How to Run a 90 Day Review That Makes Your Employees Successful in Your Company

Imagine a meaningful milestone for your new hires. Not a year. Not half a year. Just 90 days. Quick, right? Yet, in the corporate world, those first 90 days? They're golden.

For a new hire, this period is often the steepest learning curve. For managers and HR professionals? It's the litmus test. The opportunity to nurture, guide, and cement the foundation for long-term success.

Enter the 90-day review—not a mere formality nor a check-the-box exercise. It's the bridge that transforms a newcomer into an integral team player. It's a chance to identify gaps, celebrate milestones, and outline the roadmap ahead.

After reading this article, you'll: 

• Know what to cover in a 90 day review. 
• Hold 90 day reviews that transcend the usual metrics, start honest conversations, and ensure that the company and the employee reap tangible benefits (Think: growth, performance, retention).
• Get practical examples of how to give feedback during this review to motivate progression and change, regardless of how the first 3 months went. 

And if you're short of time, download our 90 day review template and start to use it today. 

📅 What is a 90 day review?

A 90-day review is an assessment taking place after an employee's first three months in a new position or with a new company. This review aims to evaluate the employee's performance, integration, and alignment with company values and goals during this initial period. It provides an opportunity for both the employee and the supervisor to discuss achievements, areas for improvement, and expectations and to clarify any questions or concerns.

The 90-day review is particularly valuable for ensuring new hires are on the right track and have the resources and support they need to succeed in their role.

The 90 day review looks at different areas, including: 

• overall performance;
• productivity; 
• key challenges;
• organizational adjustment;
• teamwork;
• company culture;
• goals;
• training or development needs;
• feedback about the onboarding process; 
• revision of company policies (like rules around sick leave or vacation days);
• future potential. 

Usually, the 90 day review is the first time the employee gets constructive feedback. During earlier assessments (after 30 and 60 days), it's often too soon to properly evaluate performance. Those meetings aim to make employees feel welcome and integrated and assist with learning needs.

As with all performance reviews, a 90 day performance review is the perfect occasion to boost motivation and show your employee you value their work. (If they've done a great job, that is.) 

How is a 90-day review different from a probation period review?

While both reviews aim to ensure the right fit and performance levels, the 90-day review is more feedback-driven and developmental, while the probation period review is more decision-driven regarding the continuity of employment. 

The probationary review is held before the probationary period ends. (The duration of a probationary period can vary depending on the organization and the role. It could be shorter than, equal to, or longer than 90 days. The typical probationary period is 3-6 months.) It determines whether the employee meets the organization's standards and should be confirmed in their role or if employment should be terminated.

If the employee hasn't met the expected standards, they might not pass the probationary period, leading to termination or extension of the probationary period in some cases. As a result, the probationary review carries more weight regarding employment continuity than the 90 day review. 

In contrast, the 90 day review is more developmental in nature. It evaluates how well the employee integrates into the company, identifies areas of strength and growth, and ensures the employee has the resources and support they need.

Feedback is crucial at this stage to set the employee on the right trajectory. So, the outcome usually focuses on supporting growth through coaching or additional training or resources.

🎯 7 Objectives of a 90 day review

Assessing cultural fit

Even if you've assessed your employees against the company culture during the hiring process, you can't truly know if it's a match before they start. After 90 days, you should be able to tell whether your new hire fits into the company culture. 

This goes both ways – ask your employees for feedback about the company culture and whether they feel integrated and aligned with company values. 

Gauging the employee's understanding of their role

This is the opportunity for your employee to ask questions about their responsibilities. And also to check if they're clear on the scope of their tasks. 

Do they think their daily tasks fit the job description and expectations?

What do they enjoy the most?

Could you assign more of that and less of what they aren't as passionate about?

Perhaps they need support in the parts that don't feel like a fit. 

Evaluating their basic competencies and early performance

Naturally, your employee will make mistakes during their first 90 days. Depending on the complexity of the role, they're probably not yet up to speed. That said, around the 90-day mark, you probably have a fairly good picture of their performance.

You should also have an idea about their key strengths and competencies. Which leads us to the next point:

Addressing any concerns or gaps early on

Just like in a relationship, conflict can be avoided by addressing concerns as soon as they arise. That's the big advantage of regular performance reviews – you don't want to wait until the yearly review to signal any mishaps. 

