Have you ever heard someone say that “She was born to be” something, or that “He was wired” for a certain career? Why is it that these people thrive, while others in similar positions struggle and fail?
It’s because when you have an employee in a role that aligns with their passions, skills and strengths, they excel. When the employee is not a good fit, their coworkers and the business suffer.
Well-known recruiter Jörgen Sundberg puts the cost of onboarding an employee at $240,000—that’s a huge price to pay for the wrong person. So, why does hiring a poor fit happen so often?
According to a study released by Robert Half, a global staffing firm, of the more than 2100 chief financial officers (CFOs) surveyed, the majority were most concerned about degraded staff morale (39 percent) and a drop in productivity (34 percent). Monetary costs came in third (25 percent).
“A bad hiring decision can often cause a negative ripple effect through the organization,” said Greg Scileppi, president of international staffing operations at Robert Half.
“Hiring a bad fit or someone who lacks the skills needed to perform well has the potential to leave good employees with the burden of damage control, whether it be extra work or redoing work that wasn’t completed correctly the first time,” he said. “The added pressure on top performers could put employers at risk of losing them, too.”
Other findings from the survey include:
- Supervisors spend, on average, 17 percent of their time managing poorly performing employees.
- Sixty percent of hiring managers report that bad hires don’t get along with co-workers.
- Forty-one percent of hiring managers estimate the cost of a bad hire in the thousands of dollars.
- It takes five weeks, on average, to fill a staff-level position and 7.5 weeks to fill a management position.
Sometimes, an organization is desperate to fill a vacant role and hires a person who they think is “good enough.” Maybe an employee presents himself or herself in a certain way during the interview process, gets the job, and then shows their true colors.
Or, maybe neither party truly understands the skills required for the job, or the interviewer wasn’t asking the right questions, or the company culture is a bad fit…I could go on and on.
No matter the reason, the results are the same. The overwhelmed employee gets fired or quits—or worse, sticks around unenthused and unproductive, simply because they need the paycheck or don’t want to look for a new job.
Fortunately, there are some proactive steps you can take at the beginning of the hiring process to ensure you end up with the right candidate every time.
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Properly define the job before you start interviewing.
Start with a clear job description and details on what’s expected of the new employee. Not only will it help you set clear expectations during the hiring process, but it gives you a reference point one, three or six months down the road when you’re measuring performance.
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Pre-screen potential candidates.
By having a phone conversation with a potential employee, you can get a feel for the person, whether it’s a red flag around their employment history or a gut instinct that they’d be a great fit on your team. This way, you don’t waste both parties’ time on fruitless in-person interviews unless you think they’re a solid contender.
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Do a COREMap Assessment.
Why leave finding the ideal employee to chance during the hiring process? With a COREMap Assessment, you’ll get the complete picture that includes:
- Strengths and abilities
- Emotional intelligence
- Personal development levels
- Reactionary patterns
- Coping skills
- Core competency development
- Management and training requirements
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Ensure you have a standardized interviewing process.
According to a 2015 talent acquisition study from Brandon Hall Group and Glassdoor, organizations that lack a standardized interviewing process are five times more likely to make a bad hire than those that do have such a process.
A standardized interview process provides a consistent process for all candidates, and it’s invaluable for recruiters and interviewers.
By implementing these tips and hiring an HR professional, you can be sure you’re getting the optimal candidates for any position. By encouraging potential employees to discover their natural strengths and skills, you’re not only helping them; you’re helping your business succeed and grow.
Let’s start with a free consultation to see how I can lead you to hiring and retaining the best and brightest employees. Give me a call at 903-245-2199.
Business Management, Career Management, Productivity, Team Management