Spring Personnel have recently carried out a study to see why employee’s are failing their probationary period. The results were:
62% = poor performance
50% = absence
38% = poor punctuality
12% = personality clashes
The study also found that 4/5 employers have in the past extended probationary periods showing that employers are being realistic and are aware that some people may need a bit longer to fit in. The evidence suggests that employer’s may be more understanding to the stress being on probation is to the employees.
Since April 6 2012 employees need two years continuous service to be eligible to claim unfair dismissal, therefore employers may be thinking that it is not as necessary to make an instant judgement call on someone, but give them the time to show their true value.
Employer’s also need to think of the costs of failing an employee’s probationary period; they will need to re-advertise, re-interview and re-initiate someone into the workforce, not to mention the hours of management time which could be spent elsewhere. It makes sense to give them some time to improve naturally.
