Your Summer Hires Are Hitting 90 Days. Have You Checked In?
If you hired employees over the summer, some of them are probably approaching an important milestone: 90 days on the job.
By now, the newness has worn off. They've learned the basics. They've met the team. They've figured out where things are, who to ask, and how the organization really operates, not just how it was described during orientation.
And that's exactly why now is such a good time to check in. A 90-day conversation gives you an opportunity to catch small issues before they turn into bigger ones, reinforce what's going well, and learn something about your own onboarding and management process along the way.
Don't Make It Just Another Performance Review
A 90-day check-in should absolutely include a conversation about how the employee is doing. Are they meeting expectations? Where are they doing particularly well? Are there areas where they need additional coaching or training?
But if that's all you talk about, you're missing half the value of the conversation. The employee has now spent three months experiencing your organization as a new hire. So, ask them about it!
What's going well?
What's been harder than you expected?
Is there anything about the role that wasn't what you anticipated?
Do you have the tools and resources you need?
Is there anything you still don't feel properly trained on?
What could we have done differently during your first few weeks?
Those questions can tell you quite a bit.
Three Months Is Long Enough to See Things Differently
Ask a new employee how things are going during their first week and you'll probably hear some version of, “Great!” And they may mean it, but they're also still trying to absorb names, processes, passwords, acronyms, expectations, and where the bathroom is.
At 90 days, they have a much better perspective. They know which parts of training actually prepared them, and which didn't. They've experienced communication within the team. They've seen how their manager operates. They know whether the job they accepted resembles the job they're actually doing. That makes their feedback especially useful.
Look for Small Problems Now
A 90-day check-in is also a chance to address issues that haven't become serious performance problems yet. Maybe the employee is still struggling with a particular system. Maybe there's confusion about who owns certain responsibilities. Maybe they're doing something differently than the manager expected because nobody clearly explained the process. Maybe they aren't getting enough feedback and aren't sure whether they're doing a good job.
None of those issues necessarily requires a formal performance conversation, but left alone for another six months, they can become much harder to fix. A quick conversation and a little additional training may be all that's needed.
Ask About the Manager, Too
This doesn't need to become an evaluation of the manager, but you should be paying attention to the employee's experience with their supervisor. Do they have regular communication? Are expectations clear? Do they know who to go to with questions? Are they receiving feedback?
Managers have an enormous influence on whether a new employee succeeds. If several new hires under the same manager report that expectations aren't clear or they don't receive enough training, that's useful information.
The 90-day conversation isn't just an opportunity to ask, “Is this employee working out?” It's also an opportunity to ask, “Are we giving this employee what they need to work out?”
Don't Assume Silence Means Everything Is Fine
Some new employees will speak up quickly when they need something, and others won't. They may not want to look difficult. They may assume they're supposed to figure things out themselves. They may not know who to ask. Or they may simply be waiting for someone else to start the conversation.
That's why a scheduled check-in matters. You're creating a specific opportunity for the employee to talk about their experience rather than relying on them to come find you when there's a problem.
Make 90-Day Check-Ins Part of Your Process
If you're only checking in with new employees when someone remembers to do it, you'll inevitably miss people. Build the checkpoint into your onboarding process. Whether the conversation happens at exactly 90 days isn't the important part. What matters is creating a consistent point early in employment where someone intentionally stops and asks:
How is this going—for the employee and for us?
You may identify a performance issue that needs attention. You may discover a gap in your training. You may learn that your onboarding process needs improvement. Or you may simply confirm that you've got a great new employee who is settling in nicely.
All of those are useful outcomes.
If you don't currently have structured 30-, 60-, or 90-day check-ins built into your onboarding process, Employers Advantage can help you create a simple approach that gives managers better information and gives new employees a better start. Frequently Asked Questions about doing a 90-Day Check-In: What is a 90-day employee check-in?
A 90-day employee check-in is a conversation between a new employee and their manager after approximately three months of employment to discuss performance, training, expectations, resources, and the employee's experience.
What should managers ask during a 90-day employee check-in?
Managers can ask what's going well, what has been more difficult than expected, whether the employee has the resources and training they need, and what could have improved their first few weeks.
Is a 90-day employee check-in a performance review?
It can include performance feedback, but it shouldn't focus only on evaluating the employee. It's also an opportunity to evaluate onboarding, training, communication, management, and whether the organization is giving the employee what they need to succeed.
Why are 90-day employee check-ins important?
A structured check-in can identify small problems before they become larger performance or retention issues while giving employers useful feedback about their onboarding and management processes.
