How to Manage the Probationary Period Effectively?

Most permanent workers will have to go through a probationary period when they first start working for a firm.

Probationary periods allow both the new employee and the company to determine if the person is a good fit for the job. During this time, the new employee will undergo an induction process that may include any necessary training. The probationary phase is intended to aid the employee’s integration into the job and team assigned to them.

During the probationary phase, an employee’s contractual terms and conditions of employment may be slightly changed. During their probationary term, for example, the employee is likely to have a shorter notice time. This implies that employees who want to quit during their probationary term must provide shorter notice than if they were hired permanently. In order to terminate employment during the notice period, the employer must also offer shorter notice.

The duration of the notice period is usually mentioned in the offer letter and the employment contract.

How Probation Periods Work

Many businesses utilize probation periods from 3 to 6 months. As an employer, the length of time depends on your demands. It’s completely up to you. Throughout this time, either party may terminate, but it is crucial to note that you will not be allowed to fire any staff outside the scope of the Fair Work Act during the probation period.

This period is introduced in a bid to help organizations find out whether a new employee is a good fit for the organization or not. If you apply for a job without conducting a proper background check of the organization and they are not comfortable with the information you have provided, then they might reject your application.

New workers are subject to the same working circumstances as other employees during probation. They must be paid by the appropriate award or business agreement at the stipulated rates of pay. Like everyone worker, they can also increase and get access to rights such as yearly leave and personal/carrier leaves.

5 Tips for an Effective Probationary Period

1) Organize frequent meetings

Having regular probationary review meetings with each new employee throughout their probationary term, such as once a month, is a good practice for supervisors. These should happen on or shortly after their start date’s anniversary. The sessions should focus on assessing and developing performance during the previous month, as well as setting goals for the following month.

If the last meeting is not held before the conclusion of the probationary period, the employee may be considered to have successfully completed their probationary period by default. This may imply that they will be given a lengthier notice time by default.

2) Prepare yourself

A manager must prepare for a probationary meeting in order to get the most out of it. This entails looking through the employee’s work before the meeting to see where they excel and where they need to improve. This might involve speaking with the employee’s coworkers to get feedback on any progress made.

3) Investigate issues

Managers should utilize review meetings to investigate and discuss any concerns that have arisen with their employees. For example, they could be having trouble grasping the technical parts of the work or obtaining the equipment they want.

It should be a two-way meeting in which the management and employee jointly analyze problems, including the causes of the difficulties, and devise a strategy to address them.

4) Set the appropriate tone

During a probationary review meeting, it’s critical for supervisors to strike the correct tone. The employee may be put off if you get carried away and take a punitive posture.

Supporting the employee should be the priority. The boss should be patient; no one can expect the employee to get everything perfect the first time. In many situations, they will have to master new procedures and systems before they can come up to speed on the job.

The manager should discuss these issues with the staff thoroughly, honestly, and constructively even when addressing complaints. Positive terms such as “improvement” are better used instead of negative, failure-related ones.

5) Feedback to provide

Managers should use probation meetings to offer feedback on where they need to improve. The employee will be more likely to do something if he or she gets regular feedback, and it will be clear what is expected of him or her.

The feedback must be clear and accurate. The managers should provide specific examples of areas where the employee must improve or modify his performing activities and avoid generalizations.

The management can also involve the employee in probationary sessions so that the manager should also highlight areas where the employee is performing well.

6) Promote an open conversation

The probation period is most likely effective if the employee is given a chance to raise queries and ask questions about the working environment. The employee might often hesitate to request assistance, especially if something has been demonstrated before.

Therefore, the management should make it obvious throughout each meeting that the meeting is a bidirectional road to address problems and to work together in order to guarantee that the employee is delighted to take the job. The manager must also ask open questions. One method is to have an open discussion. The boss should also hear what the employee says actively.

7) Clearly defined expectations during a probation period

Set objectives for performance and learning. You offer your new employee clarity by explicitly setting expectations as to how he or she needs to achieve the probationary term.

8) Actions to fire employees or to prolong the probation before the term ends

3 possible results are achieved for a final probation review meeting

• They pass and become permanent staff members,
• They are not suitable for the position and they are dismissed or
• They are prolonged to allow them extra time to achieve their required level.

If you feel that the employee has sadly not attained the necessary level of performance, you might reject them. They shall have the right, as indicated in their employment contract, to notify or pay instead of notice.