Starting a new job is always a critical time, and according to Work Institute research, employees who have a positive experience during their first 90 days are ten times more likely to stay long-term.

As a former Chief People Officer and now a leadership coach, I’ve helped many leaders navigate their first 90 days successfully. Here’s the strategy that’s worked for them to integrate smoothly into a new company.

Onboarding Starts Before Day One

Your onboarding doesn’t begin on your first day—it starts during the interview process. This is when you should begin learning about the role, company culture, and some of your future stakeholders and decision-makers. Make sure you ask important questions about what success looks like in your role and the company’s culture.

If you didn’t get a chance to ask those crucial questions during the interview, it’s perfectly okay to request another meeting with your future manager before accepting the job offer. The last thing you want is to be blindsided by unexpected expectations.

Meet Key People in the First Two Weeks

During the first two weeks, your main task is to meet as many people as possible. Prioritize your team, your boss, and your main stakeholders. These meetings aren’t about selling yourself but about starting to build strong relationships. You can do this by asking them about their needs, goals, challenges, and how they think you can help.

As recommended in a recent Harvard Business School article, you should gather enough data from these conversations to conduct a SWOT analysis, which will help you understand how your role can impact the company's imperatives.

Dive Deeper and Identify Quick Wins

Once you’ve made your initial connections, use the next weeks to get deeper into your area of responsibility. This is the time to draft your long-term goals and, more importantly, identify some quick wins.

By the end of your first month, start showing value by implementing these quick wins. They don’t need to be major moves. The primary reason for doing this (besides proving to your boss that they made the right choice) is to test your solutions on a small scale before rolling out larger changes. Always run your quick-win strategies by some of your stakeholders to ensure they’re aligned with expectations and are genuinely helpful.

Shape Your Mid-Term and Long-Term Strategy

By now, you should have built enough trust to start shaping your mid-term and long-term strategy. This may involve adjusting your team structure if needed. However, it’s crucial to remain visible to your stakeholders during this period. Share your thoughts, seek their input, and make sure they feel heard, even if you don’t implement all of their suggestions. They should also understand that your final strategy will need approval from your boss, so you can’t guarantee meeting every one of their requests.

Solidify Your Strategy and Keep Showing Value

By month three, have your strategy approved by your boss. Continue showing incremental positive changes and refining your team to meet those strategic goals.

Signs of a Successful First 90 Days

You’ll know your first 90 days have been successful when:

• You have a clear understanding of your boss’s expectations.
• You’ve built trust and good relationships with your stakeholders.
• Your team is enthusiastic and committed to achieving your strategic objectives.

By following these steps, you’ll set yourself up for long-term success in your new role.