Traditionally in January, people start thinking about cleaning house, both literally and figuratively. Articles pop up online about how to deep clean your dishwasher (is that a thing?!), how often to wash your comforter and, of course, a myriad of content about how to be a better self in the New Year. At our house, we are cleaning out closets, attacking dust mites with a vengeance, and even getting the carpets cleaned. We have replaced pillows, bought new rugs for the hallway, and scrubbed the floor tile until it shines! Personally, we want to clean out the old to make room for the new!
In addition, we are also helping companies’ clean house at work. Now is the time that we often hear from organizations who want to ramp up during the next few months and know that staffing will be critical. Along with replacing the last year’s files with this year’s in the filing cabinet, many companies also begin to hire for open and new positions. The downfall is that we often do not move into a new space with new tools. We read the article on deep cleaning the dishwasher, then fail to make the steps to actually clean it. We examine the people on our teams and clearly see improvements, yet we fail to move into action. This year, we encourage you to review your interview and hiring process. Revamp job descriptions and determine ideal profiles for your positions.
The power of refreshment is invigorating as we are often making space for something new. It just feels so good to clean up! Our mantra has always been that you can’t move forward until you clean up the past, and you can’t create something new until you make room for it.
A few weeks ago, I received a phone call from a frantic client who had to fire someone. She was late, she was dropping balls, and worst of all, there had been multiple client complaints. He tried everything that he could to get her up to speed: he sent her to training classes; he moved her office into his; he wrote list after list of processes so that she could learn… nothing worked. After 2 years, it was time to let her go.
My client was just horrified to take this action. He kept saying how nice she was, what a good person she was, and how much he liked her. Yet, she wasn’t getting the job done. He was doing her job AND his, all the while paying her to do a job not well done.
Here is the bottom line: if someone isn’t successful in their job, they aren’t happy. If they aren’t happy, they aren’t successful. They have to LOVE their job to be good at it. If they aren’t good at it, then everyone loses. Your job as their boss is to recognize when someone isn’t being successful, and do everything that you can to help them be successful. Then, if that doesn’t work, you need to let them go. You deserve an employee who loves working for you, and your fired employee deserves a chance at happiness. If it isn’t working for you, then it isn’t working for them either.
What I really appreciate about this client is that he isn’t excited about firing this person. He isn’t making this decision lightly, and it doesn’t feel good to him. This time, we will hire the right fit by going through the A-list Interviews 7 Step Process, so that this doesn’t happen again.
I always find the hiring process fascinating, especially when I begin working with people who have had employees on staff for an extended period of time that are not a good fit. They almost always report to me “I knew it was not going to work out” after we get to a place where we are going to let go of an employee and begin searching for the perfect candidate to hire.
As many of my conversations with new clients go, I met with a potential new client who began the conversation with “You have to know that I am BAD at hiring.”
I said, “How do you know?”
He said, “Because I just fired the worst hire EVER.”
I asked, “When did you know that this employee was the worst hire ever?”
He said, “I knew the first day. I just KNEW it was not going to work out. And I have known that for 2 years.”
Now two years may be somewhat extreme, but I hear many of my clients report that they hired someone, knew they were not going to work out almost immediately, then left the person in the position for months if not years just to avoid having to interview again. Instead I challenge you fellow business owner to hire differently by really listening to the candidates during the interviews. They will tell you if they will not work out. You just have to listen.
For example, last week, I interviewed a candidate that my client really wanted to hire until we started talking about the language that this person used in the interview. It was always someone else’s fault, they didn’t get enough training, and the traffic was always terrible. The client looked at me with this hang dog look, like I had just burst his balloon. I commented “Do you know this one is a no?” He said “Yes. But I don’t want to know that it’s a no. I want a new employee!” This is the absolute most difficult part of the interview process. You are tired, you need help and you want this person to work out SO bad! But as another client of mine said, “When you shorten this process, you pay the piper.’ And he’s right. The price is an employee who you knew from the start would not work out. Then you have to go through the pain of firing and hiring all over again.
I encourage you to listen to yourself and the language of your potential new hires. You know when it’s a no. Wait until you know it’s a yes.
Many people may not be aware that before I became an interviewing specialist, I owned and managed a restaurant in Boulder, Colorado. When I owned the restaurant, I hired a manager who committed several crimes right under my nose. I really had no idea how bad it was until my 2 best managers at the time came to me to turn in their notice together. They sat us down and told us horror stories about what it was like to work at my place of business and ultimately mine and my family’s second home. We fired the manager effectively immediately. After the fired manager was gone, the complaints really started pouring in… My employees suddenly felt they could freely speak about this former employee. We had lost really good staff and continued to have turn over as a result of this incident. If it were not for the courage of our two managers, who at the time were ready to quit, I still would not have known.
I had heard complaints before from other staff members, but I didn’t really take them seriously. Looking back on it, I should have. So, why didn’t I? Because the complaints seemed so minor. “He didn’t do his side work right.” “He didn’t wipe down the counters.” “He makes me do his work for him, even though he pays me for it.” I simply thought people were just blowing off steam.
After we fired him, I asked my staff: ‘Why didn’t you tell me that he was stealing money/inventory/food?” And the answer was always the same: “Beth, I tried to talk to you about this.”
The biggest complaints that I hear from my clients is that they wish their employees would be more forthcoming about problems in the business/department. But, the employees say, “If you don’t take my small problems seriously, how am I supposed to talk to you about the big stuff?” In other words, those early, seemingly minor, complaints are opportunities for employees to see how you handle the little stuff. They are trying to figure out if you will hear them with the big stuff. They will talk to you about the tip of the iceberg as a way to begin the conversation about the bottom of the iceberg.
Your job as the boss is to take complaints very seriously, even the smallest of them. Usually, if you have an employee who is willing to come talk to you, the problem is bigger than they indicate. Use this opportunity to really look at the work environment that you are providing and make sure it is operating the way that you intend. Don’t ignore it, or you will be “the last to know”.
Last week, I met with a new client who suffers from what I call “the Hiring Hangover”. He had just fired a long time employee and had to hire someone else quickly. The whole experience left a really bad taste in his mouth and he was having a hard time getting over it. He kept trying to change his policies and procedures to make sure that he did not get into the same position with a new employee that he had experienced in the past. In other words, he wanted to punish the new employee for the sins of the old employee. While it is completely understandable, it will not work. When you hire a person while “hungover”, you will make a bad hiring decision. You have to feel good about bringing a new person onboard. You have to be excited.
So, how do you recover from a bad hire?
You take a deep breath. Do not hire too quickly. If you need immediate help, hire a temp. Jumping in to a situation with a new hire when you are not ready sets you both up for failure.
Create your ideal candidate list. Put your head in the clouds and dream BIG. And I mean really big, like roses and rainbows and unicorns. You cannot have what you want unless you know what it is and how to identify it. So until you are ready to write a list of what you want, then you are not ready for a new hire.
Be patient. Do not start the interview process until you feel excited again.
Every manager has had a bad hire. It feels awful and firing someone should never feel good. So give yourself time to recover and breathe. Things will look better tomorrow. And your next amazing employee is right around the corner. I promise.
As we begin each new year, many of us take the opportunity to re-group and redefine goals for our businesses. This time is often filled with renewed energy to get our lives and work in order. As a part of your new year’s goals, it might also be time to fire that one employee that is not contributing to your company’s vision.
The impact of an unengaged employee on your business can be catastrophic. Decreased productivity, lowered company morale, and miserable working environments have been common complaints by my clients as they come to the decision to relieve an employee. I say start the new year fresh!
For example, a past client had an employee who consistently gave the employer ultimatums. The threats were often “If you don’t do this, then I will quit.” First who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening? The team was struggling to work with the individual, the employer was unhappy with the performance of the individual, yet the concept of firing and replacing this person seemed daunting and ill-timed. When my client finally became fed up, they did indeed fire the employee. I won’t sugar coat the transition. It was hard, uncomfortable and came at a terrible time, but my client knew that this was the right decision for the company.
I have clients who will begin the new year with new employees who are excited about the company, the job and the new opportunity. Start your new year with a fresh perspective and make a resolution to find the best employees that you can possibly imagine.
Traditionally in January, people start thinking about cleaning house, both literally and figuratively. Articles pop up online about how to deep clean your dishwasher (is that a thing?!), how often to wash your comforter and, of course, a myriad of content about how to be a better self in the New Year. At our house, we are cleaning out closets, attacking dust mites with a vengeance, and even getting the carpets cleaned. We have replaced pillows, bought new rugs for the hallway, and scrubbed the floor tile until it shines! Personally, we want to clean out the old to make room for the new!
I always find the hiring process fascinating, especially when I begin working with people who have had employees on staff for an extended period of time that are not a good fit. They almost always report to me “I knew it was not going to work out” after we get to a place where we are going to let go of an employee and begin searching for the perfect candidate to hire.
