Onboarding plan
Tile Setter Onboarding Plan (30-60-90 Days)
A practical, printable plan to take a new tile setter from first day to full productivity.
Tile Setter onboarding at a glance
Week one covers orientation, safety and shadowing. Days 1–30 build vocabulary and supervised practice on core procedures; days 31–60 move to independent work with competency sign-offs; days 61–90 focus on full productivity, cross-training and a credential plan.
Before day one
- Confirm start date, schedule, pay and supervisor in writing
- Verify required credentials: CTI, ACT (as applicable)
- Prepare equipment and access: wet saws; trowels; levels and lasers; leveling systems
- Assign a buddy or preceptor
- Enroll the new hire in Tile Setter training so foundations are covered before or during week one
Week one: orient and protect
- Workplace tour, emergency procedures and incident reporting
- Use wet saws to control dust
- Wear knee pads
- Lift heavy tile with help
- Protect hands from mortar
- Shadow an experienced tile setter through a full shift
- Training modules 1–3: role foundations, a day on the job and essential vocabulary (15 terms)
Days 1–30: learn
Goal: perform core tasks safely under supervision.
- Supervised practice: lay out a tile floor
- Supervised practice: waterproof a shower
- Supervised practice: set large-format tile without lippage
- Training modules 4–7: duties, step-by-step tasks, tools and safety
- 30-day check-in: confidence, questions and early wins
Days 31–60: contribute
Goal: handle a regular workload independently.
- Prep surfaces: independently
- Waterproof showers: independently
- Lay out patterns: independently
- Cut tile: independently
- Competency sign-offs completed (see checklist below)
- Training final knowledge check and certificate of completion
- 60-day check-in
Days 61–90: own
Goal: full productivity and a growth plan.
- Meet productivity and quality targets for the role
- Begin cross-training on a secondary task
- Agree on a credential goal (for example, CTI)
- Discuss the career path: Tile Helper → Tile Setter → Lead Setter
- 90-day review
Competency checklist
| Skill or task | Trained | Observed | Signed off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lay Out a Tile Floor | |||
| Waterproof a Shower | |||
| Set Large-Format Tile Without Lippage | |||
| Layout | |||
| Waterproofing | |||
| Tile cutting | |||
| Setting |
How to measure onboarding success
- Weeks until the new hire works without close supervision
- Recordable incidents and near-misses in the first 90 days
- Rework caused by new-hire errors
- Apprentice retention through year one
How Tile Setter training maps to this plan
- Introduction to the Tile Setter Role
- A Day on the Job
- Essential Tile Setter Vocabulary
- Core Duties and Responsibilities
- Common Tasks, Step by Step
- Tools, Equipment and Technology
- Safety, Compliance and Professional Standards
- Skills Employers Look For
- Launching Your Tile Setter Career
- Final Knowledge Check