90-day reviews: A blueprint for building stronger teams (with examples)

Hiring processes are arduous and stressful — in fact, many HR managers say that hiring is becoming more like marketing.* Potential employees have so many options at their disposal these days that finding and retaining the right talent is getting increasingly difficult. 

90-day reviews are an effective method for gathering feedback from new hires, understanding the efficacy of your onboarding process, and creating a roadmap for new employees moving forward. They also provide an opportunity to establish yourself as a strong leader who cares about team growth and development.

These review processes are not without their stressful elements. Knowing when to give praise and when to give constructive feedback is a balancing act. Conducting an effective 90-day employee evaluation is a key part of building a strong, transparent relationship with new team members and retaining the talent you put so much effort into finding.

‍*Forbes, 2022
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What is a 90-day review?

A 90-day performance review is an evaluation process that many companies carry out to assess the performance, progress, and fit of a new hire within the first 90 days of their employment. It gives both the employer and employee a chance to review achievements, discuss improvements, and clarify expectations. 

An intentional 90-day review can act as a strong foundation for the new hire’s growth and development. It also provides people managers with a great opportunity to develop their skills as leaders and ensure that their team is set up for success from the start.

According to Gallup, North American workers suffer from the highest regional percentage of daily stress — 52%. 90-day reviews are an ideal moment to understand how your employees are handling their new role and the stress that may come with it.
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The value of 90-day reviews

The first few months of a new job are critical in developing a new hire’s confidence and ability to work independently within their team. The review also provides employees with an opportunity to express any doubts that they have about their role and make requests that have come up during the first 90 days of their employment.

As an HR manager and team leader, a 90-day review is the perfect moment to:

• Ensure that your new hire is the right fit for your team
• Provide crucial feedback on their performance 
• Establish milestones for the next period of their employment
• Reduce employee turnover by assessing their level of engagement 
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It’s also an opportunity for the new employee to:

• Give their comments about the onboarding experience
• Engage more closely with their manager 
• Gain clarity on the expectations set out for them

According to the Harvard Business Review, a formal onboarding process with a review at the end of the probationary period results in “50% higher employee retention and 62% productivity increase within the same group.”
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🚀Create meaningful and transformative reviews

Set up an easy-to-run review process that’s beneficial to everyone on your team.

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How to run a 90-day review in 4 steps

Running any review process without a clear, intentional approach is a sure way to leave you and your employee feeling aimless and uncertain. We’ve put together some steps that people managers can follow to conduct a 90-day performance review, along with some possible talking points they may want to bring up in their conversations.
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1. Gather feedback from peers

Your new hire’s peers are a great source of authentic feedback. Ask the people who work with them most closely in order to inform your review process. Then, use that feedback to tailor your review more closely to your report. 

Leapsome helps promote a culture of rapid improvement and honest feedback with our Instant Feedback module. Reports and team leads alike can request and leave each other private feedback to express candid thoughts and help with each other’s development. Colleagues can also exchange feedback at any time, so there’s no need to wait for a long review cycle to end. In the case of 90-day reviews, managers can review the feedback their report received during that time (if set to be visible to the manager) to paint a well-rounded picture of their performance.
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2. Revisit the goals you established at the beginning 

A 90-day review is a perfect opportunity to review the objectives you and the new team member came up with at the beginning of their employment. Have they achieved everything that was agreed upon, or did they miss some milestones? Take the time to understand the why behind what went well and what didn’t, as well as suggest possible next steps so they continue to settle into their roles. 
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3. Offer feedback on strengths & areas for improvement

Once you’ve gone through feedback from the new hire’s peers and discussed their initial goals, now’s the time to offer your perspectives on their strengths and where they can improve. 

Sharing constructive feedback about an employee’s performance is a healthy way to show them that you care about their progress and appreciate the work they’ve done so far. For example, you might commend a new team member for their exceptional approach to collaboration and problem-solving abilities and point out how those strengths contributed to team success. 

At the same time, you could also suggest focusing on improving time management skills to enhance productivity and meet deadlines more consistently. A balanced approach not only motivates employees but also ensures that you’re always fostering a culture of continuous improvement and professional development. 
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4. Establish next steps

After the first 90 days, the new team member should be familiar with the fundamentals of their role and how they can contribute to the company. Use the review process to establish new goals and create a structure for how they can achieve them. These goals should be SMART — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound — to maximize their effectiveness and give your new hire the support they need to thrive.

We’ve come up with some examples of goals that a new team member might want to set after their first 90 days:

• Become proficient with the company’s main project management tool by completing training modules.
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• Improve customer satisfaction by decreasing average response time to clients by 25% over the next quarter.
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• Participate in four communication training sessions over the next 90 days to improve communication skills.
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• Develop a personal growth plan with specific career growth objectives that I’d like to achieve in the next six months.
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90-day review examples for managers

Knowing what to ask during the 90-day review process is tricky. Establishing yourself as a leader, someone who can be relied upon to guide and aid your employees in their growth, is often a primary goal of people managers. 

Navigating potentially tricky feedback while encouraging employees, understanding their needs and wants, and learning how to best manage your team is a lot for one manager to deal with. Below are some employee review comments that managers might make during the conversation to best guide you and your report through the process:
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About their role:

• Has the role lived up to your expectations? 
• Do you understand what’s expected of you in this role?
• What are the tools that you need to perform your role to the best of your ability?
• What are the things you’d change about your role and the organization?

About the onboarding process:

• Did you feel supported by leadership during the onboarding process?
• Do you feel that the onboarding process set you up for success in your role?
• What things would you change about the onboarding process in order to improve it?
• As your manager, how could I have supported you more effectively during onboarding?

About their goals:

• Do you understand the goals you set and were working toward?
• What skills or resources do you need to help you achieve your goals?
• What are some of your long-term goals within the company?

Companies can use predefined performance review templates to conduct constructive and meaningful evaluation processes, taking a little bit of stress out of an already intense situation and ensuring that both managers and employees have a clear path to follow.

Following these steps and best practices, your 90-day review will not only evaluate performance, but also support the team member’s development and enhance their engagement with the organization. It’ll also establish you as a leader who cares about the growth of their team and in turn help keep employees engaged. 
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Maximize employee potential with effective 90-day reviews

A 90-day review is a critical tool for maximizing employee development, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, and building a strong foundation for long-term success. They empower managers to assess the performance of new hires, provide constructive feedback, and set clear future goals, which helps new team members integrate more effectively and thrive in their roles.

This process helps in identifying and addressing early challenges, but also increases the likelihood that employees remain engaged and stay with the company in the long term. When conducted thoughtfully and consistently, 90-day reviews can significantly contribute to a positive workplace culture and drive overall organizational performance.

Leapsome Instant Feedback helps foster a culture of continuous improvement and a space for genuine interaction between colleagues. Reviews removes the typical complexities that are involved in performance reviews with automated review cycles and customizable templates, allowing employees and managers to build meaningful, productive professional relationships.
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Frequently asked questions

What kinds of comments might you hear in a 90-day review?

Comments and questions that ask a new team member how their first 90 days have gone, how well they understand their role’s responsibilities and expectations, what tools they need to do their best work, and whether they understand the goals they’re working toward are very common in a 90-day review process.