Onboarding and probation for Wooden Door Makers: door fitters and new hands in their first weeks
New hands in a door factory learn through whoever is nearby. A short induction and a probation review give each new person a standard and give you a fair decision.
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Share your requirementsWhy onboarding and probation matters in wooden door makers
A new sander is put at a bench and shown for ten minutes. A new fitter is sent to site with a senior who is in a hurry. Problems show up in the first month as rework or a customer complaint, and by then the person has either settled badly or left. The owner has no record of what was taught or what was expected.
Good looks like a one week plan for each trade: safety, the sample boards, the method for the work and who to ask. A named buddy, a short check at the end of the first month, and a probation review against the finish standard. The decision to confirm or extend is based on that record.
How to set it up
1. Prepare a first week plan
List what a new sander, press hand or fitter learns each day, with a buddy named. Use real orders from this month, not examples.
2. Show the standard
Walk through the sample boards and the last warping or finish complaint so the person sees what matters.
3. Check at the end of week one
The buddy and supervisor ask what is clear and what is not, and note it. Our employee onboarding process uses the same short check.
4. Review at the end of the month
Compare the person's work with the finish standard and attendance. Note one strength and one thing to improve.
5. Decide on probation
Confirm, extend with a clear reason, or end. Keep the record in a single sheet per person. Keep the wording plain so a new joiner can follow it.
Check these first
Before changing anything, find out what is true today. These take an afternoon and use your own records.
- Ask the last three joiners what they were taught in the first week.
- Check how many new hands left in their first two months.
- Look at whether each new person has a named buddy.
- Read the notes of your last probation decision and see if the reasons were clear.
GullyHR can do this with you. Read how we approach onboarding and probation in general, or share your requirements and we will tell you where to start.
Questions owners ask
Long enough to see the work across a few batches. Your contract terms set the limits, and a qualified professional should advise on them. We help with the review process, not the legal terms.
A steady, patient worker from the same trade, not the busiest person. Give them a small allowance or recognition, and some protected time.
Treat it as a learning event with a short debrief, and add floor protection to the induction. Repeated damage needs a closer look at the person and the supervision.