When Your New Hire is a Misfire

Recruiting and hiring talent is at best, an inexact science. Irrespective of the amount of time and money invested, how thorough the interview process, or the number and type of assessment tools you use, getting the right person for the right position is never guaranteed. Two questions remain: How/when will you know, and what will you do when you find out?

In some cases, the thought may be that the person in question simply needs more time to adjust, fit in, “learn the ropes,” etc. And in fact, this does happen. No sense in acting too quickly. After all, there is a lot invested in bringing on a new team member, for them, for their co-workers and for the entire enterprise.

There is no boiler plate way to know for sure whether you’ve made the wrong hire. So many factors are in play. Was the onboarding process what it should be? Are the appropriate measurement targets in place? Have expectations been clearly expressed in writing with check-in meetings scheduled?

No matter how you answer these questions, there is one more telling factor to consider. As one CEO told me recently, “sometimes, you just know. And once you know, it’s best to act quickly.

No one wins once it becomes clear that this new relationship just will not work, yet the person remains on the job. Chances are the individual in question knows they are misplaced. So do their co-workers. This makes for an environment that is awkward at best and toxic at worst.

Acting on the obvious won’t win the executive any awards. It can, however, renew the confidence the rest of the team has in their judgement and their commitment to the entire organization.

For more information on ways to help ensure better hiring outcomes, contact me at joe@ajstrategy.com or visit my website at ajstrategy.com. 

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions.