WITH forecasts for the UK economy indicating steady growth, businesses are in increasing numbers looking to recruit, recover and even expand.

A note of caution, however - two recent surveys indicate that (a) almost 1 in 5 new recruits do not pass their probationary periods or have those periods extended (The Telegraph, 7th May), and (b) almost 1 in 5 small businesses had found candidates with fraudulent references (Federation of Small Businesses in tandem with BBC1’s “Fake Britain”).

The prospect of a costly mistake, in financial and reputational terms as well as time, it seems, is as high as ever.

The following steps will help to minimise the risk of a mistake in recruitment.

1. Prepare a job description and a person specification which should detail the experience, qualifications, skills, abilities and attributes required: this will encourage self-selection and will influence the quality and number of applicants. It will also form the basis of the selection criteria. 2. Advertise the job as widely as is appropriate to the role. Consider using specialist publications, websites and agencies to target different communities, ages and genders.

3. Bear in mind that it may be easier to score applications in the same format, and justify selection. Candidates should be marked against the selection criteria and a shortlist of applicants drawn up.

4. At interview, ask all candidates the same questions to ensure consistency of scoring, with supplementary questions asked to clarify or explore the candidate's answers.

5. Provide a written offer to the successful candidate with a clear statement that the offer is subject to contract (if that is the case) and receipt of satisfactory references. The candidate should be advised of the probationary period relevant to their job at this stage.

6. Do not treat the reference as a formality – take the opportunity not only to check that a candidate is telling the truth in their application, but to find out more about the candidate. Consider whether to ask to take a reference verbally, when you may listen for hesitation, changes of tone, and probe accordingly.

7. Structure the probationary period effectively to ensure that: a. the new employee knows the specific goals or attainments that they are expected to achieve and the dates on which any progress meetings will take place; b. information on the employee's performance can be gathered and considered by you in good time – do not wait until the end of the probationary period to discover that an employee is under-performing; c. feedback is given to the employee on their progress on a regular basis, so that the employee has the opportunity to improve; d. there is no chance that the employee successfully completes their probation "by default".

Everys Solicitors has a wealth of experience in advising on employment law.

If you would like to discuss your situation or find out more details please contact Simon Bean on 0800-8840640 or send an email to simon.bean@everys.co.uk