How you are measured: objectives, KPIs and probation

What objectives and KPIs are, how to find out what good looks like in your job, and how probation and one-to-ones work.

At school and university you always knew how you were being marked. At work it is often left unsaid. You can do a lot of good work on the wrong things simply because nobody told you what counted. This lesson is about finding out.

Kind of job	A KPI you might be given	What it is really asking
Customer service	Average customer rating	Are customers happy with how they were helped?
Sales	Value of sales each month	Are you bringing in what the business planned for?
Accounts or admin	Invoices processed, and error rate	Is the work done on time, and is it right?
Professional services	Chargeable hours recorded	Is your time being spent on client work that can be billed?
Any job	Deadlines met	Can people rely on you?

Five questions for your first month

If nobody has told you how you are measured, ask your manager. These are normal questions and good managers like being asked them.

"What does a good first three months look like in this role?"
"Which numbers or targets is the team measured on, and which of them does my work affect?"
"How will I know how I am doing: do we have regular one-to-ones?"
"When is my probation review, and what will you be looking at?"
"What is the most useful thing I could get better at first?"

Probation

Many jobs start with a probation period: a trial of a few months, set out in your contract, during which your employer decides whether to confirm you in the role. Notice periods are often shorter during it. The details are different in every job, so read yours.

A typical first six months

Week 1
Induction. Find your written terms, ask how you will be measured, and note your probation review date.
Month 1
First one-to-ones. Agree a few objectives with your manager, in writing if you can.
Halfway through probation
Ask for a check-in if one is not offered: "Is there anything you would like to see more of before my review?"
End of probation
Review meeting. You are confirmed in the role, the period is extended, or occasionally the job ends.
After that
Regular one-to-ones, and a yearly or half-yearly review, often linked to pay.

Timings vary. Your contract and your employer's policy say how yours works.

Using one-to-ones well

Bring a short list: what you have finished, what you are stuck on, what you need a decision on.
Ask for feedback on something specific. "How was the report I sent on Tuesday?" gets a better answer than "How am I doing?"
Write down what you agree, and send it back in two lines afterwards.
If a target looks out of reach, say so early and ask what would help. A surprise at the review helps nobody.