It has become an annual tradition to remind my community to let go of those on your team who are not performing.Happy New Year 2019!
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.” Who wants to work with an individual who is constantly threatening you? 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.
In addition, the busiest day of the year for applicants looking for a job is the second Tuesday in January. Think about this: the people who are fed up with their work environments are also looking to make a change. So, if you want to start the New Year with someone who REALLY wants to work for you, now is the time.
So often I am asked, “Do I HAVE to have a job description?” In this 1 minute and 37 second video, I explain 3 reasons why having a fresh job description when you hire is a critical step.
On Friday the 13th, I had a meeting planned with one of my favorite clients. I arrived excited to be there and was greeted by the team having a company lunch.
I asked my client, “What is the occasion?”
He replied, “Flood prevention.”
Oh…Wait! What?
Everyone on to the team laughed as they began to fill me in on the joke. Apparently, the company has a cultural tradition of having lunch on Friday the 13th. The one time that the company did not have a lunch on this notoriously superstitious date, their conference room flooded. So now, they NEVER miss having a company lunch on Friday the 13th…flood prevention!
During lunch, there was a lot of good natured ribbing of one another with a very comfortable banter where everyone was included. It was a lighthearted meal that showed how much of a team this group had become. And, I might add, highly productive and efficient.
Very often, leadership refers to the people who make up the workforce within the company as “human capital”. This reference has always struck me as an odd way to refer to the people, not just “humans”, who sell and produce, care for clients and are essentially the lifeblood of a company. They are so much more than “capital’, they are essential. This CEO is an excellent example of how our workforce should be referenced. He greets his employees by name, asks about their family members and supports whatever fun his people may be having. He never refers to his staff as “human capital”, FTE’s or “current head count”. Instead, he uses words like “team”, “crew” and “associates”, much higher titles of respect and acknowledgement.
If you want to change your company culture, begin with your language. Refer to your staff by name, not as “human capital.” Then celebrate the people who create success with the occasional company lunch, even to ward off superstition. Remember to laugh a lot and chime in on friendly banter. And if you happen to prevent your building from flooding, then congrats… 2 birds, one stone.
I received a call last week from a woman that I have never met. She was an employer who wanted to ask me some questions about firing an employee who is “making my life a living hell”. I asked her to explain why she believed the person was an underperforming employee. She replied, “She is doing nothing towards her job and everything to make everyone else’s job harder.”
“Can you give me an example?” I asked.
“I sure can,” she said. “She called a long-term vendor of mine and cancelled an order that we had placed. This order was instrumental in getting a project done for our top client. Luckily, I have a fantastic relationship with this vendor, who called me personally to make sure that the order should be cancelled. This is not the first time, nor is it the first incident. In addition, she shows up late, none of her work is done on time, and her attitude is turning away new clients.”
“How long has this been going on?” I asked.
“5 years,” she replied. I gasped. Why on earth did this woman put up with an unacceptable employee for as long as she did?
There are a few reasons an employer will keep a poor employee in place:
1) The employee was not performing unsatisfactorily for the whole 5 years, just part of it. The employer creates a false sense of “it will get better over time.”
2) You have a conversation with an underperforming employee and it gets better for a short time. Then a new erosion of performance begins. The employer begins to believe this is just a cycle of behavior to justify.
3) The employer thinks that they cannot have the position be empty while they hire someone else. And since many do not like the hiring process, they delay the search.
4) They feel bad for firing someone.
Here is what I told her, “I greatly appreciate that you want to provide a good working environment for your employees, and I understand that you feel bad. I have never in the 16 years that I have been doing this had a client tell me that they regretted firing an employee. NOT ONE. I have had clients regret hiring someone and regret not firing them sooner, but I have never in my career had a client regret firing an employee.”
If it has crossed your mind that you need to fire an employee, begin to truly examine the situation. If you determine the employee is no longer a fit, follow a consistent firing policy, including documentation and explaining severity of your dissatisfaction to the employee. And, don’t wait. You are just putting off the inevitable. As they say in business, hire slow, fire fast.
Right before the holidays, I had a potential client call me frustrated with an employee. “I just gave out bonuses, and she wants more money…I don’t know what to do!”
Having seemingly entitled employees is a hot topic of conversation these days. Here are my thoughts:
An entitled employee is in the wrong job.
Think about it.
When an employee is in a job that they love, they are happy. They think about the work that they “get to do”, not what they “have to do”. They may ask for a raise or for more vacation time, but rarely are these on the forefront of their minds. They are excited to work every day because they are passionate about their objectives. They feel confident and are thriving.
But when they are not happy in their jobs? They will do anything to keep themselves engaged. They think that money will make them happy. They think that more time off will make them happy. Or free movie tickets, a gift certificate for a massage or getting to work from home. But in the end, if they are not enjoying their jobs anymore, have a conversation with these employees about doing something else or let them go.
Nothing can make up for doing work that they do not enjoy, and I do mean nothing!
So, when you have an entitled employee, don’t talk about more money, benefits, working from home, etc. It won’t help and only increases frustration for both you and your employee. Instead, talk about the job duties, and ask if this is really the work they love. If it’s not? Either move them to a position that is right for them, or help them transition out gracefully.
And remember: you as the employer are entitled to an employee who wants to do the job you are offering.
Last week while working with an interview team of 6 people, I asked them what they thought about a particular candidate, and 1 by 1 they all said “I like him, but…” So, I asked them, “What’s Like got to do with it?” We all laughed. Remember, my theory is to go with your “but” not your gut.
When you hire someone to work for you, you really don’t have to like them. You have to trust that the work will get done. You have to have faith that your clients will be well cared for and that their needs will be met. You have to be able to walk out the door and know that your new hire will have your back. But like them? That is just a bonus.
So why is it that when we interview someone we begin with like? Because we don’t know how else to evaluate someone. When we meet someone for the first time in our personal lives, we look for similarities and common ground. We look for people like us with the same interests. When we hire someone, we look for someone who can and will do the job that we need for them to do. These are two very different mind sets.
So, next time you interview someone, don’t ask yourself if you like them. Ask yourself if the work will get done effectively and efficiently. Ask yourself if your clients will be happy with them. Ask yourself if you can leave your company and they have your back.
If you have resounding yeses on all three questions, then hire them, whether you like them or not.
