Getting the Basics Right: Probationary periods

Throughout the past year, we have incorporated into the monthly newsletters information surrounding key areas where prioritising the basics of employment law can serve to safeguard the interests of you as an employer. This has included.

• the importance of having Written Terms and Privacy Notices in place (May 2023),
• advocating Equality and Diversity within recruitment processes and ongoing in the working relationship (July 2023) and;
• ensuring the correct process for checking Right to Work documents are in place (Jan 2024).

We have recently advised on several instances where problems have been identified with employees during their probationary period. While these can often be attributed to poor employee performance or attitude, equally this can sometimes be symptomatic of poor induction and onboarding procedures on behalf of the employer.

Once you have a confirmed start date it is vital to consider what your new employee’s onboarding experience is going to be. First impressions matter and a failure to set up a new employee could make a big difference to how successful the working relationship will be.

Top Tips for successful onboarding

• Send a welcome email or package to the new hire prior to their start date, including essential documents, company policies and a brief overview of what to expect on their first day.
• Assign a buddy or mentor to the new hire who can help answer questions and provide support during their onboarding.