Succeeding in Your Trial Period
17 February 2014
Read by 2235 persons
Your resume is a recruiter's first impression. Our tips to get it right every time.
The trial period allows the company and the new employee to assess if they are a good fit.
Objectives and advice from Monique Voileau, Apec consultant.
Reminder
The trial period allows for mutual evaluation. The employer assesses the new employee's skills in the workplace. The new employee sees if the job is a good fit. The trial period is not mandatory and must be clearly stated in the employment contract or letter of agreement. For a full-time executive, the maximum duration is 4 months, potentially renewable once, totaling 8 months. A long time to prove yourself, but also to make a few mistakes! Knowing what to expect helps avoid pitfalls.
Time for Questions
If your manager doesn't regularly check in on your trial period, you should initiate the conversation. You need to know if you're meeting expectations so you can correct course if necessary. You may have objectives or initial results to present at the end of the period; it's crucial to know them and clarify them with your manager if needed. Don't hesitate to ask your new colleagues questions about how things work and the company culture, but don't bother them every five minutes. Use these months to be curious. Not knowing basic information after several months is worse than asking many questions at the beginning!
Integration
Depending on the company, an onboarding process may be in place, including introductions to colleagues, explanations of company operations, facility tours, and scheduled check-ins with management… Otherwise, you'll need to reach out to your new colleagues. Your behavior, relationships with others, and how well you integrate will be evaluated. Informal interactions—participating in lunch or coffee breaks, if it's a company custom—are also important.
Succeeding in Your Trial Period: Three Tips from Monique Voileau, Apec Consultant
Reassure Yourself
If you're in a trial period—the final stage of recruitment—the company is confident in its choice. Maintain a positive attitude; you're there because the company believes you're good and will succeed.
Know Your Employer's Online Image
The internet provides insights into your future colleagues, facilitating interaction. After all, the recruiter has already checked your online presence! Just avoid mentioning your information sources during conversations.
Review if You Leave
If the trial period isn't successful, review it: Did the reality of the job match the description? Were the objectives coherent? Most often, trial periods fail because the job wasn't presented accurately. It's not a failure, but you should prevent this from happening again.
Coralie Donas.
Apec.fr
Published February 17, 2014.
Posted online February 17, 2014.
The trial period allows the company and the new employee to assess if they are a good fit.
Objectives and advice from Monique Voileau, Apec consultant.
Reminder
The trial period allows for mutual evaluation. The employer assesses the new employee's skills in the workplace. The new employee sees if the job is a good fit. The trial period is not mandatory and must be clearly stated in the employment contract or letter of agreement. For a full-time executive, the maximum duration is 4 months, potentially renewable once, totaling 8 months. A long time to prove yourself, but also to make a few mistakes! Knowing what to expect helps avoid pitfalls.
Time for Questions
If your manager doesn't regularly check in on your trial period, you should initiate the conversation. You need to know if you're meeting expectations so you can correct course if necessary. You may have objectives or initial results to present at the end of the period; it's crucial to know them and clarify them with your manager if needed. Don't hesitate to ask your new colleagues questions about how things work and the company culture, but don't bother them every five minutes. Use these months to be curious. Not knowing basic information after several months is worse than asking many questions at the beginning!
Integration
Depending on the company, an onboarding process may be in place, including introductions to colleagues, explanations of company operations, facility tours, and scheduled check-ins with management… Otherwise, you'll need to reach out to your new colleagues. Your behavior, relationships with others, and how well you integrate will be evaluated. Informal interactions—participating in lunch or coffee breaks, if it's a company custom—are also important.
Succeeding in Your Trial Period: Three Tips from Monique Voileau, Apec Consultant
Reassure Yourself
If you're in a trial period—the final stage of recruitment—the company is confident in its choice. Maintain a positive attitude; you're there because the company believes you're good and will succeed.
Know Your Employer's Online Image
The internet provides insights into your future colleagues, facilitating interaction. After all, the recruiter has already checked your online presence! Just avoid mentioning your information sources during conversations.
Review if You Leave
If the trial period isn't successful, review it: Did the reality of the job match the description? Were the objectives coherent? Most often, trial periods fail because the job wasn't presented accurately. It's not a failure, but you should prevent this from happening again.
Coralie Donas.
Apec.fr
Published February 17, 2014.
Posted online February 17, 2014.
