Probationary periods are a waste of time

HR peeps, don't shoot me just yet.

You're carrying people who aren't the right fit, your better performers are becoming frustrated, productivity is suffering and you're wondering why your culture isn't where it should be.

Too many business leaders use probationary periods as a substitute for leadership.

Instead of making a timely decision, they default to:

"Let's wait until their probationary review before making a decision."

I understand why probationary periods exist, but I've never understood why so many businesses wait for a three or six-month review before making a decision that they often reached weeks earlier.

In reality, good leaders usually know much sooner.

They know whether someone has the right attitude, values and behaviours. They know whether they're coachable. They know whether they're likely to thrive in the role and deliver.

The probationary review rarely changes the outcome.

More often than not, it simply confirms a decision that could and should have been made weeks earlier.

I'm not suggesting managers should wait until a probationary review to have difficult conversations. Good managers give feedback early, honestly and regularly.

What I do question is why so many businesses allow the review date to become the point at which they finally make a decision.

The employee spends months wondering whether they've secured the role and worries unnecessarily. 

The manager often spends the same time hoping things will improve.

Sometimes they do.  Often they don't.

To be fair, probationary periods do have their place.

They create a formal review point, provide structure, encourage regular conversations and give both employer and employee an opportunity to assess whether the role is the right fit.

But they should support good leadership, not replace it.

The biggest mistake I see is extending someone's probation because you're "not quite sure."

More often than not, you're simply delaying a decision you've already made in your head.

What if you replaced three or six-month probationary thinking with a structured 30-day onboarding and assessment process?

If someone isn't the right fit after this, follow a robust HR process, treat them fairly and make the decision correct decision.

Or better still, recruit and onboard so effectively, that the decision has already been made long before the probationary review arrives.

So, what could replace the traditional probationary period?

• Introduce a structured 30-day onboarding programme with clear success measures

• Hold weekly one-to-ones during the first month, focusing on values, behaviours and performance

• Make onboarding a two-way assessment where both employer and employee decide whether it's the right fit

• Use a values and behaviours scorecard rather than relying on time served

• Give continuous feedback from day one instead of relying on one formal review

Many businesses talk about doing some or all of these things. The truth is that they aren't executed consistently enough to be effective by the majority.

Great organisations don't wait three or six months to discover whether they've recruited the right person.

They recruit better.  They onboard better.  They lead better.

If you're still relying on a probationary period to tell you whether you've hired the right person, perhaps it's time to rethink the whole process.

Recruit for values.  Onboard with intent.  Lead with regular feedback.

Have the courage to make the right decision when the evidence is staring you in the face.

Because the best leaders don't hide behind a probationary period.

They make good decisions early.

From the hundreds of business owners I've mentored, one thing is almost always true.  The cost of delaying the right decision is almost always far greater than making it.  In my experience, it typically costs around 20 times more in time, energy and money.

If this article made you feel slightly uncomfortable, ask yourself why.  The answer probably lies in the decision you're avoiding.  

And if you'd value an experienced sounding board to help you make that decision, you know where I am.