6 tips on how to approach your probation

That time has approached, the end of your probation period is here. Most companies will have a set procedure for this so you won't have to worry, others however will be more laid back about it and it is these circumstances you should be more prepared.

When joining a company, it is normal practice to be issued goals that have SMART performance measures or KPIs (Key Performance Indicators). SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely. Your goals are what you will need to work towards during your first few months and up until your probationary period is over, unless your goals are reviewed. If you did not receive any such document or have any discussions like this with your boss then it may be difficult to review your performance as there is nothing to judge against.

You should not be in any doubt about your performance. A good manager will offer you advice and tips to help you achieve your goals. If you are in doubt then you could be working for one of those more laid back companies. In this case be proactive to ensure that you have ticked all the boxes and have done everything that you were required to do. If you have not been able to achieve the goals set out for you, the best approach is to be honest and present the reasons for why you haven't been able to do so.

Here are six tips to help you get through this crucial process.
 

Plan a meeting

You must make sure that you have a meeting booked in with your boss to discuss your probation review. Ideally you should not allow this to linger on much after the due date. Your probation period is up and it needs confirmation as to whether the employer wants to continue with your services and issue you confirmation of this or you part company.
 

Preparation

Before the meeting you should have done some preparation; you may have been asked to fill in a self-assessment form which you should complete and take with you. This is your opportunity to present compelling evidence that your performance has met expectations.

If goals and objectives were given to you then you need to know what these are be able to explain how you successfully achieved them or outline which you have not and why. While it may be acceptable during the first few months not to have achieved all goals, particularly if these are set for the year, you should at least have answers to what progress you have made or good reasons why they have not started.

Using data and statistics to support your arguments is a great way to demonstrate your skills and be accurate about what you have and have not been able to achieve, as well as help you propose changes you would make going forward.
 

Peer feedback

Peer feedback prior to your meeting is always useful. If your colleagues like you they may give you some tips too; after all they will have been through a similar process. If the feedback has been positive then this is always a good sign that you have settled into the company and the culture well.

Your best source of information will be your immediate superior who has observed and rated your work performance during the probationary period. Before the meeting you should check with them to make sure you have everything prepared.
 

Attending the meeting

Be early, be sharp; be smart. Don’t forget your reviewer will have been thinking in depth about how you have performed during the probationary months. It is most unlikely that they will have come unprepared.

If there are areas they are concerned about, not sure about or simply don’t know because they have not worked that closely with you, it is possible they may extend your probation period. This is not ideal but not a disaster. You still have time to prove your worth so be prepared that this may happen, its more common than you think.
 

Be professional

Always be professional no matter how the review goes. Be polite and accepting of feedback. Answer questions and demonstrate your value in a positive way. Give good reasons why some things have not been achieved and good explanations of those things that have been achieved well. Use testimonials where necessary so that your reviewer can easily observe how well you have performed in some areas and how easily you have settled in. No boss wants to break team dynamics for the sake of it.
 

Accept the decision

You should accept whatever the decision is with good grace. If you do not get through probation then treat this as a learning curve for the next role. Be tolerant, calm and remain professional as you will need their references. It is always best to keep on good terms with your employers.

Nobody likes to admit to, much less experience, failure

For most of our working life (and even our personal lives) we take great pains to not only minimise the chances of failure, but to cover it up when it happens or to keep up the appearance of success. Maintaining one’s composure and boosting one’s self esteem is important, as it prevents us from looking weak, incompetent or giving up, but admitting to failure can at times be just as important too.

Failure in itself can actually be a positive thing, in moderation, and learning to deal with it is not only an important skill when it comes to a person’s career, but is also a core life skill. In any case, nobody wins all of the time, so getting to grips with failure is something we all need to do. Here are some points on the subject you might want to consider.
 

Failure is how you learn

One of the most positive things about failing is it often highlights where we are going wrong. Long-term problems and unproductive ways of thinking and acting can often go unnoticed or be pushed under the carpet for a very long time, and it’s only when their adverse effects finally come into play that we are forced to re-evaluate and make changes.

This trend is almost universal, and it’s worth noting that the longer issues are left undealt with, the more catastrophically we are likely to fail. Those who try multiple approaches to things and experiment often tend to fail on a regular basis, but they also tend to learn quickly from their mistakes and avoid more serious pitfalls. This is particularly important when you are new to a job or starting out your career, as once you learn to fail, you can learn from failing too.
 

