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Your Employees Are Failing

After going through the hiring process and finding the right candidate for the job, you feel confident that you’ve made a good choice. And then, you make an assessment after a few weeks and realize that, like a bad romantic relationship, this just isn’t going to work. What signs did you miss? Did the employee change? How and why did your best choice not pan out?

  • You focused solely on skills. Having the skills for the job actually only goes so far — if the candidate doesn’t have a solid cultural fit as well, the chances of that person working out in the long run go way down. You really need to assess not only experience and prerequisites for the position but also whether that person’s work ethic, methods, and personality go along with the rest of your team’s. If you’ve got a candidate who has the necessary skills but works best in a one-on-one environment, and your company thrives on team-based projects, that’s not a good fit. If you run a very professional office and the candidate prefers a more casual approach, prepare for discord. 
  • The interview didn’t reflect reality. Let’s face it; a savvy candidate goes into an interview presenting his best face and on his best behavior. He uses the adage, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” to his advantage; then, once he secures the job, the real personality shines through after a few weeks. His work ethic doesn’t have the same intensity that he promised, he passes the buck on responsibility, or as above, he simply doesn’t fit in with the company culture. This situation reinforces the importance of checking with references before hiring.
  • You didn’t properly onboard. Some employees do well with a cursory walk around the office, a week of basic training, and a toss into the deep end, but most don’t. Employees who receive careful onboarding with training, a mentor, and regular check-ins with a manager within the first 60 days or so tend to stay on because the company has ensured that the new hires understand expectations, goals, and duties. 
  • You rushed the process. When you have to rush to fill a position, you may well end up hiring the wrong person. It could be a combination of factors: an incomplete job description; a lack of fitting the skills required with the skills of the candidate; you took the recommendation of a friend over truly vetting the person…whatever the reason, hiring the first or easiest person instead of the “right” person rarely makes for a good fit.

Finding the best person for a job takes time and thoroughness for it to be done right. For help finding your next great hire, partner with the Thousand Oaks staffing agency, PrideStaff Thousand Oaks.

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