VSHNeer Onboarding & Trial Period

We recognize that a positive onboarding experience sets the tone for a new VSHNeer’s journey with us and is crucial for equipping them with everything needed to succeed. While onboarding can be a months-long process, the trial period (typically three months, also known as Probation Period) concludes with a critical decision regarding continued employment – a mutual decision between the new VSHNeer and VSHN’s internal stakeholders for the role.

Onboarding Organization

  1. Once recruitment is complete and the employment contract is signed, the People Operations role is responsible for administrative setup tasks (following a Jira task template) and for creating the onboarding program.

  2. The Corporate IT role handles technical preparations (based on a Jira task template, with the task created by People Operations).

  3. A designated individual from the People role is overall responsible for each new VSHNeer’s onboarding and owns their individual onboarding program (documented on a dedicated wiki page).

  4. The Onboarding Buddy ensures that role- or team-specific onboarding objectives are set in advance (in collaboration with the role’s stakeholders), tracked throughout the onboarding period, and provides feedback on progress to the new VSHNeer.

Check-Ins

As the onboarding owner, the People role ensures that at least six check-ins are conducted during the first three months. During these check-ins, onboarding tasks and objective progress are assessed collaboratively with the Onboarding Buddy and documented directly on the onboarding program wiki page. A final or additional check-in must take place within the last one to two weeks of the Trial Period.

Topics / Questions to look into

During check-ins (but not limited to) the following questions should be asked or assessed otherwise:

  • How is everything working so far?

  • How is work progress and workload being managed?

  • Are the work results satisfactory?

  • Is the role description still correct?

  • Does work meet expectations?

  • Is further training necessary?

  • Are there any other measures or initiatives needed to achieve the onboarding objectives?

  • Does the new VSHNeer feel comfortable?

  • How is the workplace and overall climate for the new VSHNeer?

  • Are there any wishes, suggestions, or areas for improvement?

  • Are there any open questions about how VSHN works, our culture, our processes?

  • Does the VSHNeer receive the necessary support, and are questions typically answered in a timely manner?

Trial Period

The trial period is not merely an arbitrary duration that concludes after (typically) three months. Instead, it is a crucial time for both the new VSHNeer and the role’s stakeholders to evaluate mutual fit. This period offers an opportunity to easily terminate the employment contract if the fit is not mutual. A well-structured onboarding experience, complete with useful objectives, consistent tracking, and a clear plan for utilizing the trial period effectively, significantly increases the likelihood of a successful outcome.

End of the Trial Period

  1. The People role ensures awareness of any potential objections regarding the new VSHNeer’s fit for the role and VSHN. They may proactively seek feedback from team members, peers, and others.

  2. If potential objections arise, the People role initiates measures and collaborates with affected parties to assess the concerns and, if necessary, find a resolution, with the ultimate goal of ensuring continued employment. Terminating the trial period is considered a last resort.

  3. During the final Check-In, all findings are discussed. The People role formally asks the new VSHNeer if they wish to continue, assuming no significant objections exist and the onboarding objectives have been largely met (the relevance of which is a collaborative decision made during all check-ins leading up to this meeting).

    Positive Decision

    If the decision is positive for continued employment, the People role announces the good news in #goodnews and typically at the next company-wide meeting. Team members and colleagues might organize a celebratory lunch, drinks, or an apéro with the new employee to mark the successful completion of the trial period!

    Negative Decision

    If the decision is not to continue, the People Operations role handles the administrative offboarding process and announces the personnel change via a company-wide email. In either case, the internal offboarding process will be triggered, with a focus on identifying areas for improvement for future processes (spanning from recruitment through to this decision point).