What to Do When You Realize You Made a Bad Hire
If you're a business owner or hiring manager, chances are you've had to make at least one hiring mistake in your career. That's okay! Hiring is hard and there aren't many businesses that get it right on their first try. But if you've realized that you made a bad hire and want to know what to do next, here are some steps that can help:
Start documenting.
Once you realize an employee isn't a good fit, it's important to have a documented record of what steps you've taken to remedy the situation. This will help you if there are legal disputes down the road—and it'll also show that you took all measures possible to prevent any problems from occurring in the first place.
Documentation should include:
A log of meetings with the employee and their manager(s) where performance issues were discussed and addressed (or not).
A log of meetings between yourself as manager and/or HR representative and other managers regarding concerns about this person's work style or productivity levels.
In addition, keep copies of all emails sent by employees documenting their progress toward resolving performance issues or improving their skillset.
Have a conversation with the new employee about the work they're producing and tell them what you'd like to see change.
You might not like it, but you have to be honest with your employee about the quality of their work. Don't be overly critical and don't make sweeping generalizations about their performance, but let them know specifically what you want to see changed. Give them a chance to improve in this area before making any decisions regarding termination or reassignment.
Don't micro-manage.
It’s important not to become too invested in your new hire or their success. You need to give them room to make mistakes and grow as an employee, even if those mistakes are costing you money or time. If you find yourself constantly checking in on their progress and micromanaging them, consider scaling back how involved you are with their work and how much feedback they get from you during regular work hours (and even outside of work hours). Remember that they’re an adult who can handle themselves professionally—give them the breathing room they need!
If you have concerns about their culture fit, bring it up.
Be honest about your concerns. If you were concerned that the candidate might not be a good match for your company culture, let them know. The best way to do this is to ask questions that reveal how they'd handle situations in which they don't agree with other employees or clients and what their thoughts are on working together as a team. If you're hiring an executive assistant who will be responsible for scheduling meetings and events, ask what his or her favorite part of being in an office environment is—and then see if he or she can connect those ideas with how he or she would approach his or her new job responsibilities at your company.
Give them constructive feedback and make sure they have access to the resources they need to improve.
Once you realize that you’ve made a bad hire, it is important to give your employee constructive feedback.
You should also make sure they have access to the resources they need in order to improve.
If you are not able to give them feedback yourself, ask someone else who has worked with them in the past or someone they respect to provide constructive criticism and help them improve.
Make sure they know that while things aren't working out now, there could be other opportunities down the road.
When you have a bad hire, you're going to want to do everything possible to make sure that employee knows what is happening. As the employer, it's important that you are honest and upfront with your employees. While things may not be working out now, there could be other opportunities down the road if they stick around. You should also let them know that you are sorry for making the mistake of hiring them in the first place.
If you realize you made a bad hire, it's important to handle it right away in order to protect your company culture and retain top talent.
Don't ignore the problem: In most cases, if you're feeling uneasy about a new employee, there's probably a reason for it—but that doesn't mean you should jump to conclusions just because it's easier than taking action. Consider talking with the person directly and asking what they think of the job so far. If their response isn't satisfactory (or if they don't have one), ask why not and then give them an opportunity to respond. What may seem like obvious feedback from an outside perspective might be anything but from inside your office walls; consider every angle before moving forward with any plan of action.
Don't let it fester: If there are signs that things aren't working out for this person at your company, don’t wait until something catastrophic happens before taking action; address these issues immediately so that others can move forward confidently in their roles (and so that you won’t worry yourself sick).
Take Action
If you realize that a new hire isn't working out, don't be afraid to let them go. It's better for everyone involved if you do this sooner rather than later—and with as much grace and compassion as possible. You can even try to find another position within your organization that may be more suited for them! After all, nobody wants an unhappy employee who doesn't want to be there.
Get in touch with the team at Sloane Staffing sooner rather than later. Our team can help you find the right professional for the role you are looking to invest in. We have a talent pool of professional marketers, sales professionals, and leaders with a wide range of specialities and focus areas.