Getting employees comfortable with regular reviews

Invite your employees to share what they think is working well, too. The sooner you can get them comfortable with regular reviews, the better! Regular performance reviews have many advantages.

"The challenge with annual reviews is that they're a collection of indirect, out-of-context feedback that a supervisor or boss is supposed to deliver long after a project has ended, so the feedback is no longer educational or useful," says Susan Clarke, co-founder of Thrive, a coaching and consulting firm.

She means that feedback is more efficient when it's given regularly. "That way, you're able to clarify expectations before a team member or colleague gets too far ahead in a task or a project."

Setting a foundation for future performance metrics

The first few weeks shouldn't be about performance. They should be about getting familiarized with the daily tasks and the team and getting up to speed. 

Around 90 days in, however, you'll want to increasingly shift the focus toward performance. 

🎯 For more guidance about when you can expect your new hire to become profitable, check out our guide on time to productivity.

Look at the performance metrics relevant to the role and use these as the foundation for setting goals. 

Determining overall job satisfaction

This includes asking about the onboarding experience. You'll get invaluable feedback to improve the process for future hires. 

Side note: Avoid postponing the meeting once you've set a date. Even if you send over an agenda and share what they can expect, the 90 day review can be stressful for new employees and something they want to mentally prepare for. 

Plus, remember to show appreciation for the employee's first few working weeks. Starting a new job means a lot of new things to learn, names to remember, and a culture to adapt to. A seamless onboarding experience definitely helps, but it's normal for the employee to still feel a bit overwhelmed.

✈️ Afraid you've missed something? We've got you covered – download our new hire checklist to ensure you've got it all down. 

🕵️‍♀️ How to conduct a 90 day performance review?

So, how do you conduct a successful 90 day performance review?

Gather feedback from those who've worked closely with the employee

As a manager or HR representative, it's natural that you haven't micromanaged your employees or watched their every move. 

Instead, you can check in with those who've seen the employee's performance up close. It can be someone in a similar but more senior role or someone the employee has communicated with daily. 

Ask as many people as possible for a fair and well-rounded picture.

Establish goals for the next phase

What do you want to accomplish during the next phase of working together? The 90 day review is usually the first time you set clear goals for the coming period. You want the goals to be clear and specific and centered around relevant employee performance metrics.

🎯 To learn more about employee goals, check out our dedicated article.

Create a development plan

An employee development plan is a way of mapping out the employee's intended growth and career path, including key competencies and goals. It helps identify any additional training or resources the employee might need. 

👀 Check out our examples to get all set with your employee development plans.

📝 Free 90 Day review template

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the information so far? No worries – we've created a 90 day performance review template for you.

It includes: 

• a checklist with preparation tips for managers;
• questions for you to fill in before the assessment;
• questions to ask your employees during the meeting.

❓ 90 Day review questions

So, what questions should you ask during a 90 day review? We have divided them into different categories:

Pre-meeting questions for managers

• Have there been any instances where the employee was uncertain about their role or tasks?
• Has the employee demonstrated alignment with company values and culture?
• Have there been any mistakes worth mentioning? 

Pre-meeting questions for peers

• How well has the employee integrated into the team?
• How well does the employee know their tasks? 
• On a scale of 1-10, how autonomous is the employee?
• Does the employee respond timely and clearly when communicating via email/chat?
• How does the employee respond to constructive criticism?

During the meeting

Culture fit: 

• What do you feel about the company culture? 
• Can you give an example of when you acted in alignment with the company values or vision?

Role understanding:

• Can you describe the responsibilities and expectations of your role? Is there something that needs clarification or needs to be more aligned compared to the job description?
• What are the main objectives and key performance indicators for your role?

Performance:

• What are you most proud of having achieved during these first 3 months?
• Where would you need more support to be able to focus more and perform better?

💬 90 Day review examples

Example for some exceeding your expectations: "Project X was a major success, and you deserve credit for your role in it. Your performance when it came to tackling new issues was much appreciated, and we will keep in mind your problem solving capability for future project considerations."

