What went wrong?

You placed the job ad, did the interviews, and hired the person you thought fit the best. It’s been three months, and things are not going as well as you thought they would. First off, you are not alone! Many employers are scratching their heads trying to figure out what went wrong. Ultimately, we all want to learn from our mistakes so that we don’t keep repeating them. So, what happened?

For the sake of looking deeper into this issue, let’s assume that there were no issues with management and that the wage or salary was competitive. Below are a few reasons why a new hire is not doing well or leaves the organization quickly. In most of these cases, the issues can be fixed in the hiring process.

Scenario A

If two or more people are deciding on who to hire or managing the workload, this can prove to be a constant struggle. Making sure that these individuals are on the same page will be the priority. You will need to start the hiring process with the same goals; otherwise, each person will come into the process with their own agenda and ideas. The same will happen with managing the new person and the performance evaluation. One individual may be happy with the performance and the other not, which will cause friction not only between the two people managing but also with the new employee. 

The result

The easiest way to fix this issue is to have all parties who have a say in the position gather to complete or review the job description and ensure that the document is complete and accurate. The job description will set the priorities and then guide them through the hiring process to help them choose the best applicant.

Scenario B

Did you hire someone with more skills and experience than required? This is common, especially when there are more applicants than available jobs. Maybe you had your job description and were using it throughout the process but got a little sidetracked by that shiny object! It was an applicant with considerably more experience than required for the job, and they are not out of your salary range. Who wouldn’t be excited, right!  The problem with this scenario is that the individual is likely applying for every position available that remotely looks interesting as they really, really need a job and some income. Typically, what happens in this situation is that the applicant is hired and is doing great!  There is little time needed for training, and they can just jump in and get working. Eventually, they decided that they need more money and start looking again, or they never stopped looking. The other common issue is that they are bored and need more challenging work. Whether they intentionally took the job, knowing they would keep looking or not, the result is the same.

The result

The applicant exceeded your expectations by a mile, and you (or, more specifically, the organization and the job description) did not meet their expectations. To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, always keep your process focused on the “Must Have’s” list from your job description and make sure that you understand the applicant’s expectations for the job. When everyone understands the job description and expectations required, the result is usually better.

 Scenario C

This is your first (or maybe second) time hiring, and you have the resumes from the job ad and are starting to contact the applicants for interviews. You are likely nervous, who isn’t, for the interview process.  The applicant comes in and sits down across from you. Where do you start?  Most people start with a little chit-chat and then have a conversation about the position.  You’re getting to know each other. When all the interviews are completed, and it is time to make the decision, what information do you have to review? Usually, the person hiring at this point decides to hire the person they feel can do the job best. 

The result

The problem is you weren’t asking the right questions. You didn’t find out if the applicant has the skills, experience, education and ability to do the job. So now you are hiring with your gut instinct the person you liked the best.  By having a structured interview with predetermined questions, you can gather the information required to make an informed decision on who the best person for the job is.

 These are just a few of the more common issues I hear employers complain about. The best way to fix these and other issues is to have a properly executed hiring process that guides you and anyone else in the organization to more successful hiring outcomes. Is it time to review your hiring process?

 

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