Getting The Best From Your Employees

Clearly setting out duties, goals and performance standards for your employee to achieve will ensure everyone is working together towards achieving your business goals. You will then be able to easily spot where you have gaps in skills and knowledge.

By providing opportunities, facilities and financial help the business will ensure that all employees are in possession of the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to perform their job to a satisfactory standard. Investing in training and development in this way will motivate individuals, leading to greater staff retention and will provide a level of skills commensurate with the current and projected demands of the business.

Induction and Probation
The induction process is a crucial part of motivating and retaining newly appointed employees. The Induction Policy will help you ensure that you have an effective induction process in place, in line with the Equality Act 2010 and the Bribery Act 2010. The Induction Checklist Form allows the line manager to check that each part of the induction process has been completed, while the Induction Feedback Form can be used for an employee to give feedback on their induction. The New Starter Form contains the information you will need in order to ensure that you have met your obligations as an employer e.g. evidence of the right to work legally in the UK and tax forms (P45).

The Probation section provides guidance to setting appropriate timescales for the role and how to structure and effectively manage the probationary period. The template documents provide a policy and all the letters and forms you will need to manage the interim progress meetings and then the final review meeting at which the employee will be confirmed in post, the probationary period will be extended or employment will be terminated.

Reviewing Performance and Planning for the Future
The Reviewing Performance Toolkit provides guidance notes and staff appraisal forms which should be used as a basis for the formal performance review process. This is a generic staff appraisal template and should be adapted to your specific needs. Also, included is a personal development plan, which will enable you and your employees to review and reflect upon their aims and achievements, taking more of a structured, long-term view. This can be used in addition to employee appraisal form templates, and is viewed as a form of performance appraisal or coaching.