As litigation becomes more common, organisations are now at greater risk from disgruntled employees lodging claims with Employment Tribunals.
Some may feel they have nothing to lose, despite their cases being spurious, especially if ill-advised friends encourage them.
So, as a business manager, what can you do to ensure you achieve adequate standards that minimise your risks, so avoiding the all-consuming and costly Tribunal process?
My research shows the most likely time that working relationships deteriorate rapidly is when a new recruit has been with a firm for between 12 to 15 months. The start of the problems can usually be traced back to the employee's first three months.
Here are five key points to bear in mind:
1. Don't rush into recruitment unless you are clear what the scope of the job is and have a person specification covering knowledge, skills, experience and attitudes needed.
2. Do ensure you, or whoever is recruiting, has been properly trained. An untrained interviewer has less than a 30% chance of success
3. Never hire an apparently interesting individual through an unsolicited cv when you have no vacancy
4. Do provide effective induction training and a review of progress. Listen to training needs expressed by the new recruit and act on them.
5. Confront marginal performance early on, but do so constructively, and do not leave this until the annual appraisal. Always follow the firm's procedures.