Hiring the wrong person can be a costly mistake. And sometimes it’s almost impossible to avoid – no matter how thoroughly you checked references, how many personality tests you did, and how many times you interviewed your candidate, you still ended up with a dud employee. Whether it’s because they’re missing deadlines, not meshing with the rest of the team or just turning out subpar work, you have to act before it’s too late. However, 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 on the spot, but you can’t let things go on forever. If your struggling employee isn’t directly causing you to lose revenue or crushing your team’s morale, you can set a deadline that makes sense for you and your company. If they haven’t improved before that deadline, whether it’s six weeks, three months or six months, then you need to make the final call. If you keep putting off a decision, keeping a toxic employee around in the meantime, 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 to discuss how your new employee is doing. Find out how they’re meshing with everyone else and whether they’re an asset to the team or they’re dragging everyone down. If everyone else feels the employee is working hard and willing to learn, they may be worth keeping.
Be honest
Your new hire probably feels the stress, too. They may be feeling challenged or unsure whether they’re fitting in and 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 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 onboarding 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 a job you aren’t prepared for. Have you provided adequate training? Let your new hire know that some of their skills need improvement and you’d like to work with them to find the right type of training. If they’re willing to learn and put in the extra work, they’re probably worth keeping.
If a new employee is struggling, it doesn’t necessarily mean you need to fire them immediately. It might be due to your onboarding process or the fact they need a bit more training. For more tips on how to handle a “bad hire,” contact our team today.
