What is a probation period?

Hi. So, today we’re moving on to the clubs suite of our 52 top tips for employers. It’s part of the HR in a Box pack and clubs is all about learning and development. And today the ace of clubs is all about the probation period. 

The probation period is a trial period at the start of someone’s employment. A six month probation is ideal as it gives the employee time to learn the role and the employer time to assess performance and provide feedback, making corrections to performance or attitude, if required. If the new member of staff does not have the right attitude, skills, ability, et cetera, they can be removed more easily during their probation period. It’s really important! 

It takes time to learn how to do a job. Even people who bring a certain set of skills to the job will need to understand your company culture, your clients and the way in which you work together as a team. So, having a six month probation period really is a safety net. 

If someone isn’t performing, if you find that you’ve made a recruitment mistake, you can’t just fire them in their probation period. There’s still a process to go through, but it’s a lot easier than once they are confirmed in their role after a two month or three month probation. And certainly during that first year, their performance continues to be assessed.