You don\u2019t need to be a criminal to get probation. You simply need to be a new employee.<\/p>\n
Probation refers to a trial period for a new hire. Employers put new employees on probation to assess if they are suitable for their position. It also lets the employee decide whether the position is right for them. Under Australia\u2019s Fair Work Act 2009<\/a>, the \u201cminimum period of employment\u201d is six months of continuous service. So, the maximum probationary period that can be set is half a year. Contract workers and part-time employees may get shorter probation.<\/p>\n An employee working within probation is not a permanent employee. They\u2019re confirmed as a permanent hire only after successful completion of probation. Don\u2019t think the probationary period is just a formality simply because your resume, job interview and acceptance offer have passed the test. The probationary period is where you demonstrate that you can do what you said you\u2019ll do.<\/p>\n If a probationer\u2019s performance is lacking in some ways but not others, a month-by-month extension may be granted. This could also apply if the employer has been out of the office for a significant amount of time. An extension can\u2019t simply be tacked onto the end of the probationary period. It must be in place before the period ends. The extension can total no more than eight months.<\/p>\n Probation isn\u2019t just used for new hires. It can also be used:<\/p>\n \u2022 For current employees who are promoted to a new position.<\/p>\n \u2022 For current employees with performance problems.<\/p>\n Probation sounds scary, but it doesn\u2019t have to be if you know what works and what doesn\u2019t. You\u2019re guaranteed to sabotage any chance of being permanently hired if you:<\/p>\n \u2022 Have poor interpersonal skills, such as poor listening and conflict resolution abilities.<\/p>\n \u2022 Are unwilling to accept feedback.<\/p>\n \u2022 Are too emotional.<\/p>\n \u2022 Lack motivation.<\/p>\n \u2022 Are late.<\/p>\n \u2022 Are absent without calling in.<\/p>\n \u2022 Create or participate in conflicts.<\/p>\n On the other hand, you can survive the probationary period by:<\/p>\n \u2022 Writing things down<\/p>\n Don\u2019t trust your memory. Even if you have a great memory. When you\u2019re given instructions, write them down. Keep track of your work by taking notes. Note tasks in progress and tasks to be completed the next day. Employers will get a bad impression if you overlook things or do them incorrectly because you\u2019ve tried committing them to memory.<\/p>\n \u2022 Using positive body language<\/p>\n Stand up straight, make eye contact, smile and listen attentively. Your clothing also communicates, so make sure it\u2019s saying something positive.<\/p>\n \u2022 Taking the initiative<\/p>\n Show your enthusiasm and motivation by handling tasks proactively. An employer may become frustrated if they have to prod you into performing your duties.<\/p>\n \u2022 Having integrity<\/p>\n Don\u2019t gossip. Don\u2019t participate in office politics.<\/p>\n \u2022 Getting along with your peers<\/p>\n It\u2019s important to be a team player. When you have solidarity with co-workers, you all benefit. Your employer will be observing whether or not you get along with peers during probation.<\/p>\n \u2022 Stashing your cell phone<\/p>\n Glancing at your phone, even for a few seconds, could be the death knell for your probation. When work isn\u2019t a priority for you, you\u2019re not a priority for the company. Don\u2019t gamble that your boss won\u2019t see you. Really, is checking out a cute kitten video on Facebook worth it?<\/p>\n And if these suggestions aren\u2019t compelling enough, 27 percent of employers usually know within the first two weeks<\/a> whether they want to hire a probationer or not, and 18 percent<\/a> of new recruits, or one in five, fail their probation. It pays to be vigilant.<\/p>\n A probationary period can be especially distressing if you\u2019re uprooting your entire life to take a job in another city. You have no job security and won\u2019t know if you do until several months down the road.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re fired during your probation, you would still qualify for unemployment benefits. The length of the probation, however, would dictate the amount of those benefits.<\/p>\n Probation can be stressful, because your knowledge, performance and professionalism are under a microscope. It can be one of the biggest challenges you ever have. It can also be one of the best, when your employer reaches out, shakes your hand and says, \u201cWelcome aboard.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" You don\u2019t need to be a criminal to<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4432,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43,136,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-career","category-career-progression","category-on-the-job"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4428"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4435,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4428\/revisions\/4435"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4432"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.careerone.com.au\/career-advice\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}