Lessons learned from a disappointing hire

Lessons learned from a disappointing hire The bad hire. Weve all got a war story or two (and if you dont, just wait), but the truth is it stings when you bring someone on board your company only to find out it was a mistake.The first bad hire that stands out to me was a perfect on paper candidate (well call herbeibeibei Jessica) whom Id hired for an administrative role on my HR team. Id felt an instant rapport with Jessica throughout the interview process she was very engaging. Truth be told, she was so engaging that I may have left out a couple questions during the interview because it was obvious that she was perfect for the job. She accepted the lokalitt and we agreed on a start date. It took a bit of time to nail that down, because she wanted to make sure she gave enough elendlageice to her former employer, and there was a family situation she wanted to resolve as well, but we agreed shed start in three weeks. She actually couldnt start the day she was supposed to because her car broke down on the way to work, and she didnt have another means of transportaiont, so she started a couple days after that, which was when I found out she hadnt had quite as much experience with administering benefits as Id hoped. Everyone loved her thoughdid I mention how personable and engaging she was?As Im sure youve guessed, Jessica did not turn it around and become the super star Id thought she would be. In fact, her attendance and work quality remained substandard and I eventually had to let her go, which made me sad, because she really was lovely. Lovely or not, bad hires are bad news period. Best case scenario you lose time and money training only to have to start over, but worst case can be much, much worse. Toxic, negligent, or criminal (its happened) hires can take you months to recover from, not to mention the hit on your credibility to bring a turkey home to roost. In my case, I oversaw all of menschengerecht Resources and trained managers on interviewing skills so wa s extra embarrassed at having made a bad call. But, like all bad situations you encounter in life, this was not without its up side. I learned some valuable lessons from Jessica that have helped me throughout the career.1) Conduct the interview in its entiretyIts an interviewing and HR best practice to construct good interview questions ahead of time and ask all the candidates the same questions. This is your number one defense should you get hit with a failure to hire case. I recommend behavioral questions (tell me about a time you) rather than situational (what would you do if) and focus as much on work culture as on knowledge skills and abilities. Candidates and hiring managers alike need to take the interview very seriously, so as not to enter into a bad match. But you know when youre least likely to stick to the questions? Yup, its when you really like the candidate That, and/or when you perceive that they are very high level or even overqualified is when you you may find yours elf reluctant to be too formal. Be too formal Even if your Sales Manager candidate was VP Of Business Development at a much larger competitor this does not mean shes done all the things your company needs her to do and it definitely is no guarantee shes a fit for your culture. No matter their hintergrund or how much you like them, ask the questions. Now that I do this, Im surprised at how many times I uncover potential landmines and conversely, the gold Ive mined from less flashy candidates.2) Pay attention to the signsI didnt fully learn this after Jessica, but a few more bad hires taught me that the signs are usually there if youre vigilant. Im now of the opinion that if anything seems off about the pre-boarding behavior, you should just end it. Immediately. Dont make the mistake of saying Well, except for taking a day longer to get me his references than he said he would, hes perfect or, I guess anyones Grandma could get sick the day before the interview. Id be a jerk not to resc hedule, or Shes got a great resume, she was probably just a little nervous in the interview. Sure, its possible they may be great, but I cant honestly think of any great candidate that had red flags that I ignored and was glad I did. Like I always tell hiring managers, if theres any drama before they are hired, no matter how random it may seem to be, proceed at your own risk.3) Dont prolong the inevitableThere are two potential mistakes in a bad hire bringing them on board, and keeping them on board. Dont let embarrassment about number one cause you to make number two. The biggest takeaway from my disappointing hire was that you cant delay addressing it. Its hard to admit you made a mistake, and no one wants to go back to square one in the hiring process, but not dealing with it never helps. If, after you hire, you see gaps in the persons knowledge, unprofessional behavior, or worse, not addressing it makes it worse every single time. Its possible (unlikely, but I have seen it happ en a couple times over the last twenty years) that some direct and honest feedback early on will correct and turn around problem behavior. If it does, yay If it doesnt, youve done your fair share in appeasing the HR gods.At the end of the day, I did learn to stop beating myself up for making a disappointing hire. Life goes on after all, and if you havent made any mistakes, you havent taken enough risks. Im glad the situation happened, because it was a good reminder not to let how much I liked a candidate cloud my judgment.