Probation review meeting: 10 questions to definitely ask

A probation review is a meeting at the end of an employee's probationary period to assess their performance and decide on a contract extension. It provides an opportunity for a manager to evaluate the employee's present performance, offer helpful feedback and determine their overall probation status.

Let’s take a quick step back and talk about probation periods.

If you choose to include a probationary period in your employment contracts, make sure you cover the basics, including;

• How long it will last

• If it can be extended (and, if so, under what circumstances)

• Whether an employee can appeal if their period is not completed or if a decision is made not to continue their employment

The contract should also state when interim reviews, if any, will take place (e.g. weekly meetings) and how they will be informed of the next steps, once their probation is over.

Personio can help automate your probation periods

A probation period is often the final stage in employee onboarding. Personio can help automate your entire onboarding programme, so line managers, employee and HR never miss a critical step. See how it works for yourself today.

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As far as employment law is concerned, no. Probation reviews are not legally required in the UK. But as far as contract law is concerned, they’re a good idea.

The Citizens Advice Bureau says that “legally, there’s no such thing as a probationary period. Once you’ve started work, the number of weeks you’ve worked begins on the day you’ve started, not from the time when your probationary period ended.” According to them, an employee’s contractual rights begin when an employee first starts working for you.

But what does the employee contract say?

Contracts can stipulate that certain requirements be met during this period. In this case, probation reviews may be essential to formalise the employment contract and show the employee has met expectations.

From an HR perspective, managers need to be coached on answering one essential question during a probation review meeting: Is this employee a good fit for your business?

That said, what happens at the end of a probation period should hopefully not be a surprise. By this time (usually three months into a job or six months in, for more senior roles), there should be enough evidence of what an employee has or hasn’t done so the meeting is a mere formality.

But, during a probation review meeting, managers need to discuss an employee’s progress to date and get the employee’s perspective on how well they’ve done.

The review should refer to the job advert, any measurements or targets set, their skills, capabilities and contributions. In this meeting, the manager and employee discuss the employee’s performance to determine whether they will continue to work with the company or not.

But, what should a manager ask? Let us help by offering some inspiration…

While probation review questions should be open-ended (i.e. not just answerable with a yes or a no), it’s really helpful to ask questions that allow both parties to reflect on the current relationships. Keep them informal, be honest and make sure there’s room for constructive feedback on both sides.

Here are a ten probation review example questions worth asking:

• Are you enjoying the job?

• How do you think you’re doing?

• What do you feel like you’ve accomplished during your time here?

• Do you understand the job requirements and expectations?

• Is this what you thought you’d be doing?

• Where do you think you could have done things better?

• Has anything made it hard for you to do your job well?

• What help do you need to keep doing this job, or doing it better?

• Do you need any specific training or support?

• What would you like to achieve in the next few months? (Your goals)

Once the manager has asked the questions, the next steps are to give the employee constructive feedback and create an action plan. Both parties should agree on a date for the next meeting, if one is required, and set goals to achieve by then.

A probation review is a lot like a performance review

In fact, you might say that the two are one in the same. Help your line managers and employees host and have better performance conversations with Personio. Our all-in-one HR software can ensure you never miss a crucial performance conversation again.

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A probation review meeting can conclude in three ways:

• The employee passes their probation and becomes a full member of the team.

• The employee meets some, but not all, of their expectations and their probation period is extended – allowing them an opportunity to improve.

• The employer and employee agree to terminate the relationship.

If they’re staying, feel free to celebrate! You’ve hired a great employee and they’re a good fit for your corporate culture.

If they’re staying, but need to put in a bit more effort, be clear but firm about how they can improve their performance. Perhaps with a performance improvement plan (PIP).

If they did not pass their performance, go through the employee termination procedures (such as removing them from email, database and workflow systems, etc).

Done right, an end of probation meeting is a chance for employees to support the right employees to improve their performance and set them up for greater things in future.

But, it’s difficult for managers to focus on performance when they have a mountain of paperwork or a cumbersome process standing in their way.

Personio help can automate the entire performance management process from our all-in-one HR software. We'd be happy for you to chat with an expert today to see how it's done, and how it can meet the unique needs of your team.