It breeds humility

People who have never suffered a serious setback or experienced failure tend to build an inner picture of themselves as immune to such things, and this can eventually breed a degree of arrogance. Such people can to be destructive, as they are more likely to act on impulse and are less able to empathise with others when things go wrong for them.

They also don’t tend to be very popular with their peers, particularly as when they do eventually fail, they are not able to admit to it fully or to deal with it with equanimity. Learning to lose with grace is important when it comes to bonding with co-workers.
 

Failure proves that you’re human

Nobody likes a sore loser, but nobody likes people who win all the time either. If you are prone to a certain amount of failure and are happy to admit it, others will tend to be more sympathetic when things are going wrong and to offer help and support. This is particularly important when working as a team, as a group who can accept and deal with a setback collectively is much stronger. If you can admit to failure early on and also learn to take on a portion of responsibility for the mishaps of others in your team, you’ll often find that the consequences aren’t so bad and you quickly find solutions together.
 

It’s often a good sign

If you’re not failing, you probably aren’t succeeding either. Failure is a natural part of any process, particularly at work when many factors and individuals come into play and time is often short. A certain amount of failure is therefore inevitable, so take it as a sign that you’re fully involved and getting things done. A good manager will realise this is the case, and should be supportive when the time comes, unless you make an unhealthy habit of failure as a rule.

To find out how to deal with setbacks at work and to learn from your mistakes whilst building your career, get in touch with the recruitment experts here at Morgan Hunt.

Knowing when it’s time to find a new job. Whether we are especially happy with our current role or not, mostly we are passive job seekers. That is, we are not actively looking for new jobs but might consider a position if we were offered one and its terms were attractive. Yet there is a point at which we decide that we are no longer satisfied with the current state of affairs and become active job seekers.

This usually entails actively searching online jobs portals for suitable roles, rewriting our CVs, getting them out there and speaking to recruiters. There are several scenarios that tend to tip us from one category into the other, some of which are rational and some of which are emotional.

We describe four types that may tip the balance:
 

You don’t have a job

It sounds self-evident that you would be looking for work if you are not currently employed, but this is not always the case. People who have been out of work for a period of time can become very daunted by the application process and lose their confidence, and it can be difficult to get out of this mindset. The best thing to do in this situation, if you have prior experience, is to speak to a recruiter (like Morgan Hunt) and get some advice and reassurance about what kind of role you should look for and how to get your confidence back.
 

Your life circumstances have changed

Many changes in our personal lives can affect our approach to work. If you have just had a child, have suffered a protracted illness or are nearing retirement age you may want to work less hours and find that you are more suited to a part-time role.  You may find that you would prefer a less stressful line of work or you may feel that you want to increase your earnings and go for a role that is more challenging but provides you with better prospects and financial rewards.
 

Your current role lacks prospects

The first two reasons aside, this is the one that tends to motivate people to look elsewhere. If your current role is going nowhere, you are unlikely to get a promotion and you’re not enjoying your work enough to make up for this, then you should certainly think about looking elsewhere. You may even find that the elusive promotion you’ve been waiting for suddenly turns up when you get offered a role somewhere else, so it’s always worth considering your options every few years or so.
 

You are looking to make a career change

Sometimes people work in a particular sector or for a single company for many years and decide they want to do something completely different with their life. This is becoming more and more common as people tend to change jobs more often in any case, and there is nothing to be said against it aside from the fact that if you do decide to make this kind of move you should ensure you have the necessary skills or qualifications, or you could find yourself in a tight spot.
 

Your role is made redundant

This is now more common than you think. There is no longer any shame attached to redundancy but it can certainly catapult you from being a passive job seeker into an active one.

If the redundancy is voluntary then clearly there is a decision involved on your part. Its important to remember that when being made redundant you are entitled to a redundancy package, and this can often be quite generous so not only can it give you the opportunity for a change in career it may also give you some breathing space to think about what you want from your next role and to prepare your CV to match this. Most people walk out of a redundancy all for the better.

If you’d like to discuss why and when it’s best to start re-thinking your career path, get in touch with our recruitment experts here at Morgan Hunt.