Managing Employee Performance During Probation Period: HR Responsibilities and Best Practices

Dear All,

15 days ago, we appointed an employee for our organization as an accounts assistant. However, the accounts head or our boss has informed me that this individual's performance is not meeting the company's expectations. They have suggested replacing this employee and recruiting a new one. As an HR professional, what should I do? What are my responsibilities in this situation?

Note: We are currently paying Rs. 14,000 for this employee.

Please respond quickly.

Regards,
Pulkit30

Dear Mr. Pulkit,

You have to advise the Accounts Head that in 15 days we can't judge his performance as he is in a probation period. Therefore, we should assess his performance until his confirmation, whether it is for 6 months or 1 year.

Regards,
Taksh

Dear Pulkit,

Taksh is right. As per the offer letter, you have to wait for his confirmation completion period, which may be 3 months/6 months. If you really want him to move out, you can do so by providing salary for 1 month as a notice period. However, it is not ethical as he joined recently.

Regards

Hi, Pulkit,

Welcome to the gritty side of HR... :-)

One of the most challenging tasks in HR is having to let someone go, but let's face it, it is part and parcel of your role.

Is there a hard and fast rule that prohibits firing an employee during the probation period, within one week, or even a day? Not really. An organization in general, and the reporting manager in particular, have full authority and the right to decide if an individual is fitting in, performing, adding value, or simply needed in a specific role.

In your situation, the reporting manager is very clear. The employee is not meeting his expectations/standards. Now, what are your options? You have three options:

1. Talk to the employee, counsel him, provide feedback, and motivate him to improve. Give him another month to see if there is progress.

2. Communicate with him again, giving him more time, but hope that the employee understands the hint and decides to resign.

3. Ask him to leave and find his replacement.

To accomplish this, you first need to speak with his reporting manager and identify his specific gaps (whether it's due to his work style, soft skills, or functional incompetencies). Also, find out if the reporting manager is willing to give more time for improvement. If not, then you have no choice but to search for a new candidate.

All the best!

Cheers,

Navneet

I think there is a slight misunderstanding about the probation period. Probation period is about "getting to know each other" time. So, anytime during the probation, if either of you feels it's not working out, then you have the right to leave or be asked to leave without too many formalities involved. What is so unethical about this?

Cheers,
Navneet

If I have understood you correctly:

1. You had recruited an employee about 15 days ago through a Placement Agency (this is my inference).

2. You find the said employee not quite up to your Company's requirements/standards and wish to replace him.

3. You state that you have to pay a certain amount of placement fee for this employee and may need to pay yet another similar amount to recruit his replacement.

This is where the terms of your contract with the Placement Agency become important. You should always incorporate a guarantee clause to ensure free replacement of a candidate within a clearly stipulated and defined period if the candidate recruited through the agency is not found suitable within the said time frame.

As of now, you could request a free replacement from the placement agency. In the meanwhile, you could take steps to relieve the employee in question and time it so that there is not much gap between his exit and the joining of the replacement candidate.

This is a process you may follow. However, being an HR person, I feel that 15 days is too early to denounce a new recruit and decide to replace him. Why not help him find his feet and adapt to the requirements of your Company and settle down?

After all, he must have left his previous employment to join your Company and almost immediately, he is stranded. It sounds rather unfair to the employee.

As HR professionals, we must adopt a more humanistic, proactive, and caring approach to deal with the human factor.

Vasant Nair

Dear All,

15 days ago, we appointed an employee for our organization as an accounts assistant. Now, the accounts head or our boss has informed me that this guy's performance is not up to the level of company expectations. They want to change this employee and recruit a new one. As an HR professional, what should I do? What are my responsibilities?

Note: Now we have to pay Rs. 14,000 for that employee.

Please reply quickly.

Regards,

Pulkit30

I am glad to observe that my views on the matter are akin to those made by other colleagues.

In my post, I have stated a process that may be adopted to manage the situation but have laid greater emphasis on the HR approach to issues involving "people".

Vasant Nair

Hello Sir,

As an HR professional, you should provide him with training and motivation. This can help improve his performance. Additionally, allow him time for improvement. If despite these efforts, there is no progress, you should take action to prevent any losses to the company.

My dear Pulkit,

I agree with your problem. In the given situation, you may take recourse to the following:

1. Advise the Accounts boss to try the person in some other job in his department for at least 15 more days and then make the recommendation, whatsoever.

2. While recruiting a person in the future, always expose him to the HOD concerned to avoid such a situation in the future.

3. In agreement with Mr. Nair, add a sort of guarantee clause with the placement agency.

Sure, this may cut some ice.

Regards,
S.K. Johri

Hi Dear,

I have a concern here. As an HR professional, do you think only 15 days is enough to understand your organization? Have you provided proper induction to him? Is on-the-job or off-the-job training given to that employee? Is he an experienced or fresh candidate? Have you or his account manager defined his KRA & KPI? Please consider all these areas before making a decision. Anyone other than HR may make harsh decisions without analyzing these aspects. It takes time even for a good sportsman to achieve his target; we can't expect immediate results from any endeavor. Give him another chance. He wants to grow once again.

Regards,
Chetan. M

Dear Pulkit30,

As an HR professional, you recruit candidates based on the requirements of the concerned department. During the interview process, the concerned person is part of the panel and asks questions to assess the fit of the candidate. In such cases, it is possible for the concerned individual to suggest that the selected person should be replaced.

How can the management evaluate the performance of the selected individual within 15 days? As an HR representative, it is crucial for you to understand your role, having selected the candidate based on their requirements and interactions. You should request feedback and reasons from the hiring team to understand why they believe the candidate is not suitable for the position.

However, you will still be required to pay the salary for the days the candidate has worked and handle the situation diplomatically. Did you obtain the concerned person's signature after the interview, confirming that the candidate is suitable for the role? For any further clarification, please contact me at 9840950574.

Thank you.

Hi Pulkit,

I am concerned about the approach you are taking on this site. I have been following the discussions related to your issue from your previous post. It seems like you are starting a new thread, which may cause confusion. In your earlier post, you expressed gratitude to the contributors for their valuable suggestions. So, why this new post? Mr. Anil Arora has raised a valid point, and both he and Mr. Amol have invested a significant amount of effort in addressing your concerns.

If you don't have any other problems or topics to discuss, I recommend engaging in the ongoing discussions initiated by other experienced members. This will undoubtedly enhance your understanding of HR practices. Please refrain from such practices and don't miss out on the valuable opportunities this platform offers. I hope you understand and take this advice seriously.

Thanks & Regards,

Amarjeet Singh
DGM HR & LEGAL.

An HR professional must consider the employee's perspective when making decisions. Why not provide them with training and support to retain them? Identify the gaps between expectations and execution. As they are new to the organization, allow them at least 15 days to understand their role and capabilities. What was your interview process, and what rating scale did you use?

We are not here to deceive anyone. When an employee joins a new organization, they have expectations, as do their families. Merely calculating Rs. 14000/- is not enough. We need to prioritize the employee's viewpoint over the employer's. The issue lies with the employee selection process. The solution involves positive counseling with the employee, clarifying expectations, and providing training if needed. Please avoid mistreating individuals in this manner. Thank you.