When your small business hires a new employee, they are typically given a window of 60 to 90 days where they will be on probation.

During this time period, you, the specific department’s manager or human resources will oversee their performance, leading to an employee review sometime after their probation period is over. For many companies, this is an automatic item, but others tend to drag their feet.

If your small business does not have a solid evaluation review process in place, consider the following:

• Formulate performance requirements for all employees and manage such performances;
• If you do not have a plan in place, get with your human resources department to implement one, especially in the case of new businesses;
• Make sure both the employee and their supervisor are aware of the requirements, the start date, the timetable where reviews should be conducted;
• Decide which performance factors will take on the most importance and which have less value;
• If an employee is not meeting certain standards laid out for them, let them know what the solutions are and how such issues will be handled;
• Review the employee performance standards on a regular basis to see if there are areas that need to be updated.

While some companies are lax when it comes to implementing and staying on top of employee evaluations, many others are just the opposite.

In many instances, an employee will become eligible for health benefits, 401 (k) plans, life insurance etc. through their employer once completing their probationary period.

At the same time, they will meet with an immediate manager or even the head of a small business to discuss the job, the progress they’ve made since coming to work for the company, any challenges they feel they face and so on.

If your small business has yet to formally put a review process in place, get with your HR person/team today and set one up.

Having an employee evaluation process in place not only protects you as an employer, but it also gives the worker a feeling of satisfaction in knowing whether or not they’re successfully doing what is asked of them.

Photo credit: skillstorm.com

Dave Thomas and the writers at Business.com author a variety of helpful hints for small businesses.