A new role is a major milestone. But you may have to pass an extensive probation period. Doing so means proving your value at work. That could involve demonstrating your impact to your manager, key stakeholders, or the boardroom. In this guide you’ll find concrete steps, examples and mindset shifts to help make your probation period successful, and help you prepare for, and pass, a probation review with confidence.
Understanding Your Probation Period
Start by reading your employment contract carefully so you know what to expect. It should specify the length of your probation period. This is typically 90 days but depending on local employment law, it might be longer. If you're an international employee or working remotely or relocating, you should also understand how regional labour law affects your probation.
A good example is KSA. Under recent amendments to Saudi Arabia's labour law, employers can now set the probationary period up to 180 days from the outset of employment, rather than requiring separate extension agreements after 90 days. The new law also clarifies that during probation, either employer or employee can terminate the contract, and that public holidays and sick leave are not counted in probation’s duration. Knowing this gives an understanding around what your rights are, and how to organise your plan for proving your value at work during probation.
Early Steps for Success
Don’t wait until the review day to start proving your value. From the first day of your probation, take proactive steps to set yourself up for a successful introductory period to your role.
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Clarify expectations with your manager
During early conversations ask about key deliverables and what metrics or behaviours you’ll be judged on. -
Address anxiety
If you feel nervous, share that with your manager or mentor; setting realistic goals and talking through uncertainty helps. -
Set regular feedback intervals
Feedback lets you adjust course early. Ask for insights after one month, the mid point, and two weeks before your review. -
Build knowledge
Be proactive about learning internal tools, the company culture, and processes. -
Be kind to yourself
Learning curves are real. Mistakes will happen. What matters is how you respond, adapt and show growth.
By taking these steps, you’re already proving your value at work consistently, and showing you’re committed, curious, and conscientious.
Demonstrating Your Value
When preparing for your probation review, think about specific contributions you can point to. Concrete examples help you quantify your impact in percentage improvements, cost savings, reduction in errors, or time saved and prove your value in the most convincing way.
Here are some relevant examples:
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A newly appointed Head of Engineering might streamline cloud infrastructure costs by 15% during probation by renegotiating vendor contracts and introducing usage-based monitoring tools.
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A Chief Digital Officer could lead the MVP rollout of a digital product within 90 days, aligning with C-suite priorities and creating measurable impact on user acquisition.
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A recently placed Chief Risk Officer may identify gaps in risk modelling linked to regulatory changes, implement updated frameworks, and present those to the board with quantifiable impact, reducing capital at risk by 12%.
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A CFO stepping into a regional bank might improve cash flow visibility by consolidating reporting lines and KPIs, winning early support from key stakeholders.
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A General Counsel could lead the restructuring of legal operations introducing contract lifecycle automation and reducing average contract review time by 30%.
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A newly hired Managing Director might secure two new clients in their first quarter by leveraging previous relationships, while also improving internal delivery frameworks to improve client satisfaction scores.
Showing how you’ve learned or developed key, in-demand soft skills can also help demonstrate your value. And they will carry forward, helping in future pay rise negotiations, promotions, or when looking for a new role.
How you choose to develop your skills will vary depending on your industry or role. If you're in tech you might demonstrate adaptability by learning new frameworks or languages. In financial services, demonstrate regulatory awareness and attention to detail by staying current with policy changes, and enhancing risk controls. Or sharpen your client communication by delivering clear, commercially focused advice and building relationships that add tangible value.
Common Probation Review Questions
At your probation review, your manager or review panel may ask some common questions, including:
- What do you believe you have achieved so far?
- What challenges have you faced and how have you addressed them?
- In what areas do you want feedback, or what are you doing to continue your growth?
- How have you demonstrated our values / culture / teamwork?
Additional questions may probe deeper into leadership, strategic impact, and stakeholder influence:
- What improvements have you delivered in operations, profitability, or client satisfaction?
- Share how you’ve built trust or influence at the leadership level during this period.
- What legacy issues or inefficiencies have you identified and begun to address?
- Where do you see the greatest opportunity for value creation in the next 6–12 months?
How have you supported the development of your direct reports or team?
When thinking about your answer, follow the STAR framework to help you articulate not just what you did, but the impact your actions had such as how clients benefited, how the business improved, how you aligned with the team. Using STAR ensures your answers aren’t abstract, they tell a story, show leadership, and clearly illustrate how you're proving your value at work.
Here’s an example for a CRO:
Situation: The bank was facing increased scrutiny from regulators due to gaps in its risk governance.
Task: As the newly appointed CRO, I was tasked with assessing the control environment and restoring confidence at board level.
Action: I conducted a comprehensive risk audit, engaged external advisors, and introduced new risk appetite statements and escalation protocols.
Result: Within 90 days, we achieved a 25% reduction in open audit findings, and the regulator formally acknowledged progress, easing supervisory pressure.
What to Do if Probation Is Extended or Failed
Around 20% of employees fail to pass their probation period or have it extended. If you find yourself in that situation, don’t worry. Your employer may have reasons beyond performance. That may involve cultural fit, misaligned expectations, external disruptions (e.g. project delays), or even lack of clarity in the role.
If your probation is extended:
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Seek clarity
Request a one-to-one with your line manager to discuss the extension in detail. Ask specifically which metrics, behaviours, or objectives haven’t been met. Request written or concrete examples where possible so you can track progress. -
Request support
Ask for a mentor or targeted training in areas where you're underperforming. Agree on more regular check-ins to review your progress. Be clear about what support would help you improve. -
Build a plan with timelines
Draft a structured improvement plan based on the feedback received. Break it down into weekly or monthly goals. Share it with your manager to show you're taking accountability. Document your progress along the way for valuable evidence when proving your value at work.
If the probation is failed:
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Ask respectful feedback
Remain professional and composed. Ask for a feedback session even if it’s uncomfortable. Focus on understanding the expectations you didn’t meet and where misalignments occurred. -
Use lessons learned
Take time to review what the experience has taught you. Write down specific examples of what you’ll do differently next time to strengthen your professional approach. -
Accept that not every role will be a match.
Use this as a chance to realign with your career goals. What kind of leadership, structure, or work culture helps you thrive? This insight is invaluable for your next search.
Failing probation or having it extended doesn’t define your capabilities. It can be a critical moment of reflection that leads to a better career outcome. Sometimes, what feels like a setback is simply a sign that the environment, leadership style, or expectations weren’t the right match for your skills and potential. Career journeys aren’t always linear. Aventus is here to help guide you towards the right role, with the right fit.
Long Term Benefits Beyond Probation
The skills you learn during your probation will help you at other stages of your career. For example, learning to articulate your achievements and back them up with metrics means you’ll be better at negotiating pay rises, promotions, or talking about impact in job interviews.
Those soft skills you develop throughout the process such as communication, adaptability, and feedback orientation, will become durable assets and will help you build your reputation as a reliable, impact oriented, team player. That reputation travels with your current employer and in your broader network.
Staying Connected with Aventus
Passing probation is one of the most pivotal moments in your professional journey. Remember that you prove your value at work not just by what you achieve, but by your growth, your resilience and the impact you have.
At Aventus, our mission is not just to find you a role, but to support your career throughout. If you ever want help preparing for a review, clarifying your impact, or exploring new opportunities, we are here.