References and probationary periods in the Spotlight

Two recent surveys have highlighted the risk of candidates providing fake references and the fact that a large number of staff fail their probationary periods. This suggests that employers may need to review their procedures for checking references and for assessing probationary periods.

The Federation of Small Businesses and BBC1's Fake Britain worked together on a survey of 1,800 small firms and found that nearly one in five (17%) had discovered candidates with fraudulent references (see FSB warns businesses to check candidates' reference, fsb.org.uk, 30 April 2014).

According to an article in The Telegraph, another recent survey by Spring Personnel has found that almost one in five new employees fail to get past their probationary period or have their time on trial extended (see Fifth of staff on probation fail trial period or have it extended, telegraph.co.uk, 8 May 2014). Poor performance and absence were the most common reasons for a failure to pass.

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