Introductory Employment Period

Newly hired employees and employees who transfer into a new position are subject to the Introductory Employment Period (IEP). The IEP begins on the first day of employment in the employee's new position and continues for 180 days (and may thereafter be extended). 

Managers should meet regularly with the employee to discuss performance expectations and responsibilities. The IEP offers an opportunity for the manager to assess the employee’s suitability for the position and whether the employee can successfully apply their skills and expertise to the new role or work environment.

Areas of competency that should be evaluated include key performance factors and other expectations for the position. The university offers a number of online training resources for managers and employees to assist with learning new skills or refreshing existing skills.

Employees within an Introductory Employment Period are ineligible for transfer/promotion to another regular position at the university. GW employees within an IEP who apply to open positions will be disqualified. 

Purpose of IEP

The IEP provides an opportunity for the manager and the employee to assess whether the employee is suitable for their new position and to make an initial assessment on the employee's likelihood of future success. The IEP does not alter the at-will nature of employment: employees or the university may end the employment relationship at any time, including prior to the end of the six-month IEP, and successful completion of the IEP does not guarantee continued employment.

IEP Applicability

The IEP applies to all benefits-eligible staff employees, except librarians who fall under the Code for Librarians. If there is a direct conflict between this guidance and an applicable collective bargaining agreement, the collective bargaining agreement will prevail.

The following provides a framework and helpful suggestions for managers to assist the employee during the IEP.

Managers should discuss performance expectations and responsibilities with the employee and have them create IEP goals (that can be changed or expanded upon after successful completion of the IEP). Managers may use the Clarifying Expectations Tool (PDF) to facilitate this process. The IEP offers an opportunity for the manager to assess the employee's suitability for the position and whether the employee can successfully apply his or her skills and expertise to the new role or work environment. GW performance factors and other expectations for the position should be evaluated; managers may refer to online resources available in the Professional Growth section of the HR website.

Within First Month

  • The employee should have a copy of his/her position description. Managers should make sure to address any questions employees may have about the position description. The first month is a period to get to know key members of the employee's unit and for the unit to get to know the employee.
  • Managers and employees should proactively engage in regular communication to clarify performance expectations. These performance expectations, coupled with priorities for the department, will form the basis for goals for the new employee. The new employee should enter these goals in [email protected], and the manager should review and approve them. Goals can be updated at any time. Priorities and goals can change, so regular communication to ensure the employee understands expectations is key to the employee successfully completing the IEP.
  • The employee should review GW's key performance factors as well as GW's Values. Managers should ensure that employees understand the performance factors and answer any questions employees may have on how they are being evaluated.
  • Managers should encourage the employee to follow the guidance on the “Preparing for Your First Day” and “In Your First 30 Days” webpages.

Within First 90 Days

  • The employee and manager should meet for an informal discussion around day 90 (halfway through the IEP) to discuss the employee's progress toward meeting performance expectations.

Within First 180 Days

  • The employee and manager should continue to engage in regular communication about the employee's performance. Managers should give the employee feedback on his/her performance and make clear any areas in which the employee could improve as well as areas in which the employee is performing well.

The IEP is intended to assess the employee's suitability for the position and current and future success in the role. At any point during the IEP, managers or employees may engage with their HR representative to discuss the IEP process as well as any questions or concerns. The university also offers a number of online training resources for managers and employees to assist with learning new skills or refreshing existing skills.

Managers may consider if there are performance issues, including:

  • Excessive absenteeism and tardiness
  • Inability to successfully build relationships with team members or other stakeholders
  • Failure to complete assigned tasks or fulfill responsibilities in an effective manner, which may include incomplete work, inattentiveness to timelines, lack of follow through, lack of prioritizing or poor decision making
  • Disruptive behavior
  • Lack of ownership of areas in the employee's scope of responsibility

Managers who have concerns about suitability, future success or performance issues during the IEP should do the following:

  • Promptly inform the employee regarding any concerns, including:
  • Explaining the performance concerns
  • Identifying the skills and competencies not being met
  • Clarifying expectations

Notify your HR representative of serious or ongoing concerns. Your HR representative is available to provide you with guidance about how best to provide employees with feedback.

Managers should document communications advising the employee of the issue(s). Documentation could take the form of an email or memorandum to the employee or notes reflecting a conversation. For available Performance Counseling templates, managers may contact their HR representative.

There may be instances of performance or misconduct where immediate termination is appropriate. Consult with your HR representative regarding any decision about whether the employee should continue for the duration of the IEP, or separate from employment. Any actions to separate an employee during the IEP must be reviewed and approved by your HR representative.

Under certain circumstances it may be appropriate to extend the IEP to provide the manager with additional time to assess the employee's performance and likelihood of future success in the role. Examples that might warrant an extension of the IEP are:

  • The employee's manager changed during the IEP
  • The employee's role is modified to include new duties
  • The employee is on approved extended leave
  • The employee may have experienced performance issues but has demonstrated, in the judgment of the manager, improvement that may require additional time to assess

The HR representative must approve any extensions in advance of notification of the employee.

Successful Completion of the IEP

When an employee has successfully completed the IEP, the manager should:

  1. Complete the IEP form (PDF),
  2. Schedule a meeting with the employee to discuss performance and to develop goals for the annual performance management process, and
  3. Submit the completed form to the HR representative.

The employee should collaborate with the manager on setting goals for the annual performance management process.

Review the Goal Agreement and follow the guidance on the Goal Setting section of the Performance Management page.

Unsuccessful Completion of the IEP

The manager's recommendation that the IEP was not completed successfully must be reviewed and approved by the HR representative. Unsuccessful completion may result in either extension of the IEP (for the reasons identified above) or termination of employment, as agreed upon by the manager and HR representative.