Check-in cadence, written outcomes, and early course-correction for employers who want clearer decisions in the first months
Probation exists to protect both sides while a new hire and a business learn whether the fit is real. Used well, it is structured feedback with dates. Used poorly, it is silence until a sudden decision that shocks everyone.
Managers in Colchester and across Essex often run probation alongside the day job. They need a light system that still stands up if questions come later: regular check-ins, written outcomes, and early course-correction when something is off. This guide is practical and high level. It is not legal advice on contracts, notice, or dismissal. Use a qualified adviser when you are unsure.
Set the standard before day one
Probation only works if success is visible. Write what good looks like at 30, 60, and 90 days for this role: skills signed off, customer handling standard, attendance expectations, ticket or till competence, safe working, teamwork basics.
Share those criteria with the new starter in week one. If they only hear them at a failed review, the process was not fair in spirit.
Align the criteria with the job advert and description. Moving the goalposts mid-probation without explanation damages trust and weakens your position.
Put check-ins in the diary, not in your head
Schedule short meetings: end of week one, end of week two, then around 30, 60, and 90 days (or at the mid and end points your contract uses). Protect the slots. Cancelled reviews are how “they seemed fine” turns into a surprise.
Use the same agenda each time:
- What is going well?
- Where are they against the written criteria?
- What needs to improve, with examples?
- What support or training will you provide?
- What will you both review next time?
Listen. Take notes. End with actions and dates.
Document without writing a novel
After each check-in, record date, attendees, points discussed, support offered, and agreed actions. Keep it factual. Avoid loaded language.
Share a short written summary with the employee where that is your practice, or at least confirm key improvement points in an email. Surprises at the final review often come from feedback that was only spoken once in a noisy corridor.
Store notes where HR or the owner can find them. If only one manager holds the history in a personal phone, the business is exposed when that person is away.
Course-correct early
When something is wrong, say so soon with a concrete example and the standard you need. Agree a short improvement window and the help you will give (shadowing, checklist, buddy time, clearer brief).
Revisit on the date you set. If improvement happens, recognise it. If not, widen support or move toward a formal decision with advice.
Do not stockpile criticism for the final meeting. Early candour is kinder and clearer.
Decide with evidence, not mood
At the end of probation, weigh performance against the criteria you set, attendance and conduct where relevant, and the notes from check-ins. Options typically include confirm employment, extend probation if your contract allows and the reason is sound, or end employment following a fair process.
Extensions should have a purpose: specific gaps, specific support, a new end date. Open-ended limbo helps nobody.
Confirmation should be clear and positive about next objectives. People stay longer when the “yes” is explicit.
Train managers who share the rota
If shift leads influence the outcome but never see the criteria, decisions drift. Brief every supervisor who coaches the starter. One inconsistent voice (“you’re doing great”) beside another (“this is not good enough”) creates grievance fuel.
Owners should spot-check that reviews are happening on time. A system on paper is not a system in use.
Link probation to onboarding
Probation reviews work best beside a real onboarding plan: kit ready, buddy named, skills sign-offs, handbook access. Many “probation failures” are induction failures. Fix the induction when patterns repeat across hires.
A probation checklist for employers
Week 0: criteria written; review dates diarised; buddy and manager clear.
Week 1–2: early check-ins; safety and basics signed; notes filed.
~30 days: formal progress review; written actions if needed.
~60 days: second formal review; escalate concerns with support plan.
Final review: decision against criteria; confirm, extend (if allowed), or end with proper process; file paperwork.
Fair process, fewer shocks
Probation should not feel like a trapdoor. It should feel like a timed conversation with evidence. Put dates in the diary, write the standard down, correct course early, and decide against notes rather than memory. That habit protects the business and treats people with the clarity they deserve in the first fragile months.
