BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource

April 2003 Upgrade #7

ACTIONLIST
What to Do When You Have Made a Poor Hiring Decision
Getting Started
No matter how careful your recruitment process, there are no guarantees that new hires will perform according to your expectations. A job candidate may perform impressively on tests, interview well, and bring sterling references; none of these can guard you against a poor hiring decision. Once hired, a new employee may reveal values that dont mesh with your organizational culture. The person may not get along with coworkers or have personal problems that spill over into the workplace. If such problems emerge once a new recruit is on board, you need to act quickly.

FAQs
I believe Ive recruited the best person for a particular position, but other members of the team disagree. How can I reassure them? Your recruit may have a different set of values or way of working from existing team members. If so, you need to work especially hard on integrating the new person. This may mean bringing the team together for some relationship building, and setting expectations around how each will contribute to the teams role in the company. Make this an early priority. Relationships that are allowed to go bad are difficult and timeconsuming to repair. My company recently brought in a senior executive, who relocated at considerable personal and financial cost. Its clear that the hiring decision was a mistake. Where do we go from here? First, dont allow the circumstances of the hiring decision to affect your response now. Avoiding or fudging the issue is in no ones interest. The executives employment contract should have a clause specifying what level of compensation he or she is entitled to for termination. Interpret it liberally to minimize the distress and inconvenience the person will undoubtedly face. But once youve decided you made a bad choice, you should bite the bullet and waste no time in issuing notice of termination. My new employee has some worrisome habits. He frequently has the smell of alcohol on his breath, and his timekeeping is poor. Whats the best approach? Alcohol abuse is dangerous, and in the workplace it should be dealt with quickly and decisively. If the person is still performing adequately and its just a matter of the breath and the sloppy timekeeping, perhaps a warning is all thats necessary. But if

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource

April 2003 Upgrade #7

the problem persists and starts affecting the persons work and relationships, stronger measures will be required. Refer to your employee manual for guidance on the appropriate action to take. The employees participation in a rehabilitation program and joining Alcoholics Anonymous may suffice. If your organization has no such manual, a professional or trade association might help you, or you might ask a government agency that deals with health and safety issues for advice. If all else fails, you probably have little recourse but to terminate the persons employment.

Making It Happen
Face Up to the Problem Admitting that you made a bad hire is extremely uncomfortable. You may be embarrassed that in the interview you failed to notice warning signs that seem obvious in retrospect, and feel that youve wasted precious time and resources. Furthermore, you may feel frustrated and guilty about what lies aheadthe prolonged process of firing one person while beginning recruitment all over again. Once youve acknowledged the problem, you need to take several specific steps before you terminate the persons employment. Set Clear Objectives for the Employee People starting a new job often find that the job requirements are ambiguous. If you suspect youve made a bad hire, go back to the job description. Make sure its clear, and satisfy yourself that the new employee understands his or her responsibilities and objectives. Clarify any questions or uncertainties, and keep a close coaching eye on how the person responds. Review Your Employee Orientation Practices Its not necessarily easy for a newcomer to feel at home in an unfamiliar organization. Orientation programs can go some way toward easing the transition, but they may not keep new employees from stepping on some sensitive organizational toes and creating a poor first impression. This is unfortunate, because newcomers frequently bring experience and fresh ideas that can usefully shake up stale organizational habits. Managers need to strike a delicate balance between promoting innovative ideas and remaining sensitive to the organizations equilibrium. Offer Additional Training Its not at all unusual for there to be a skills or knowledge gap between someones former experience and new job requirements. The recruitment decision may appear to have been poor when in fact some additional training and development would do the trick. You dont necessarily need to turn to expensive external training programs; it may be a question of having the new employee shadow someone who is successful in the relevant area and arrange for a period of coaching. Make Sure Youre Providing Adequate Support People coming into new jobs with lots of background experience are often left to get on with it without a lot of supervision. This doesnt always provide the framework necessary for them to meet their objectives. People need supervision, guidance, and support until they learn how to meet the demands of a new job. After that, they need less support.

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource

April 2003 Upgrade #7

Meet the Employee to Review the Situation A new employee who is performing poorly will undoubtedly be sensitive to a managers disappointment and anxious about his or her future in the company. An early, one-on-one performance review may be helpful in allowing both parties to raise issues of concern. They should agree on performance targets and time frames for compliance. If the hire eventually turns out to have been a mistake, the record of this meeting will be important evidence in any termination procedure. Coach the Employee Coaching is essential if the early signs in someones employment are disappointing. Although coaching takes time, its a good investment if it turns the employees performance around. Good coaching techniques can develop the employees resourcefulness, and are much more productive than merely telling him or her what to do. Consider Extending the Employees Probation From a practical standpoint, its much easier to fire someone if the new employee is still in the probationary period; once full employment has been confirmed, the legal requirements are more convoluted. Sometimes it makes the most sense to extend the employees probation to give other interventions time to work. Make sure the person understands exactly why this extension is being given, and give him or her explicit verbal and written warnings of what the consequences will be if performance doesnt improve. Create a Contingency Plan to Cover the Job Most organizations cant afford to leave key positions vacant or in transition for long periods. Formulate contingency plans to cover the job should it be vacated again. These may include bringing in temporary support staff, borrowing someone from another team, or allocating specific tasks to others capable of meeting the performance criteria. Before you decide to fire the individual, consider whether the person might be better suited to another job in the organization. If not, and the firing comes after the probationary period is over, be sure you follow your companys procedures to the letter to avoid complaints or, worse, a lawsuit. Prolonging the agony of a bad hire isnt good for anyone. Tackling your mistake promptly and professionally is best for both the employee and the organization.

Common Mistakes
You Dont Explore the Situation Fully Dont rush to the conclusion that youve made a bad hire without stopping to look at the big picture. Hasty decisions can result in grievances or lawsuits for harassment or unfair dismissal. Take the time to explore the persons poor performance from a variety of angles and to follow your organizations procedures carefully. Its an Organizational Problem Underperformance often results from management problems instead of an individuals inability to do the job. If your organizations recruitment process doesnt

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

BUSINESS: The Ultimate Resource

April 2003 Upgrade #7

give new employees every opportunity to perform well, review the process to see how it can be improved. Performance problems frequently stem from poor communication. Managers must clearly articulate their expectations, thoroughly explain organizational processes and systems, and provide appropriate support to deal with employees questions or concerns. The New Recruit Isnt Given Time to Improve Dont be too hasty in firing new employees. You shouldnt let a bad situation fester, but at the same time you need to give the employee time to understand how seriously you take the situation and help in remedying it. This means giving early feedback, guidance, and advice, and meeting regularly to monitor progress. You should still be aiming for the original outcome of the hire: for the employee to function as a highperforming member of the team.

For More Information

Book: Price, Alan. Human Resource Management in a Business Context. Florence, KY: Thomson Learning, 2002. Web Sites: Business Town.com: www.businesstown.com/hiring/hiring-advice.asp My Lawyer.com: www.divorcelawinfo2.com/mylawyer/guideview.asp?layer=2&article=50 Find Law for business: www.smallbiz.biz.findlaw.com/hr/hiring

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003