The first 90 days in a new role are make-or-break for new hires and their employers. The first three months of a new job—which in many organizations is considered a probationary period—can be extremely revealing of an employee's competencies, attitudes, and general performance, among many other factors. Studies have found that “about 46% of new hires don’t make it through the probationary period” and that 89% of managers say that they “can tell if the employee will fail before the probationary period ends”.
Employees, too, have a good sense if they’re a good fit—and if your company’s a good fit for them—by the time the 90-day work milestone comes around.
Although the specifics of what the first 90 days in a new role entail often vary from organization to organization, this milestone is always worth celebrating.
If you’re a Rise client, you can enable 90-day reminders for all managers within your organization. Here are a few of the ways that you can celebrate the 90-day work milestone and continue to support your employees in their journey with your organization.
Send an email to congratulate the employee
Acknowledge your new hire’s work over the last three months, with specific examples that impressed you (e.g. I have loved your attitude and was thrilled at how quickly you were able to take over that project). Feel free to share the email with the rest of your team or your entire organization. If your workplace does have a probationary period, employees will also appreciate receiving notice of their probationary period ending in writing.
Offer them some constructive feedback
The 90-day work milestone is a great place to touch base on expectations, offer any feedback and praise, and also get feedback about your new employee’s experience so far.
Get their input on your onboarding process
Employees who have just gone through your onboarding process are your best source of information into what works—and what doesn’t. Ask them to provide some feedback, whether it’s informally in a 1:1 or through a survey. This is a great opportunity to figure out ways you can improve your onboarding process and make an even better impression on future employees.
Continue having conversations about the employee journey
The employee journey—at least from an onboarding perspective—tends to kind of lose structure after the first three months. With most formal performance reviews happening at one year, the 90-day milestone is a great place to discuss what the employee wants out of the role, explore any potential growth or learning opportunities, and set some goals.
Remind employees to take advantage of their benefits and perks
Since in many organizations benefits and perks kick in after the 90-day work milestone, employers should remind their employees about the benefits that they now have access to. Consider creating a guide on how to access benefits, make claims, and find answers to frequently asked questions.
The first 90 days of an employee's journey with your organization can be very telling, showing you what kind of employee they are but also what kind of employer you are. Additionally, how you mark the 90-day work milestone demonstrates the level of care and consideration you have for each employee, so it’s all the more reason to celebrate it.
