An essential step in the hiring process is a probation period, also called a probationary period.  It is the best way for both HR and new employees to know each other and identify whether they are suitable for the company. As a successful HR manager, it’s your vital duty to learn details about probation and how to manage it effectively in your organization.

During the recruitment process, HR gets only few chances to interact with the candidate, and on that basis they hire them. But by applying a probation period in the company, you get a best chance to be double sure about the hired employee and their ability to complete the given work in a particular time.   

What is a Probation Period?

The probation period of an employee is a fixed duration that starts from their first day, but they are not bounded by any company’s contract or agreement. Basically, before making a candidate permanent employee of the company, hired employees have to serve some duration as a trial period so that the HR manager and the new hire can determine if they will be a good fit for each other or not.

The duration of the probation period depends upon the company’s policy, but it is usually considered between two weeks to six weeks. During this time, if the company feels that the employee is not a good fit, then they can fire them.

When an employee is on probation period, all their benefits such as paid leaves and statutory rights are not allowed till they pass the probation period to become a permanent employee of a company.

Why is the Probation Period Important for your Organization?

The probation period is important for the company as this provides them with an opportunity to assess an employee for some duration of time. Before they become a permanent member of a company so that they can be more sure about the employee.

HR can utilize this period to examine employees’ behavior, team spirit, performance, punctuality, ability, skills, and knowledge. Whereas, if your company doesn’t offer a probation period, then it may possible you have to stick with an employee who doesn’t fit well for the job role.

Employees also benefit from it as they have a chance to identify if they will be happy and satisfied working with the company. This is very much essential for HR to know, if their new employees are unhappy or unsatisfied with the company, then there are chances that they will lack motivation and this will result in poor performance and low productivity from their side.

5 Ways for Managing a New Employee in Their Probation Period

These are the tips you can use to manage your employees in their probation period:

1. Implement Good Onboarding 

By implementing a good onboarding process in the company, you can manage your employees to get a better understanding of the company, its culture, product or services, and the working process. Ensure new hires get enough training regarding the work and the company process. As, the better they are aware of the work, they will give more productive and efficient outputs in a lesser time, and hence their chances of becoming an official employee increases.

2. Set Expectations and Goals

Set some expectations for employees regarding their expected performance, daily targets, working hours, and more. Similarly, set achievable goals to evaluate employees' performance, and help them to achieve this by solving their difficulties if they have any. Also, don’t pressure them to achieve the goal immediately as they need time to adjust to the working process of the company.

3. Give Employee Feedback Every Week

Give employees feedback every week on how they have performed and what they still need to improve especially for the first 2 months. This will help them to make improvements in their work. It is a good chance for you to learn about them, such as how they take the feedback and make an effort to improve themselves.  

4. Communicate Well 

Arrange meetings with the new hires who are in their probation period routinely to discuss the problems they are facing in the organization as communication amends many problems. In meetings, ask them about their progress and find out how they are dealing with it. Good communication will help you a lot to manage them efficiently.

5. Keep Notes

Try to keep notes of employees on their performance, sincerity towards work, how they takes the feedback, their consistency, and more. At the end of their probation period, it will help you to make a decision whether they can join the company as a permanent employee or not. 

What to do When the Probation Period Comes to an End?

When an employee probation period comes to an end, you have to decide if they can continue as a permanent employee or not. Before finalizing anything, do their review keeping all the work-related aspects in mind.

After finalizing your decision, you have to conduct a review meeting with the employee who is on a probation period. If both are ready to continue, then you can offer them a confirmation letter as they are selected as a permanent employee of the company. 

According to you and your company, if they are not meeting your organization’s goal then before giving employees notice of termination, explain to them where they are lacking and what they have to improve. Ensure your tone is soft and try to explain them with the situations that happened during their probation period.

Wrap it up

Probation is an effective way for HR and employees to evaluate a job role and determine whether the employee can provide value to the company. It's a good way to identify if the new hire is the proper fit for the position. The probation period is a useful and valuable interval of time when managed correctly by employers. If you are thinking of adding a probation period in your company, then this article will help you a lot to know what a probation period is, its benefits, and how to manage your new hires in this period properly.