I think about half of the dev jobs I've had started with a 3 month probationary period, during which either myself or the employer can decide "never mind" without serious consequences.
As the new hire, I strongly prefer it for the exact reason you state: it's pretty hard to know if I'm a good fit in a company prior to actually working there. I've used the probationary period twice to get out of such mistakes.
As the hiring company, it's also a great thing for exactly the same reason but from the other side of the equation.
Lots of companies do this. I think more companies should join the bandwagon.
The idea is that you haven't really quit early, you've opted not to take the position. It's really more of an expectations thing than anything else. Nobody's going to be mad that you decided not to stay.
For the two times that I've opted not to stay, I just don't list those companies in my work history at all. I've never been asked about them in an interview and have never had to explain.
If I were to be asked, though, I'd just say something like "I decided that I wasn't a great fit and left during the trial period so that the company had the best chance of finding a more suitable candidate in a timely way."
that sounds great and i wish i could've done something like that in the past.
however i'm used to not quitting one job until i have the next one lined up (especially now that the interview process can take months to go from application to start date).
> i'm used to not quitting one job until i have the next one lined up
Well, that certainly affects your flexibility with this sort of thing. Many years ago, I learned that this stance is too limiting for me and sometimes encouraged me to take jobs that I shouldn't have taken.
Everyone is different, of course, but what works for me is to keep enough of a bankroll on hand that I can go at least 6 months without an income (Although these days I keep 1-2 years worth). That gives me the breathing room to be pickier about where I work.
As the new hire, I strongly prefer it for the exact reason you state: it's pretty hard to know if I'm a good fit in a company prior to actually working there. I've used the probationary period twice to get out of such mistakes.
As the hiring company, it's also a great thing for exactly the same reason but from the other side of the equation.
Lots of companies do this. I think more companies should join the bandwagon.