Recruitment is an expensive process. The last thing you want to do is make a mistake and have to go through the entire rehiring process again. Here are some of our top tips on how to transition and manage trial periods for new hires effectively:

Have a Plan in Place

Draw up a checklist to assess how you will measure your candidates’ performance during and at the end of the probation period.

• What are the specific tasks that they will need to perform?
• What are the key skills and competencies that they need to display?
• How well are they able to navigate workplace relationships?
• How strong are their commitment, efficiency, and attendance?
• How neat, presentable, and professional do they look on a daily basis?

Inform the new hires in advance about what they are expected to do and the skills against which they will be measured. Define your expectations in the beginning and do so clearly.

Provide Adequate Training and Orientation

Ensure that the candidate has been provided with the necessary training to execute the job role efficiently. Also, ensure that the candidate has completed a detailed employee onboarding process which includes information about various departments. Use a work buddy or mentor who can work more closely with the candidate and provide feedback and information when needed.

Have a Time-Scaled Performance Management System in Place

Observe how the candidate is doing at various stages of the probation process. Do not wait until the last minute to provide feedback. Provide adequate opportunity for the candidate to step up to the plate if there are areas that are lacking. Maintain open channels of communication so that there is an ongoing conversation. Ideally, do a review every month to get the best results. Clerical and entry-level positions usually need about 3 months of probation, whereas higher level or management roles need a minimum of 6 months for appraisal.

Assign a specific Project

One of the best ways to assess all the important skills at one go is to simply assign a specific project from start to finish with pre-determined goals. A project-based assessment gives you more scope to explore the full range of technical and soft skills of an individual.

Treat the Probation Period as You Would a Permanent Role

Treat your probationary candidates the same way you would your permanent employees. Measuring them by the same yardstick is the most common sense way to ensure that they can handle the responsibilities of the role.

Making a Decision

Once a trial period is over, there are 3 possibilities for what can happen with the candidate:

1. The candidate gets hired as a permanent employee.
2. The candidate’s performance is found inadequate and therefore their services are terminated.
3. The employer may choose to extend the probationary period if they feel that the candidate either needs more time or has potential. No further extensions should be engaged beyond this point as the candidate has been provided adequate time to prove themselves.

Having a structured probation period enables your new hires to hit the ground running and gives you, the Manager, effective tools that you can use to decide whether the candidate is a good fit for your organization.

A coach can give you additional tools and guidance on candidate training, assessment, and how to structure an effective probation period plan for your candidates.