Are Probation Periods De-Motivating?

In a recent post we talked in some detail about probationary periods and why dismissals during or at the end of a probationary period, whilst unfair legally, are unlikely to result in a legal claim, provided the employer pays the employee everything their employment contract affords.

Many employers use probationary periods within their employment contracts as a means of assessing an employee’s suitability and capability and where the employee falls short in either, they dismiss the employee.

Several things are often linked to the successful completion of a probationary period, an increased notice requirement or entitlement, or access to employee benefits such as life insurance or perhaps private medical insurance.

But is the very existence of the probationary period preventing employees from doing as well as they might in this initial period.

Abraham Maslow’s well known Hierarchy of Needs motivation theory cites personal growth as the ultimate motivator, followed by feeling recognised, feeling part of a team, feeling safe and secure and finally having enough money to live. The principal of the theory is that if a person is focused on simply surviving because they don’t have enough money, the more significant motivators won’t apply.

Most employees start a new role because this gives them the opportunity to learn new skills or to apply their learned skills in a new environment, and as such generally will only change job for a salary increase, although there will always be circumstances, possibly following a redundancy where a person needs to find any job to pay their bills and provide for themselves and any family they may be supporting.

But an employers best efforts in recognition and allowing personal growth, and even for the employee to feel part of a team, are potentially stifled by a clause in the contract that says clearly, if you don’t perform in the first three/six months, then you’re fired.

Given that an unperforming employee can generally be dismissed with up to two years service, why do we need to make them especially nervous in this initial period. It’s still possible to link employee benefits and notice period changes to six months service, by simply by saying, after six months service you’ll be entitled to ….

We’d still recommend more frequent one to one meetings in the first few weeks and months to give the employee feedback and guidance, to get them to where you want them to be as soon as possible but by removing the inherent threat, these become a more productive conversations and hopefully the employee will be more open to it being guidance, rather then criticism.

If you’d like to talk to us about this or any other HR matter, please give us a call.