Hello and welcome back to Buzzing About HR. I'm Kate and Hazel is here too, supervising from the nearest soft surface, like she's on payroll. It's February 2026, and if you run a small business, you might feel like you're in a weird in-between phase. Things have settled a bit, but not properly. The headlines have been loud, the reality is quieter, and that can make it feel like you've got time. You do, but not loads. Because the biggest changes coming will hit how you hire and how you manage probation. And if probation in your business is currently, let's see if we click. We need to talk. Also, it's raining like cats and dogs. Shout out to Noah for the arc. Hazel is acting like she's never seen weather before. She's currently negotiating whether she can hold it in until July. Right, let's dive in. Small businesses don't hire badly because they're careless. They hire badly because they're stretched, you're busy, you're short staffed, and you need help yesterday. So you move fast, you pick the first person who seems decent, and you hope they'll settle in. But if they don't, it costs you more than their wages. It costs you time training them. It costs your team time fixing mistakes. It hits morale, and then you're back to hiring again. You hire to make life easier and it made life harder. That's the bad hire trap. And here's the bit people miss. A bad hire doesn't just cost money, it costs momentum. You stop pushing projects forward because you're constantly checking, correcting, explaining, and firefighting, and your best people start thinking, why am I carrying this again? That's when you get quiet resentment, and that's when good people start looking elsewhere. So when I talk about probation, I'm not talking about being harsh. I'm talking about protecting your business and protecting your good people. Now, I hear this all the time. We'll just see if we click. It sounds harmless, it isn't. Probation should not be based on whether you'd go for a pint with them. It should be based on clear expectations and behaviour. Because if you ever need to end someone's employment, you need to be able to show what wasn't working and what you did about it. Not feelings, facts. And just to be clear, being kind and being clear are the same thing. It is not kind to let someone think they're doing fine for three months and then drop a bombshell. That's awful leadership and it damages trust across the whole team. So here's what good looks like. Nothing fancy, just solid basics. First, be clear in the offer and contract. Say how long probation is and what notice looks like during probation. If you can, keep the notice period short in probation and make sure it's written down. Also, be clear about any benefits that only kick in after probation, like enhanced sick pay, bonus schemes, or anything like that. People don't mind rules, they mind surprises. Next, do a proper first week, not here's your laptop, good luck. Tell them what success looks like, what the priorities are, how to get help, and what good standards look like in your business. And do not assume they will magically know how you do things just because they've done a similar job somewhere else. Every workplace is different. You might think your way is obvious. It isn't. Spell it out. If you don't tell them what good looks like, you can't fairly say they didn't meet it. Then set a few clear goals. Not do well. Proper goals. For example, respond to customers within a set time. Complete a certain number of tasks per day. By week four. Use the system properly with no missing info. Hit quality standards without loads of rework. Keep it simple but measurable. And if you're thinking, Kate, I don't want to micromanage, good. This isn't micromanaging. This is giving someone a clear runway so they can take off. People perform better when they know what the target is. Now, speak to them weekly, just 10 minutes. What's going well? What's tricky? What support do you need? Managers avoid these chats because they feel awkward. Then they do a big surprise meeting at the end of the probation and wonder why it goes badly. No surprises. That's the rule. And make these check-ins consistent. Same day, each week, if possible. Even if it's just a quick chat, it sends a message. I'm paying attention. I care. I'm here to help you succeed. Also, sometimes people are struggling for a very fixable reason. They're missing access to a system. They don't understand a process. They're too embarrassed to ask questions. Weekly check-ins stop small issues turning into big ones. Also, do a halfway review. If probation is three months, review at six weeks. If it's six months, review it three months. If it's going well, brilliant. Say that clearly. Don't make people guess. People need to know when they're doing well. If it's not going well, you flag it early and give them a fair chance to improve. And here's the key. You don't just say you're not good enough. You say, here's what isn't working, here's what good looks like, and here's what we're going to do to support you to get there. Now, write things down in plain English. You don't need long emails, just a quick note after key chats. A good example is On the 3rd of February, we talked about the missed deadline. We agreed you'll use the tracker daily. Training booked for Friday. We'll review next week. That's clear, fair, and protective. A bad example is you need to improve. That's too vague and too easy to argue with. And here's a really useful mindset shift. Your notes should read like you were trying to help them succeed, not like you were building a case to get rid of them. If your concern is attitude, translate it into behaviour. Don't write bad attitude, not a team player. Write what happened, missed deadlines, didn't communicate, ignored instructions, spoke to customers badly, didn't follow safety rules, stick to what you can prove. Because what one person calls attitude, another person calls direct communication. What one manager calls not a team player might actually be someone who's confused about priorities. Behavior is what matters. Behavior is what you can manage. Now let's talk about support. Because this is where probation is won or lost. If someone is struggling, ask yourself, do they know what you expect? Have they been shown how to do it properly? Have they got the right tools and access? Have you checked they actually understood? You'd be amazed how often the problem is not effort, it's confusion. Or poor onboarding. Or assumptions. And yes, sometimes it is the person. Sometimes they just can't do it, or they won't do it, or they don't fit the standards. But you want to know that for sure, not guess. If you extend probation, do it properly. Only extend if they're improving, and you want to be sure, or you haven't had a fair chance to assess. Like if they've been off sick. Confirm it in writing before probation ends. Be clear about how long you're extending it for and what needs to improve and set another review date. And if it's a no, end it cleanly. Don't drag it out. Follow the notice period, pay final pay and holiday correctly. So many disputes start because someone gets shorted on holiday pay and decides to push back. It's never worth it. It turns an awkward situation into an expensive one. Also, if you're ending employment, do it with dignity. You can be firm and still be decent. Clear reasons. Calm tone, no personal attacks, no drama, just the facts. Let's do a few quick questions I get a lot. What if someone tells me they have a disability during probation? You still have to be fair and consider support. If adjustments are needed, you explore them. You don't ignore it. And then blame performance. What if I just know they're not right? You still need reasons you can explain. Write down examples of what's happened and talk to them early. If you leave it until the last week, you'll wish you hadn't. What if my manager hates giving feedback? Then that manager is your biggest risk. Give them a simple script and a diary reminder. Avoiding conversations is how problems turn into claims. What if the team is complaining about the new person? Ask for specifics. What happened? When? What impact did it have? And then you can address it properly rather than letting it turn into gossip. What if they're lovely but just not hitting the mark? You can be honest about that. Not everyone is right for every role. But again, you need clear expectations and a fair chance to meet them. So what's the takeaway? Probation is not a waiting room. It's part of good hiring. And here's the honest truth. Probation isn't just a test of the employee. It's a test of you as an employer. If you bring someone in, don't train them, don't set expectations, don't give feedback, and then let them go. That's not them failing. That's your process failing. If you do the basics well, you'll make fewer bad hires, you'll keep good people, and you'll build a team that actually performs without you constantly holding it together with sticky tape and hope. Thanks for listening to Buzzing About HR. Hazel is now staring at the rain like it's personally offended her, so I'm going to wrap up. Kettle on, standards up, and if Hazel can stick to her treat routine, you can stick to weekly check ins. See you next time.