Adult ds hasn't passed probation

[qwertypops]

He's 21yo, first job out of uni in a field related to his degree.

So he thought he's been doing OK. He says nobody has said anything negative to him (he started in Dec).

Then he had his face to face probation meeting on Monday and he said it was positive, they said they were happy with him but yesterday got an email summarizing the probation meeting. And in the email it was a different story, said they're not happy with him, he asks too many questions, his technical capability on some software isn't up to scratch and they don't think he's committed to the job/company. He's really upset, says it's the first he's heard about it. So he hasn't passed probation, they will review in 4 weeks. He's shitting himself that he is about to get fired. His mental health can be bad at times and he can be anxious so now he's spiraling.

I've offered to help compose an email basically saying that he's surprised by the email as he'd got the impression earlier that things were more positive. But that he's keen to improve. That if they can give him any specific pointers about the software skills/how he can improve this as he wants to improve if needed but he doesn't know what the actual issue is. Emphasize that he is committed to the company and job.

He isn't sure what to say about the questions issue because previously they've been like, oh no question is a daft question, ask all the questions you need. But in the email they said it's disruptive.

So I said to him he could maybe email his boss questions as that might be less disruptive than asking in the office? I did talk to him about not just asking how to do something fix something but to come up with a possible solution and then if he's not sure that's right to check......he says that's what he does already. That he tries to think of an idea and then run it past someone if he's not sure.

Anything else he could be saying? And yes I know he's an adult, etc but this is his first job and I am keen to help him navigate a situation he's had no experience of before.

Are there minutes available or any record of his face to face meeting as it seems very weird for them to be so different.

I think this is really difficult unless you are in exactly the same industry as him. I understand how much you want to help (I've tried to advise my son regarding work stuff) but I'm not sure you can. Does he want you to help? If you can share a bit more about his job spec maybe someone in a similar role will be able to help.

It honestly sounds like he received an email for someone else.

Yes, unless he got entirely the wrong end of the stick at the interview, is it possible they sent it to the wrong team member? Have there been other new starters?

Tricky.

I'm in a similar position- but as the manager.

We have had a new starter join us recently, and of course at first we understood they were new, would likely ask a lot of questions, and would take some time to get to grips with our systems.

However, a few months in, we're finding that their speed of learning/questions are far far above and beyond what we would expect from a new employee. In fact we've had plenty of new starters over the years and we've never come across someone who has struggled so much. The new starter assumed this was all normal, but they're far below what we would expect. We just don't have the capacity to give them the very high level of support they need.

Could this be the case? Could your DS so some independent learning/studying in his free time to brush up on things a bit more?

Our new starter looked good on paper, but is really really not looking able to do the job as it stands.

Can you give us a steer on industry, role and employer size/type?

Did he receive specific feedback/examples before, during and/or after the meeting?

If he's asking lots of questions about the work he's doing that's one thing, and in my opinion, understandable.

However, if he's asking how to use software that he claimed to be able to use, that's concerning (e.g. if he said on his CV or in his interview that he was very experienced with Excel but he can't do a simple formula).

Asking too many questions about leave entitlement in the first week or so makes you look less than keen as well.

It's a good sign that they've extended his probationary period: they could've just let him go and started interviewing again.

Having said that there are lots of rubbish employers around, so he might just have ended up working for one.

Well the email says it’s the minutes but they’re totally different. In the meeting the boss said he was happy with ds “you’re right where we expect you to be and improving rapidly “. He wasn’t specifically told he’d passed probation but thought he had.

It would be very poor to get as far as the probation review without anyone mentioning any issues with him. Don’t they have supervisions or 1:1s or similar? People can only improve issues if they are made aware of them.

doubly weird if the review meeting itself was positive. I’d think I’d received someone else’s feedback if the difference was so significant.

he needs to query why the email is so different from the meeting.

if there are problems then he needs to work with them to identifies targets and how they’ll be assessed.

There’s no other new starters, nobody else on probation. It’s definitely meant for him.

I have to wonder if he fundamentally didn't hear what he was being told at the meeting in these circumstances. That can happen. Or it's possible that what was said in the meeting was indeed very different, but it's unusual for a probation review to be overtly positive and then send a meeting summary that's much more direct.

How large is the employer?

I’d rather not say the industry but small firm. Like 5 employees. No HR. No specific examples in the meeting or email

That’s my worry. Though he’s told me specific things which were said which seem positive 🤷🏻‍♀️

Sound alike they decided to have a staff cull and the guy on probation is easy to get rid of to me

Either way, I'd recommend that he start looking for other roles

He can pretend this job was just an internship

Possibly but one person has left so they’re short staffed and more work than ever

This is very poor management. If there were problems these should have been identified earlier and your DS given a clear steer about where he was falling short, what needed to be done to meet expectations, and a plan put in place and evidenced of how his manager would help him to improve (eg training, extra guidance etc). Then at probation point it would be possible to go back over the areas for improvement, show the evidence of what support he’d been given and demonstrate whether he was now at the right level or would need an extension. With an extension there would then be a clear path towards a deadline of DS needing to be fully competent in his role or understand that he would not pass and his contract not confirmed.

They can’t tell him in person he’s doing fine and then email to say he’s not. He should raise this in writing and seek advice from HR and check they’ve followed company processes.

I'd probably start looking for a new job tbh. It sounds like for whatever reason they've decided to get rid of him and they can if it's not for a discriminatory reason.

Find a job somewhere bigger with better structures for new grads.

What is he like at home? Does he talk at you rather than notice what topic you are on?
Does he come into you and just launch into a topic?

Is he 'demanding' to be with for long periods?

You know him very well, are you able to link any of the things they say to his personality?

I'd say to him to write his questions downs and then at the end of the day, see if they still need answering or have they gone away.

Hard to know does he just not get the office etiquette where, yes they said ask if you don't know, but actually now please stop interrupting others work by demanding attention from others.

So hard to know if they don't make specific expectations very clear then he's still in the dark.

In that case he probably doesn't have anything to loose by replying to the email, disputing the events as recorded and highlighting the positive comments from the meeting. Also mention that there has been no prior negative feedback.

I'd also ask for a written record of what needs to improve over the next 4 weeks. Once he has that, turn them into demonstrable, actionable points that can be proven. Then prove it.

Tbh, they can just let him go regardless, hence me saying he has nothing to loose. But if they're going to review again in 4 weeks he might as well throw everything at it.

Yeah sadly the jobs are very hard to come by. He looked for months before he got it and in that time maybe ten jobs were advertised in the whole country. Most in London paying 25 k and he can’t afford to move there. Most of his cohort are doing bar work.

Of course this is all third hand OP. But you, and him are operating on th assumption that the company's being reasonable to fail him, and he can do things to improve it.

However, given that the summary email was completely different to what was stated verbally, it's clear that management wants him out gor some reason.

Or , there were indeed problems but they're too scared/incompetent to say it to his face. Or raise it earlier.

He's better off finding a new job. Preferably with a bigger and more professional company.

If what he says is actually accurate and they said one thing in the probation meeting and a completely different thing in the minutes they sound like an utterly shit company to work for tbh.

That and nothing said in the probation review should be coming as a surprise - problems need to be addressed as and when they arise!

Possibly. He can be a bit self absorbed at home. I suspect possible adhd. But I think if he was told something he’d take it on board but possibly not pick up cues.