To tell this employee to use some initiative

[lastqueenofscotland]

I manage a small team, they all get the same amount of training and all but one of them are great.
It’s not difficult work, basic admin tasks and answering the phone.
There is one that literally just doesn’t get it for whatever reason.
Some examples include every time the phone rings he looks round and asks if he should answer it rather than just picking it up and whatever they ask even if it’s our office address he will ask me (often forgetting to put them on hold first).
We only use the outlook diary, if you ask him to move something in it he asks what diary every single time.
We are a paper free office, all our files are on the computer in a really obviously named document and they are all clearly labled.
If you ask him to scan and file something he will EVERY TIME ask where the filing cabinet is.

I feel like it’s a weird joke he has with me it’s so frequent.
Aibu to tell him he needs to start figuring things out by himself?

So as not to drip feed he’s got a degree from a Russel group uni so should be fairly bright!

Sadly being bright is no guarantee of exercising any sense in the work context. I remember dealing with a work experience student who was doing a heavy duty Oxbridge degree who for some reason thought it was appropriate to put signed letters back into a file rather than into an envelope so that they'd reach the recipient.

That said, I strongly disagree with Shasta that you can formulate any more general rules about the way young people coming into the workplace nowadays behave. The Oxbridge student stood out for his idiocy because in fact it was so different from our general experience of the new graduates we appoint, most of whom are very hard working, dedicated and well organised. The job market is so tough that they know they have to be good both to get and keep a job.

I think before 3 months you need to sit down and have a clear chat with him
Explain it as you have outlined here and explain employees need to up to speed/clear on process in order to pass probation.