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BUSINESS: The Ultimate ResourceApril 2003 Upgrade #7

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2003

ACTIONLIST

What to Do When You Have Made a Poor HiringDecision

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, anew 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 othermembers 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 time-

consuming to repair.

My company recently brought in a senior executive, who relocated atconsiderable personal and financial cost. Its clear that the hiring decisionwas 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 executivesemployment 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 smellof alcohol on his breath, and his timekeeping is poor. Whats the bestapproach?

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 thebreath and the sloppy timekeeping, perhaps a warning is all thats necessary. But if


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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 stepsbefore 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.


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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


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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 high-

performing 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

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