Staff on probation

Information about Probation.

Probation Review

Purpose of Probation Review

Probation aims to support new employees to realise their full potential; to focus their efforts as direct contributors to the success of the University; and to encourage development into their new role. It involves setting clear expectations and standards regarding the new employee's performance. It is the manager’s responsibility during this period to ensure access to appropriate training, support and guidance so that the employee can settle in to their new role and meet the required standards.

Probation Review Procedure

Throughout a probation period, the manager should ensure that regular informal meetings are held with the new employee, where they should:

Discuss the employees performance in relation to the required standards
Raise any concerns in relation to conduct, capability or attendance and agree how these should be addressed
Give the employee the opportunity to raise any questions they may have about their work or training requirements.
The People and Money Journey ‘Probation Review Approaching’ will prompt managers to hold the probation review meeting. The Journey and task is assigned 5 months from the employee start date (for new staff on a 6 month probation period) or 11 months from the start date (for new staff with a 12-month probation period).

At the point the task becomes active the manager will receive a notification. A reminder is also sent 30 days later. The task details the steps to take and provides a Probation Review Form to complete.

The tasks above will only be available for Journeys assigned from 24 March 2025. Any employees who were hired prior to this date will have the probation task titled ‘Probation Review Required’ (as per the legacy Onboarding or Rehire checklists). This task will remain with existing timeframes (i.e. the task will be assigned to the line manager 5 months from the start date regardless of grade).

Further guidance on Journeys and how to complete tasks is available within the Line Manager or SDA Guide to Journeys, available from the People and Money user guide webpage.

Difficulties during Probation

Where difficulties arise managers should identify whether it is appropriate to deal with the issue on an informal basis initially, or if the matter is more serious instigate formal procedures. The probation procedure makes provision for the employee to have a conversation with their manager about where things are going wrong and to be given the chance to improve. Structured support will be provided for the required improvements.

Confirmation of Appointment

If the employee’s performance, conduct and attendance have been assessed as satisfactory by the end of the probation period, the manager should confirm to the employee, in writing, that they have completed their probationary period successfully.

New post but staff member not new to the University

Staff who are in a new post but have already completed a probationary period within the University do not need to complete a further probationary period. If someone has transferred and an Annual Review has to be completed for them, this should be a forward looking review. Managers from the originating department should endeavour to complete an Annual Review before the person transfers to a new department. This would just be the review against objectives. The manager from the new department should liaise with the originating department to check that this Annual Review has been undertaken.

Annual Review

Purpose of Annual Review

Annual Review aims to support employees to realise their full potential; to focus their efforts as direct contributors to the success of the University; and to encourage individual professional and personal development. It involves reviewing every employee's performance and development each year, setting objectives and identifying development needs and opportunities for the future.

Through Annual Review the employee and their manager will:

Review the employee’s achievements, progress and performance in relation to objectives over the preceding year
Review the employee’s development over the preceding year
Identify priorities and objectives for the coming year
Identify development and support requirements for the coming year
Identify longer term objectives and development needs, where appropriate.

Guidance on transitioning an employee from Probation to Annual Review

The current annual review guidelines require managers to conduct annual reviews in each 1 August to 31 July period, for those employees in post prior to 1 August. Once a new employee has had their appointment confirmed, the manager should transition them into the annual review process.

The following steps provide guidance on how a manager should transition an employee from the probation review process to the annual review process.

Provide the employee with written confirmation of appointment following successful completion of their probationary period.
Meet with the employee to discuss and set objectives and associated development for the forthcoming period to bring them into alignment with the timetable for annual reviews for other staff members in the group and record this as the employees first annual review. Depending on the time-scale managers may wish to schedule in a formal interim review prior to the next annual review.

For example:

If a manager normally conducts annual reviews in November and the employee’s probationary period ends on 31 May, the manager would sign off the probation checklist and then agree objectives and development to cover the remainder of the current annual review year, and the period in the new annual review year up to November when annual reviews normally take place.
Include any outstanding objectives or development from the probationary period as part of the annual review process, as appropriate.