Hiring the wrong person can be a really costly mistake. No matter many references you check, how many personality tests you administered, and how many interviews you conducted, you still ended up with a dud employee. Whether they’re missing deadlines, not meshing with the rest of the team, or just churning out subpar work, you have to act before it’s too late. But that might not mean letting them go. Here’s what to do when you hire the wrong person.
Set a deadline
You don’t have to make a final decision on your employee right this second, but you can’t let a negative situation go on forever. As long as your struggling employee isn’t directly causing you to lose revenue or crushing your team’s morale, set a goal for improvement with a firm deadline that makes sense for you and your company. If they haven’t improved before then, six weeks, three months, or six months from now, then it might be time for them to go. If you keep putting off a decision, keeping a toxic employee around, you’ll waste time and resources.
Talk to your team
You should already be meeting regularly with your new employee to check-in and offer feedback. If you’re not, start doing that immediately! Next, meet with the rest of the team how your new employee’s doing. Find out how they’re meshing with everyone else and whether they’re an asset to the team or dragging everyone down. If everyone else feels like they’re working hard and willing to learn, they’re probably worth keeping.
Be honest
Your new hire probably feels the stress, too. They’re feeling challenged or unsure that they’re fitting in and they could use some feedback. Give them a chance to express how they’re feeling and let them know where you stand in the whole process.
Provide a mentor
A lasting solution might be as simple as a pairing your struggling employee with someone who can take them under their wing and provide a little guidance. Look for an employee who’s naturally nurturing or who’s in a similar role and can empathize with the challenges they’re having. Examine your overall on-boarding process. Have you welcomed the new employee properly? Have they been introduced to everyone in the right manner? It’s hard to work with people if you’re not sure of their names!
Develop some skills
It’s also hard to do job that you aren’t prepared for. Have you provided adequate training? Let your new hire know that some of their skills need developing and you’d like to work with them to find the right type of training. As long as they’re willing to learn and put in the extra work, keep them around. The right attitude can fix any situation.
A new employee who’s struggling doesn’t necessarily need to be fired. It might be a reflection of your on-boarding process or the fact that they need a tad more training. For more tips on how to handle a “bad hire,” check out our website at https://www.chiefofstaffkc.com.
Blog written by Erin Greenhalgh