Probation periods

Your manager should:
a) Explain the key responsibilities/duties of your post and discuss what training and support you may require during your first few months i.e. specialist training on Imperial College's Information System (ICIS), health & safety, managing people, etc.
b) Take you through your induction programme and agree when regular 1-2-1 meetings will happen, e.g. fortnightly, monthly, etc. and identify other key meetings you need to attend.
c) If you will be supervising or managing staff, they will explain the College's Values and Behaviours to you.
d) They should introduce you to your ‘mentor/buddy’ if applicable.

Your manager will meet with you regularly for you to update them on work, for them to give you feedback / advice and for you both to continue to identify any support or training required.

Your manager will:
a) Carry out your first formal review mid-way through your probation period and a final review before the end of the probation period.
b) Ask you to sign the Probation Form form to confirm that your probationary period has been discussed with you.

If your manager does not undertake these reviews, you will be automatically confirmed in post at the end of your probation period.

Probation periods are automatically confirmed as successful at the end of the period unless Human Resources are advised to the contrary via the returned Probation Review form.

a) You may be invited to a formal Probation Review Meeting to discuss the concerns with your performance or behaviour.
b) You will be given at least five working days’ notice of the meeting and provided with all relevant paperwork in advance of the meeting.
c) You may bring a work colleague or Trades Union representative; HR will also be present. 
d) At the meeting your manager will explain their concerns and you will be given the opportunity to respond to these and share any factors that may be contributing to this.

They will then decide if you should be:

• Confirmed in post
• Your probation extended
• Your employment terminated

Should your manager decide to terminate your employment, you can appeal against this decision.

Please note that you cannot successfully pass your probation period until you have successfully fulfilled all your Imperial Essentials’ mandatory requirements. If you are experiencing any issues meeting this requitement before your final probation review meeting please discuss this with your line manager who will support you to achieve this requirement.  

a) Compile material for their induction.  You should plan a thorough induction programme that ensures they meet all key contacts within their first weeks of employment.
b) If appropriate, provide a list of important contacts and information about their new team/project in advance of joining College.
c) Ensure that their working area and any equipment they will require is ready for their first day.

As part of the new member of staff’s induction, you should:
a) Explain the key responsibilities/duties for their post and discuss what training and support they require during their first few months e.g. specialist training on ICIS, health & safety, managing people, etc.
b) Agree when regular 1-2-1 meetings will happen e.g. fortnightly, monthly, etc. and identify other key meetings they need to attend.
c) If they will have responsibility for supervising or managing staff, it is important to explain the College's Values and Behaviours to them.
d) You may wish to nominate a member of your team to act as a ‘mentor/buddy’ to welcome and help the new employee settle into their new working environment and understand how the College works.
e) If appropriate, organise an informal team meeting or tea/coffee get together so that they are able to start to get to know the individuals they will be working with.

a) Meet regularly with your new member of staff to build a relationship with them and to allow them to update you on work, for you to give them feedback / advice and for you both to continue to identify any support or training required.
b) Ensure that compulsory or agreed voluntary courses have been undertaken.  According to their role, compulsory courses may vary, however all staff should undertake the following training:

• Imperial Essentials

a) The first formal review should be carried out mid-way through the probation period and a final review before the end of the probation period.
b) The Probation Form form will guide you on the areas you should monitor and act as a record of your discussion with the member of staff.
c)The completed form should be returned to the HR Staff Hub via the HR Portal.

If you do not undertake these reviews, the member of staff will be automatically confirmed in post at the end of their probation period.

If you have been concerned during the probation period and the issues are such that they may result in extending the probationary period or ending the member of staff’s employment, then please contact the HR Staff Hub who will explain the non-confirmation procedure.  It is not necessary to wait for the expiry of the probation period to start the procedure.

Probation periods are automatically confirmed as successful at the end of the period unless Human Resources are advised to the contrary via the returned Probation Review form.

a) The member of staff will be invited to a formal Probation Review Meeting to discuss the concerns with their performance or behaviour.
b) Your member of staff must be given at least five working days’ notice of the meeting and provided with all relevant paperwork in advance of the meeting.
c) They may bring a work colleague or Trades Union representative, HR will also be present. 
d) At the meeting you will explain the concerns you have, what training and support you advise or have put in place to address these concerns and give them the opportunity to discuss these with you and share any factors that may be contributing to this.  You will then need to decide if you wish to:

• Confirm them in post
• Extend their probation
• Terminate their employment

Should you decide to terminate their employment, they can appeal against this decision.

Please note that to successfully pass their probation period, a member of staff is required to successfully fulfil all their Imperial Essentials’ mandatory requirements. As part of your regular review meetings, you should monitor your employees progress in completing their Imperial Essentials’ mandatory requirements to ensure they are completed before the end of their probation period.