Legally, a probationary period is meaningless. So many employers wonder … what’s the point?
The first three months or so of a person’s employment are crucial.
You have done your very best to recruit the right person but, inevitably, you are taking a punt.
The person who starts working for you may be totally different from the person you imagined they would be. They may have many more skills than you expected, or they may face challenges that you did not anticipate.
It’s crazy that many employers simply assume that the person they have recruited is the ‘perfect fit, but how can you decide this after a couple of interviews?
That’s why probationary periods are so important. They are like the first few romantic dates – you are getting to know each other, but who knows where things will end up.
During those first few months you need to assess your new ‘partner’. You need to decide if they really are the right fit and if you can work together going forward. You need to set aspirations and objectives for your new “par amour” and be comfortable discussing and reviewing them with them. Not very romantic, I know!
You need to decide whether to invest more in the relationship or move on. If you don’t do this early in the relationship, you may find yourself tied into something that you cannot get out of without a lot of pain and expense.
So, you should follow a rigorous and challenging probationary period and not simply treat it as an administrative hurdle. Use it as a time to EXPLAIN the role and ASSESS whether the person you have hired can really deliver. Use it as a time to assess how well they fit into your ethos and culture … and use it as a time to decide whether they are someone you want to have a committed relationship with.
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