As a leader, there’s nothing worse than hiring a new employee who seems like the perfect fit, only to realize that they’re not living up to expectations.
According to a frequently cited study, only 19% of new hires are considered fully successful. By the 18-month point, 46% are deemed failures. If you’ve found yourself in this situation, you know the dilemma of whether it’s worse to be stuck with an employee who can’t handle the work and is damaging to the team, or to go public with the admission that you’ve made a significant mistake. When faced with a bad hire, it’s important to take action sooner rather than later. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to recover and move on with minimal damage to all parties.
Here are four steps you can take when you have made a bad hire, this is how you move forward;
Provide coaching: As a leader, hoping for the best or trying to avoid a confrontation won’t work. It is best to have a direct and honest conversation with the new hire. Discuss your dissatisfaction with their performance and any issues you’ve observed. By sharing your concerns and asking for their input, you will discover workable alternatives. This can also be an opportunity for the employee to recognize the problems and be grateful for the chance to clear the air and work on a solution together.
Learn from your mistakes: As a leader, after a bad hire, it’s important to take a step back and evaluate what went wrong in the hiring process. Did you not thoroughly check references? Did you overlook red flags during the interview? By learning from your mistakes, you can improve your hiring process and increase the chances of making a successful hire in the future.
Switch their role: If the employee is struggling in their current role, consider reassigning them to a position that better suits their skills and interests. This can be especially effective if the company is experiencing growth and has flexible organizational parameters. Just be sure to provide the necessary training and support to ensure a smooth transition.
Cut your losses: If coaching and reassignment don’t work. it’s time to cut your losses and let the employee go. This will be a difficult decision, but it’s important to consider both the current and future expense of keeping the bad hire. If the employee’s negative impact on the team or business is too great. It’s impractical to look for other internal opportunities or invest in ongoing development. In these cases, it’s better to make the tough decision and move on.
By following these steps, you can minimize the impact of a bad hire. By being proactive, you can move forward with a stronger, more effective team.
Lead From Within: Dealing with a bad hire is never easy, but the best leaders learn what to do and how to move forward successfully.
#1 N A T I O N A L B E S T S E L L E R
The Leadership Gap
What Gets Between You and Your Greatness
After decades of coaching powerful executives around the world, Lolly Daskal has observed that leaders rise to their positions relying on a specific set of values and traits. But in time, every executive reaches a point when their performance suffers and failure persists. Very few understand why or how to prevent it.
Additional Reading you might enjoy:
- 12 Successful Leadership Principles That Never Grow Old
- A Leadership Manifesto: A Guide To Greatness
- How to Succeed as A New Leader
- 12 of The Most Common Lies Leaders Tell Themselves
- 4 Proven Reasons Why Intuitive Leaders Make Great Leaders
- The One Quality Every Leader Needs To Succeed
- The Deception Trap of Leadership
Of Lolly’s many awards and accolades, Lolly was designated a Top-50 Leadership and Management Expert by Inc. magazine. Huffington Post honored Lolly with the title of The Most Inspiring Woman in the World. Her writing has appeared in HBR, Inc.com, Fast Company (Ask The Expert), Huffington Post, and Psychology Today, and others. Her newest book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness has become a national bestseller.