Staff Entrance Probationary Period
Classified employees have a probationary period of six months from their first day of work in their current position. Supervisors are required to conduct three- and six- month performance evaluations to monitor progress during the probationary period.
If you have concerns about an employee’s performance or behavior at any point, don’t hesitate to contact your HR Business Partner at hrbp@uidaho.edu or 208-885-3638 for suggestions and resources. We recommend that you reach out within the first five months of the probationary period in order to leave enough time to implement training or other resources to help the employee succeed.
Three- and six-month evaluation process
- Complete the Staff Evaluation form. Refer to the form instructions for detailed guidance and to the dropdowns below for considerations on what to cover in the evaluation.
- If the employee is rated Needs Improvement, submit the evaluation form for a second-level review. The second-level reviewer is usually the next-level supervisor, but check with your unit leadership for specific practices. If the employee is rated Meets/Exceeds Expectations, second-level review is optional.
- Meet with the employee to review their evaluation. Employees often find this helpful as they learn their new role.
- Have the employee sign the form and add any comments they may wish to. Submit the completed evaluation to Human Resources for inclusion in the employee’s personnel file.
Please remember to:
- Send employee’s signed offer letter to Human Resources for their personnel file.
- Review and complete the employee onboarding guide.
- Monitor the employee's progress and complete a three-month evaluation.
Questions to consider while completing the three-month evaluation:
- How often do you check in with the employee to ensure they have resources and training they need?
- Have the position and department expectations been made clear to the employee, both verbally and in writing?
- Has the employee been meeting expectations? Are there any areas where they may need additional training or support?
- Have you assigned all job duties from the job description? This may be a good time to assign any remaining duties.
- Do you have any concerns about the employee’s performance or behavior? If so, please reach out to hrbp@uidaho.edu.
Please remember to:
- Assign the employee any job duties not previously assigned. Provide training and assistance as necessary.
- Hold regular one-on-one meetings with the employee.
- Continue to make sure the employee completes assigned training, understands position and departmental expectations and has the resources necessary to succeed.
- Complete a six-month evaluation.
Questions to consider while completing the six-month evaluation:
- How often do you check in with the employee to ensure they have resources and training they need?
- Have the position and department expectations been made clear to the employee, both verbally and in writing?
- Has the employee been meeting expectations? Are there any areas where they may need additional training or support?
- Has the employee’s performance and behavior thus far demonstrated that they are likely to succeed in the role?
- Do you have any concerns about the employee’s performance or behavior? If so, please reach out to hrbp@uidaho.edu.