What makes it effective feedback: The feedback is specific by mentioning the project it concerns, as well as what the employee did well (problem-solving when tackling new issues).

It's also objective since it talks about something measurable (performance). 

Review examples for someone who meets most expectations: "We think it is essential to cycle project leads and allow everyone to manage a team. Your performance during Project X was quite good. I know you don't like being the center of attention, but if you work on your public speaking, I think you have leadership potential."

What makes it effective feedback: Like the previous example, it's specific and clear. The employee gets where there's room for improvement – in this case, public speaking.

It's also personal ("I know you don't like being the center of attention"), which makes the employee feel seen. The comment is encouraging by touching on the leadership potential.

Bonus point for ending on a positive note! 

"I wanted to talk about your productivity. While your quality of work and output were sufficient, your productivity score was consistently under 50%. While this isn't a significant concern since your results were adequate, we can find a better way for you to stay active during your shift."

What makes it effective feedback: Once again, we see the specificity. Feedback is more fair and gets better received when it's backed by data.

A bad example would be "your productivity score was low," but this example presents the exact numbers to avoid ambiguity. It also balances the constructive feedback with the parts that went well. 

Example for someone who does not meet expectations: "I'm sorry to say that you missed too many deadlines over the past quarter. The quality of your work has been good, but time management is also important. Let's talk about how we can ensure you stay on schedule this upcoming quarter."

What makes it effective feedback: As for the other examples, the clarity and neutral approach.

\It also takes a solution-oriented approach by not dwelling on the underperformance but instead looking for how the employee can improve moving forward. The example uses inclusive language ("we"), which can make the employee feel less exposed despite constructive criticism. 

📊 You'll find more performance feedback examples in our complimentary guide. We've also created a guide specifically for constructive feedback examples since giving constructive feedback can be more challenging. 

🧑‍🎓 Want to learn about the entire training process for new employees? Check out our 15 best practices for training new employees effectively.

📈 What are the next steps after the 90 day review, especially if there are performance concerns?

Rightly used, the 90 day review is the springboard to increased performance and motivation.

There are several activities you can offer to keep the momentum going:

• Coaching: Coaching is excellent for motivating your employees. It also teaches them to become more self-sufficient and look for the answers from within. Plus, they'll get to know themselves, their weaknesses, and their strengths better. Coaching can help your employees feel acknowledged – one of the most critical factors behind employee satisfaction and retention.
• Extra training: What knowledge gaps have you noticed during the first 90 days? And what's the feedback from your employees about what they want to learn better? Get clear on where you'll need to give additional training. Prioritize the most urgent areas to get your employees up to speed.
• Shadowing a more experienced team member: This is one of the simplest and most cost-effective forms of extra support for new hires. What's great about it is that two of your employees reap the benefits – the new hire and the experienced team member. Teaching is the fastest way of cementing skills, and they can feel acknowledged to get the possibility to guide a newcomer.

🤔 Still unsure about exactly what kind of support to offer your employees post 90 day review? Check this analysis of the difference between coaching, feedback, and mentoring.

➡️ Conduct meaningful 90 day reviews with Zavvy

90 day reviews are critical as a rite of passage in an employee's journey. It marks the end of mostly learning and absorbing information and the beginning of the expectation to perform. 

90 days might seem like a blink, but they set the trajectory for an employee's journey in your organization. With Zavvy, make every day of that crucial period count and lay the groundwork for long-term growth:

• Beginning with onboarding, Zavvy ensures that new team members aren't just filling seats; they're diving headfirst into your company's culture and processes, setting them up for success from day one.
• When it's time for that pivotal 90-day review, our streamlined performance review software efficiently captures the achievements, milestones, and challenges the employee faces. (You can trigger this review automatically 90 days after the hire date. Set it up once, and all your future hires will get the reviews automatically scheduled.) Our robust feedback mechanisms ensure that assessments are comprehensive, incorporating insights from peers, superiors, and self-assessments.
• But what happens after the review? That's where Zavvy truly shines. With our career frameworks and employee development software, each employee is presented with a clear growth pathway, ensuring their momentum isn't lost post-review.

📅 Book a demo with Zavvy to get an idea of how much time and effort you'll save – and how much more value you and your employees will get from reviews!