When someone joins Made Tech, they're "on probation" for a short time. This means their notice period is shorter - usually one week.
At the end of probation, people either pass or fail. Most people pass. Rarely, you'll extend probation, or pass someone early.
This guidance is written for line managers, but may be useful for people on probation too.
- What happens during probation?
- Explaining how to pass probation
- One-to-one meetings during probation
- Finishing probation
In the first week, explain probation to your direct report. Talk about what it is, and how to pass it.
Each week, meet them one-to-one. Get feedback from their team, and reflect on it together. You should clarify the need for constructive feedback here - it's important to set progression goals and this helps identifying areas for development. Ensure clarity on role expectations and core values. Talk often about whether they're on-track to pass. Be honest and upfront about concerns or skills gaps and support your direct report by providing clarity on what those are, and discuss finding opportunities for them to demonstrate progress.
Before the end of the probation period you must have confidence that the team member meets their role expectations and is aligned with our core values. Demonstrating both of these generally means that they are a great addition to our team and will help drive the company goals forward. Absence of either of those needs to be looked into more closely.
Talk about what good looks like for your direct report's role. The handbook role pages may help with this. It's good to spend the first two weeks talking about this.
Explain that feedback is useful evidence on how they're performing.
Tell them to ask their team for feedback. You can talk to their team directly to help get more feedback, if needed.
It can be stressful to be on probation. Explain early that:
- Most people pass
- Getting regular feedback means the result won't be a surprise
- You will guide and support them
Read our general guidance for 121 meetings.
In probation, focus more on:
- Giving and receiving feedback
- Reflecting on feedback together
- Whether they're on-track to pass
Feedback can be difficult to get. If it's not clear whether they are on-track four weeks in, ask their team for feedback directly.
Make a recommendation on behalf of your direct report to the Market Principal. This could be by e-mail.
Highlight feedback from the team about them and a short summary of how they demonstrated meeting or exceeding their role expectations and our core values.
The Market Principal has the final say on whether to pass or fail probation.
Congratulate them on passing probation. Tell them their new notice period.
Decide together how often to have one-to-ones from now on.
If they're doing very well, you can pass probation early. Talk to the Market Principal about this.
Tell them they haven't passed probation, and give them notice of termination.
We don't have guidance on how to give notice in the handbook yet. It can be difficult and stressful. Talk to the people team for support.
Sometimes, it's not clear at the end of probation if someone would succeed at Made Tech long-term.
In these rare cases, work with the Market Principal to extend probation, agreeing on a fixed amount of time.
Being on probation can be stressful. Think carefully when deciding between extending and failing.
Failed probations sometimes mean something went wrong in our hiring.
Talk to the hiring team and the people team about a failed probation, to see if anything can be learned or changed.