Probation Expectations

Probations can become a headache when things don’t go as expected. What I have found throughout the years, is that even if you are running a tight ship, having written and agreed expectations goes a long way for everyone. So if you want to take anything from this post is the following: write these down and share them.

My approach to probation goals is to not over prescribe them. For example: deliver this feature in your first month, with 80% test coverage. Such an item is on the verge of micro-management. I pick a few areas I want to measure and give them room to showcase their skills. This is what I am looking for:

  1. Their coding skills and contributions during technical discussions.
  2. Their product and business acumen.
  3. Ability to work with other people. But also the ability to say no and challenge others.
  4. An holistic view of the team, where they fit and their impact.

A template I use for Senior Engineers is:

  1. Be familiar with our codebase and the app’s architecture.
  2. Participate and deliver on what’s agreed during planning.
  3. Understand the goal and the business impact of your squad.
  4. Build relationships with key elements (inside and outside your squad).
  5. Propose a change in our processes or architecture. This doesn’t mean an overhaul of our stack. Given the team size, an improvement of 1% has a massive impact.

For Junior Engineers I tend to add more structure:

  1. Review at least 3 non-trivial PRs.
  2. Open and merge a medium complexity PR (e.g. a whole screen).
  3. Participate during planning.
  4. Understand the goal and the business impact of your squad.
  5. Build relationships with key elements (inside and outside your squad).

If an engineer is going through a PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) or an extension to their probation, more detailed expectations are set. I will also add milestones.

Finally, I will share it with them. It looks like this:

Hi John,

Welcome to the team!

Below are my expectations for your first three months:

  • Be fluent in «list two or three technologies» and understand where they fit in our app. All these technologies are central to what we do and it’s their usage that allows us to move fast and deliver awesome features to our users.
  • Deliver on what’s planned and agreed.
  • Be an active participant in «open source library». For this task, Joe will be your point of contact. This means:
    • Write an Article about it.
    • Help improve the documentation and Sample App.
    • Address and review PRs and Issues raised.
  • Propose a change in our processes or architecture. This doesn’t mean an overhaul of our stack. Given the team size, a improvement of 1% has a massive impact.  

I am confident with the team’s help you will successfully complete your probation.   

Bellow some elements outside the team you will interact with:  

  • Ann P. ( Product Manager for Native apps)
  • Lisa B. ( QA Manager )
  • Saul K. ( Engineering Manager ) 
  • Nick P. ( Lead Product Manager) 

I am excited to have you joining us, I am sure we will build great things together! 

Thank you. 

In CC I would add the people mentioned in the email. I would also add a few other members that I knew would help this person succeed.