Using the Probationary Period Effectively
By Phil Varnak
Sunday, March 16, 2008
During my years of performing Human Resources advisory work for the Federal government, I have continually experienced situations where managers were not using the Probationary Period effectively. The probationary period is provided to managers as an extension of the examining process, a time when the manager can assess if the employee has the personal characteristics and skills to succeed in the position to which appointed.
An employee's first appointment to a federal position is usually accompanied by a one-year probationary or trial period. If used properly, this period provides the manager with an effective tool to make the new employee productive or to separate the employee without appeal rights if the employee is unable to successfully adjust to the needs of the organization.
Many mangers do not effectively use this period to develop the new employee and end up with an employee unsuited for federal employment or even worse, separate an employee who had potential which was undeveloped because of the shortcomings of the manager. If the manager did not properly coach the employee and then separated him/her before the conclusion of the probationary period, the employee has a federal employment record which permanently shows the removal action and often stigmatizes the employee early in a career. This is unfortunate since it is something that could have been avoided by an effective manager.
Too often, a manager enters the human resources office during month 11 of the employee's probationary period and requests assistance in firing the employee before the completion of the probationary period. If the employee is not covered by a union contract that requires certain actions during that probationary period by the manager, the employee often is fired without having the benefit of receiving effective guidance and training that could have assisted the employee in adjusting to the needs of the position. This removal is generally caused by a shortcoming of the manager, not the employee, since the manager failed in accomplishing his/her responsibilities to develop and train the employee.
A proactive manager could have prevented this removal and the continuing negative effect the removal will have during the working career of the employee. The remainder of this chapter deals with the activities you should follow to assure your probationary employees have a fair chance to succeed.
Proactive Management
Proactive Management is dealing with issues as they arise, before they become problems. If you supervise employees, you will encounter employee relations issues.
A proactive manager has a plan to develop the new employee. On the employee's first day of employment, the employee should be introduced to everyone in the work unit, taken on a tour of the facility, and introduced to the other managers who will also be evaluating the work of the employee. This helps the employee understand the place he/she holds in the organization and provides a more complete understanding of the entire organization.
Each new employee should receive an orientation to the organizational policies and procedures in the HR office and if this is not happening, it is your responsibility as the immediate supervisor, to assure the employee receives this information. Many organizations do a formal orientation for the employee on a prearranged schedule that delays the employee's timely receipt of this essential information. These orientation meetings are sometimes monthly or quarterly, a schedule that can be untimely. The information the employee needs to adjust to the federal employment situation must be provided in the first week of employment when the employee is most impressionable. By waiting until the employee has been exposed to the lunchroom or water cooler discussions, you risk the employee being exposed to bad information that can adversely affect the employee's performance or conduct.
Following this tour, introductions and the above cited orientation, the manager should meet with the employee to cover the requirements of the position. As the employee's manager, you must assure the employee receives timely information about the position, including a position description and written performance requirements on the first day of employment. Just presenting these documents to the employee is not enough. You must take time to discuss the documents with the employee and assure there is mutual understanding of your expectations on the duties the employee will perform, how the employee will affect the overall work of the organization, and the manner in which you expect the employee to perform the duties of the position.
Use of a Mentor
Many managers are actively involved in activities outside their organization that require a great deal of time away from the organization. If this is your situation, consider the use of a Mentor to provide continuing assistance to the employee. A mentor should be from the immediate work unit of the employee — a coworker who is familiar with the work of the new employee's position who is capable of providing guidance to the employee in your absence. If you use a mentor, you should spend time with the mentor outlining the activities you want performed. The mentor will then guide the employee in your absence and make sure the employee is aware of activities that will help the employee feel accepted in the organization.
Some of the activities of a mentor include:
- Taking the employee to lunch and breaks;
- Providing introductions of the employee to other organizations with whom the employee will interact;
- Answering work-related questions of the employee when you are not available; and
- Serving as a "go-to" for the employee in your absence.
A mentor does not replace you as the supervisor of the employee but only provides information and assistance in your absence.
On-Going Meetings
You should schedule a meeting with the employee at the end of the each week during the first month of employment to obtain feedback from the employee and answer any questions about the job being performed. The meeting should provide adequate time for you to answer employee questions and review any concerns you may have with the employee's performance or work habits to date.
Additional meetings should be held on work-related issues as they arise. Any time the performance or conduct becomes a concern, have another meeting with the employee. Remember the principle of shared concern. If the matter becomes a concern to you, share it with the person who caused the concern. It will never be resolved if you keep it to yourself -- confront it as soon as it arises.
Many managers assume the employee will learn the position through the guidance of co-workers, but this does not always occur. In addition, you can learn a great deal about what is happening in your organization and sometimes discover other issues needing correction by having ongoing meetings with new employees.
After the first month of meetings with the employee, a pro-active manager schedules regular meetings with the employee at the end of each of the next two months of employment and quarterly thereafter. During these meetings, you should discuss the performance standards, the employee's actual performance, and any problems the employee is experiencing with accomplishing the duties of the position. If the employee knows you have these meetings scheduled, he/she will be more concerned with work accomplishment and assuring compliance with the performance standards. These meetings assure the employee is provided every opportunity to succeed during the probationary period.
If a conduct issue arises with the probationary employee, immediately deal with the situation. Repeated violation of conduct requirements is grounds for immediate separation. If an employee cannot conform to the conduct requirements of the organization, cut your losses and separate him/her as soon as this fact becomes evident. Counseling is recommended for the first offense. If a second offense occurs, consider separation at this time. Often this is a harbinger of what you will experience if you permit the employee to complete the probationary period.
Summary
You have the responsibility to properly plan and help your new employees become successful in all phases of their federal employment. If you plan to make them successful, you will succeed at least 95 percent of the time if you properly execute the plan. Accept the fact that you will not succeed in all cases and that removal from employment during probation will be necessary in some situations. Action to fire the unacceptable employee is your managerial responsibility, a responsibility that is as important as your responsibility to train and develop the employee. If you perform your responsibility to train and develop the employee and the employee fails, you have acted as a proactive manager and the removal of the employee from federal employment is in the best interest of the organization.
© 2008 Phil Varnak. All rights reserved. This article may not be reproduced without express written consent from Phil Varnak.
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