Resignations During the Probation Period – What Did You Miss?
30.03.2022
By François Humblot, Partner, Grant Alexander – Executive Search
This article was originally written for Concordance, a cooperative dedicated to supporting companies in valuing employees’ soft skills, developing collective intelligence and cross-functional cooperation—sustainable sources of economic success.
The War for Talent is Intensifying in the Executive Job Market
Companies must compete fiercely to attract the talent they need.
With an executive unemployment rate of just 3%, the market hasn’t been this tight since 2000, and companies are locked in a battle to secure the best people. And yet, paradoxically, once the hire is made, many organizations fail to devote sufficient attention to integrating their new employees.
The facts are clear: since the post-COVID rebound, turnover has been rising across companies, particularly among new hires. This trend, which began in the United States in 2021, is increasingly spreading across Europe. There is real urgency for leaders and HR directors to take this issue seriously.
The First Weeks: A Critical Moment
The weeks immediately following a new hire’s start date are the most perilous. The newcomer accepted the job based on the positive signals detected during the recruitment process. Those first weeks will determine whether they feel they made the right choice. If doubts arise, they will be tempted to reconsider—especially since, in today’s candidate-driven job market, they are likely to still have other opportunities available.
When an executive launches a job search, they often pursue multiple opportunities at once. Because recruitment processes move at different speeds, candidates are often forced to make a decision before every avenue is finalized. This means a new hire may accept an offer while still being in process with other companies.
Even with the best intentions, the new employee will pay close attention to the quality of the welcome and relationships they experience. If they feel uncomfortable in their new role, they know they have up to six months—the probation period—to find another position.
Integration: The True Measure of Recruitment Success
A hire can only be considered successful if it is followed by a qualitative integration process.
This seems obvious, yet it is not always the case. After more than 40 years as a recruitment consultant, I have often met candidates in interviews who chose to leave a job during their trial period or first year—by their own initiative.
The causes of these premature departures vary, but most often, they stem from mistakes made by the employer during those critical first days and weeks.
Typical employer missteps include:
A poor or even nonexistent welcome. The new hire feels disappointed and uneasy from the very beginning. Left on their own, they begin to doubt and remain open to outside opportunities.
Lack of communication or information about the company’s culture, rules, and processes. The employee makes mistakes, loses credibility, and their confidence erodes—leading them to leave as soon as another opportunity arises.
Insufficient follow-up from the manager or HR. No one notices the employee is struggling, and they are left to flounder when timely support could have resolved the situation.
Companies Under Scrutiny
Today, companies themselves are being evaluated by their employees. Platforms like Glassdoor allow current and former staff to anonymously rate their workplace. These ratings are carefully examined by future candidates.
Recruiting a new employee is a heavy and costly investment—for both the employer and the new hire. In today’s rapidly recovering labor market and amidst skill shortages, companies have everything to gain from implementing a robust, qualitative onboarding process. More broadly, they must also invest in improving their workplace climate and working conditions.
That is why we created SCIC Concordance, a cooperative dedicated to supporting companies in valuing employees’ soft skills, developing collective intelligence, and fostering cross-functional cooperation—sustainable sources of economic success. More information here.
Key Takeaways
Beyond building a strong onboarding process, the keys to successful integration are:
Practicing empathetic management that prioritizes relationship quality within teams,
Supporting new hires and actively listening to their needs,
Embedding newcomers into the company’s collective mission and vision.