Okuzeka
Human Resources vocabulary · Onboarding

Probation period

Meaning in human resources, with examples

nounCore term

In human resources, probation period means: The first weeks or months in a new job, when the employer checks that the person is suitable and either side can usually end the contract more easily.

In Turkish: deneme süresi

How it is used

Also called a probationary period, or just probation. In the UK it often lasts three to six months. An employee passes or completes probation, and a manager may extend it if there are concerns.

Example sentences

  1. Your probation period is six months, and we'll review your progress at the end of month three.

  2. We decided to extend his probation period because he hadn't met his targets yet.

Common collocations

  • pass your probation period
  • extend the probation period
  • end of probation review
  • during the probation period
  • new hireA person who has recently joined a company, usually in their first weeks or months of work.
  • onboardingThe process of welcoming a new employee and helping them settle in, from paperwork and equipment to meeting the team and learning the job.
  • employment contractA legal agreement between an employer and an employee that sets out the job, pay, working hours, holidays and other terms of work.
  • performance reviewA regular meeting in which a manager and an employee discuss how well the employee has done their job, what went well and what to improve.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Onboarding

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: