk through first-week schedule - Answer any early questions 09:30 — IT setup (60 min with IT or self-guided) - Device, accounts, VPN, password manager - Checklist confirmed complete 10:30 — HR admin (30 min) - Benefits enrollment deadline - Payroll, emergency contact, documentation 11:00 — Onboarding buddy intro (30 min, 1:1) - Buddy role: informal guide, not manager - Share lunch plans, office norms, unwritten rules 12:00 — Team lunch (casual, no work agenda) 13:30 — Company overview session (60 min) - Mission, vision, values — not slides, conversation - Business model, how revenue works - Where we are in company journey 15:00 — Role deep-dive with manager (60 min) - Expectations in first 30/60/90 days - Key stakeholders to meet - Resources: wikis, tools, key docs 16:00 — Free explore time - Read documentation, explore tools - Write down questions for tomorrow 17:00 — Day 1 check-in with buddy (15 min) ``` --- ## 30/60/90 Day Plan Framework ### Structure Each phase has 3 dimensions: - **Learn** — absorb context, relationships, domain knowledge - **Contribute** — begin producing value within defined scope - **Connect** — build relationships needed to be effective ### Template per Phase ``` DAYS 1–30: Learn & Listen Learn: - [ ] Complete all onboarding modules / readings - [ ] Shadow [specific people / meetings / processes] - [ ] Read: [specific docs / books / repositories] - [ ] Understand: [product, customers, competitive landscape] Contribute: - [ ] [Small, defined deliverable — demonstrates capability] - [ ] [Quick win that helps the team] Connect: - [ ] 1:1s with: [list of 8–12 key stakeholders] - [ ] Attend: [relevant recurring meetings] - [ ] Join: [relevant Slack channels / communities] Success criteria (how we'll know Day 30 went well): - [Specific, observable outcome] --- DAYS 31–60: Learn & Lead Learn: - [ ] Go deeper on [specific domain / process / technology] - [ ] Understand [cross-functional dependencies] Contribute: - [ ] Own and ship: [meaningful project or deliverable] - [ ] Propose: [at least one improvement to existing process] Connect: - [ ] Have informal coffee chats with [N] people outside immediate team - [ ] Present work to [audience] — practice your voice Success criteria: - [Specific, observable outcome] --- DAYS 61–90: Operate Independently Learn: - [ ] Self-identify remaining knowledge gaps and fill them - [ ] Seek feedback from [stakeholders] proactively Contribute: - [ ] Own [full scope of role] with minimal hand-holding - [ ] Drive [strategic initiative or project] Connect: - [ ] Have established cadence with key cross-functional partners - [ ] Be the person others come to for [specific domain] Success criteria: - [Role is fully ramped: performance at expected pace, no manager intervention needed for routine work] ``` --- ## Onboarding Buddy Program ### Buddy Selection Criteria - Same team or adjacent team — not the direct manager - Tenure: 6 months to 2 years (knows the ropes, remembers what it's like to be new) - Voluntary — never assign reluctant buddies - Strong cultural carrier — embodies company values ### Buddy Responsibilities - Weekly 30-min 1:1 for first 60 days, then bi-weekly to Day 90 - Answer "dumb questions" without judgment - Make introductions to informal networks (interest groups, lunch crews) - Surface concerns to manager/HR if new hire is struggling and doesn't want to escalate directly - Not responsible for technical training or performance management ### Buddy Recognition - Acknowledge buddy contributions in team meetings - Include buddy quality in performance calibration conversations (optional but meaningful) --- ## Knowledge Transfer ### Documentation Checklist for Onboarding Wiki - [ ] Company mission, vision, values — explained in plain language - [ ] Business model: how money is made, key metrics - [ ] Org chart: who reports to whom, how to navigate - [ ] Product overview: what we build, for whom, why - [ ] Customer overview: key segments, ICP, notable logos - [ ] Competitive landscape: top 3–5 competitors and how we win - [ ] Tech stack overview (engineering roles) - [ ] Key tools: list with access requests and purpose - [ ] Communication norms: Slack etiquette, when to email vs. message - [ ] Meeting norms: async vs. sync, how to run meetings - [ ] Decision-making: who decides what, escalation paths - [ ] Process guides: per-function SOPs ### "Talk to" Map For each knowledge domain, list the go-to person: | Topic | Go-to person | Format | |-------|-------------|--------| | Engineering architecture | [Name] | Async OK | | Customer context | [Name] | Book a call | | Finance / runway | [Name] | Async only | | Product roadmap | [Name] | Async OK | --- ## Ramp Metrics ### Generic Ramp Milestones per Function | Function | 30-day | 60-day | 90-day | |----------|--------|--------|--------| | Sales | Pipeline created, first discovery calls | First opportunity advanced to negotiation | First close or on track per quota | | Engineering | First PR shipped | Owns a feature end-to-end | Operates independently without pairing | | Marketing | Campaign plan delivered | First campaign live | Measurable results from owned campaigns | | CS | Owns portfolio with backup | Full portfolio with light oversight | NRR and health score at team average | | Finance | Completes close cycle with guidance | Leads monthly close | Owns budget model updates independently | ### 90-Day Review Structure ``` Employee self-assessment (complete 1 week before meeting): 1. What have I accomplished in my first 90 days? 2. What have I struggled with? 3. What do I need from my manager to be more effective? 4. Do I have the tools, context, and relationships I need? 5. What surprised me most about the role/company? Manager assessment: 1. Performance vs. 30/60/90 plan — where ahead, where behind? 2. Feedback on work quality, collaboration, communication 3. Adjustments to role scope or priorities for next 90 days 4. Retention signal: is this person engaged and likely to stay? ``` --- ## Remote Onboarding Additions - Ship swag before Day 1 (creates belonging before they start) - Day 1 all-video: no one joins audio-only on an engineer's first day - Virtual coffee roulette: pair new hire with random team members weekly for 4 weeks - Async video intro from CEO or team lead (Loom, 5 min max) - Dedicated #onboarding Slack channel for new hire cohorts - Weekly new-hire group session: answer "what do you wish you'd known?" questions - Laptop setup guide with screen recordings, not just text - Test all system access before Day 1 — nothing worse than 4h of IT troubleshooting on Day 1