does probation always lead to firing?

wife2

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 12:20 am

It is a tough situation. Being on probation means they are scrutinizing everything he does and one wrong move could cost him his job. However, they need a good reason to fire him. Being extra meticulous and reliable during probation time and not making any mistakes or slacking off can mean keeping his job. It really depends on company protocol - different places have different methods of firing. Some need to have concrete reasons and have an official team who look over performance reports and decide these things while other companies may fire without concrete reasons. There is still hope - probation is a last chance.

amother

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 6:54 am

Thank you both.

just getting a response mean a lot. I havent slept all night thinking about it.

just to add more info- the company doesnt have it out for him at all. they actually like him. he is a great guy. its just that the job might not be the best fit for his personality and therefore his performance is not as good as the other people in his department.

he had been considering looking for something else for a while now but with a mortgage and kids we both really want it to be on our terms rather than being forced into it right away.

another question- there are other departments within the company that would probably be a much better fit for him. meaning his particular dept is all based on profitability and performance ratios but there are other departments that are more "internal" and don't have that sort of pressure. When he had his meeting- the manager mentioned that they thought he would do much better at a job like that but I think they were referring to him looking into a different company.

Do you think it would be a good idea for him to approach his manager and say something along the lines of "I plan to improve on the things we discussed in our meeting and I am motivated to do a better job however do you think it would be a good idea to switch me to one of the internal departments that are more in line with my skill set"?

How do you think this would come across? Do you think there is a better way to phrase it? Should he not mention it at all? The reason I think its worth mentioning now is because come the end of the probation period its either he cut it or he didnt and thats the end of it. If he tries to switch now he may have a better chance of success.

also to reiterate- no one is out to get him and they do like him. its really just a performance thing.

Queen18

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 1:00 pm

amother wrote:

I think that would be a very important discussion to have AFTER he improves himself and they feel happy with his performance. They will probably not feel comfortable recommending him to another group if they are not confident in his performance. That confidence will come if he manages to prove himself here first.

I would also recommend that while he works on himself he starts a job search to keep his options open.

amother

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 2:27 pm

Queen18 wrote:

amother wrote:

wouldn't it be too late by then? either he improved or he's fired. if he's fired he can't then get an internal job at the company.

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 2:34 pm

This is your moment to take every stress off him. Smile, say nothing, and provide a quiet, food-filled home.

He will be worried that you are worried. This will distract him in a harmful way.

Make it very plain that you are calm and will be fine with him no matter what happens. That he will not be a failure and you will still love him. "If this doesn't work out, you will just do something else. It will be ok." should be your thinking. Even say that.

That is true.

If he isn't meant to do this, and keeps a positive outlook, something better for him might indeed come his way. The world is full of such stories.

No matter how you feel, it is in your interest to say little, to smile, and be sweet, so he can focus on increasing his productivity.

Take every household chore off him.

Men only have so much bandwidth. What doesn't distract us does indeed distract them. They are the focus gender, not the mult-task gender. Speaking very generally. The littlest thing distracts a man having a hard time.

No taking out the garbage, unless it is utterly second nature to him. No doing the dishes. No remembering to take stuff out of the freezer to defrost. No remembering anything.

He is trying to pull more out of himself.

And, be alert for other whispers of possible opportunity you may hear of, in case.

Stay positive yourself. This problem is not his, it is both of yours.

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 2:38 pm

No, he might get another job at the same company.,

HR could say to another department, "he tried really hard, is a good guy in general, but this wasn't his strength. He didn't work out there. However, he might do fine for you".

"And that would save us many hundreds of dollars in search expenses to find someone else from the outside!!!"

So yes, he should stay aware of other openings in the same company in a department that might be more in line with his character and skills.

His efforts and his staying rational, nice, focused, reliable, and calm are the point there.

Good, reliable, characters are very hard to find. Skills can be taught.

amother

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 2:43 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

but what he was thinking to do was ask now before its too late. I am not sure this is the best move or if it will be perceived well.

amother

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 2:45 pm

Dolly Welsh wrote:

yes I know. I am happy to do this even though I also work and have kids and am due to give birth soon.

Dolly Welsh

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 3:38 pm

NO HE MUST NOT ASK THEM ANYTHING.

He must be quiet and do his best to meet their expectations.

I only meant to stay aware of openings in other departments. Not to try to move there now. That might, only might, be an idea after he is OFF probabation.

All departments want results but they can require different talents and personalities. He may be mis-cast. Or not.

He may devise ways of streamlining his tasks or facilitating them, increasing efficiency, eliminating wasted steps, automating them partly, increasing his productivity with ingeniuity.

Now that would impress them.