Your employees are the lifeblood of your company, and one bad hire can severely impact your organization, which is why it is crucial to employ best practices when recruiting and hiring new employees.
How do you know if you made a bad hire?
There are several signs that indicate you've hired the wrong person for the job. Keep in mind that one of these signs alone does not necessarily mean you've made a bad hire. Rather, you have to analyze each case objectively, and consider the specific details and circumstances surrounding the employee you are evaluating.
Here are some examples:
The employee is not producing the quality of work you agreed upon
The employee does not have the skills they claimed to have in their interview
The employee has a bad attitude, is frequently disagreeable or critical, or does not embrace company culture.
They are chronically tardy or absent.
The employee repeatedly makes the same mistakes.
They blame others for their mistakes or failures.
You receive recurring negative customer reviews or complaints about the employee.
When hiring a new employee, it is important to properly train them on their projects and duties so they are equipped with the knowledge for success. Give them an adequate amount of time to take on their new responsibilities since there is bound to be a learning curve in the beginning.
If your new employee is consistently demonstrating the signs of a bad employee after the learning period ends, identify if the employee is simply displaying unexpected behavior or if it's due to an error in your hiring process
How to handle a bad hire?
1. Identify the problem and the reason behind it.
The first thing to do is evaluate and document employee performance. Common hiring errors include rushing to fill a position, hiring based on a resume as opposed to a skill set, listing inadequate talent requisition skills or failing to check job references. Identify trends and evaluate whether the problem is caused by an error in your hiring process, or if it is an employee. If one of the internal hiring mistakes is committed, you need to review your hiring process.
2. Discuss the problem with employees as soon as possible.
If the problem comes from employees, discuss the problem with them so they can correct their mistakes before they get out of control.
Many companies find that early action brings the best chance of success, allowing employees to improve themselves before they suffer irreparable reputational damage because they don’t meet company goals.
3. Adjust employee responsibilities as needed.
If employees work hard but are still unable to achieve their KPIs, they may not be the right candidate for the role. Give your new hiring time to adjust, but if any inappropriate behavior is marked to you, make sure you make sense in your assessment and look for patterns before making radical decisions or engaging in difficult conversations. If they are great employees, consider transferring them to another role that suits their talents. If the problem is more serious, stemming from bad work ethic or bad attitudes, the employee may not be suitable for the long term.
4. Find a replacement worker.
If the recruitment of new employees is not successful, it is recommended to review other qualified candidates before retrenchment. However, don’t rush to contact anyone for an interview until you’ve made the right decision to lay off an employee, but it’s a good idea to consider other potential candidates, just in case.
5. Terminate employees.
If you’ve done the analysis, discussed the problem with the employee, and still see poor results, it’s best to quit the job. If they fail to provide a strong work ethic and good attitude on a daily basis, it’s time to break up. Remember, your business is not personal, and you can’t keep it going if you let the wrong people hang out at your place of business all day. When laying off an employee, be kind, honest and direct. Make sure you comply with applicable state and federal laws.
Making a bad hire can be a daunting experience that costs significant time and money. At the same time, you can use it to learn more about your hiring processes and candidate experience and find ways to improve both. Just like any mistake, it can be extremely valuable if you use it to learn for next time. So, sign up today at Recruit Hero and get free 14-days trial of hiring. Stay tuned and do follow our Facebook and LinkedIn for more.