Bad Hires and Early Fires

It’s a little bit of a crap shoot when you interview and make a job offer. Especially if the position needs to be filled and you feel pressure to fill it. Maybe the commercial cleaningindustry is unique, but I don’t think so. Every time I make a quick hire, I end up regretting it later. Either the person did not have the skills or, more importantly, did not have any interest in the position or the company. We’ve all been told many times to slow down, take our time and really interview potential candidates before making a job offer. I know of several companies who interview the spouse of the potential candidate before making a job offer (feeling nervous yet).

So, why do we rush to fill positions so quickly? I think we are worried we will have to do the work ourselves, so let’s get someone in there to help out. But in the long run, it just makes more work for us. We end up picking up the pieces and trying to fix the problems created by the person who really didn’t care.

How many customers can you afford to lose?

An employee who is not engaged with your company or committed to your mission, often will ignore or discount important details simply because there is no direct or tangible relationship to them. Your clients will suffer because of it and your reputation will be tarnished. Your clients will begin looking for alternative sources for their service or products.

So how much is it worth to you to slow down and make a good hire in the beginning? How many of your clients are you willing to lose because of a hasty hiring?

One bad apple will poison the whole barrel

Another issue is that this problem employee is like a cancer and will negatively influence other employees along the way. Bad attitudes and criticism of the company will travel much faster than the good attitude and great work ethic. I’ll bet you have some great employees. Are you willing to have them turn on you and your company because of a hasty or poor hiring?

Resentment is like crabgrass

Problem employees are often not very productive which means others are picking up the slack. Over worked and resentful employees will not treat your clients well and your company will suffer. Does this candidate have tendencies to cut corners or do the minimum. If so its time to move on.

So, wise words for today – slow down, interview the potential candidate numerous times and ask for input from others. Take your time and make a good hire, not just the fastest hire. In other words, ‘Hire slow, Fire fast’.