When Should you Give new Hires a Trial Period?

 Statistics tell us that 20 percent of new hires will fail in the first 45 days. Yet, although a large amount will fail, the majority will succeed. Knowing this, should you introduce a standard trial period on the basis that just a quarter of applicants are likely to fail, knowing that for top talent currently in secure employment, a trial period could represent a real deterrent for them, making it harder for you to hire top quality, passive talent? That’s why it’s not unusual for more in demand employees to negotiate out of or around a trial period, due to the strength of their bargaining position.

So, bearing in mind the deterring effects of a trial period—meaning you may need to restrict its usage to lure top talent—in what situations should you make use of a trial period? We’ve outlined four situations below:

1. Under-qualified applicants

Let’s say you have been recruiting for quite some time but failed to find the right candidate. This means that it could be time to lower your entry standards a little to let in an under-qualified candidate. This can feel like a big risk, but there’s nothing wrong with taking a risk as long as it’s managed. A trial period of say three months is a great way to take a gamble on an under-qualified employee, and if doesn’t work out, it will be easier to part ways.

2. Long-Term Unemployed Applicants

Many employers are reluctant to hire long-term unemployed applicants as they feel their skills may be out of date and/or they may simply be out of practice. This is not necessarily a justifiable position as not only do many unemployed applicants keep practicing their skills, many of them use their time out of work to develop new skills they might not have been able to develop while working. So, rather than reject an unemployed applicant on the basis that their skills may be rusty, this is a great opportunity to put them on a trial period at a slightly lower pay grade until they can demonstrate whether or not they can operate to a suitable standard.

3. Entry level candidates

Graduates or young people just entering the workplace will have limited experience and references. In truth, neither you nor they really know how they are going to fare in the workplace; so, entry level candidates can represent a real unknown. This can be the perfect type of role suitable for a trial period.

4. Career changers

With a decrease in job security and increases in lay-offs and job flexibility, we are seeing increasing numbers of “career changers” and people engaging in more varied portfolio careers. So, you can expect to see many more career changers coming through your doors at interview who lack specific experience in the job field, but who may have promise. This is another type of applicant for which a trial period will be very suitable.

As a final word, there are legal considerations around use of trial periods. In particular, they should not be applied based on restricted criteria, such as gender, race, age etc.