Poor Hiring Decision? 5 Lessons to Learn (and How to Move Forward)

Not every hire is a good one. When you’ve made a particularly bad hire, you can berate yourself – or you can learn from the mistake and move forward.

Here are five lessons you can learn from a poor hiring decision, and how to put those lessons to use so your company can move forward:

1. Asking “why?” can save you a world of trouble. You know hiring this staff member was a bad choice. But why was it a bad choice? What makes them a poor fit for the team? Does their personality conflict with the other team members? Do their skills not match the actual demands of the job? Are they lacking training? By asking why, you equip yourself to fix the problem and avoid a similar problem in the future.
2. Blame the process, not the person. Truly bad employees are rare, but a poor fit is unfortunately quite common. Rather than assuming the employee is personally defective, ask how the hiring process failed to identify the person would be a poor fit for the job. Is the job description outdated; listing skills the position no longer demands? Was the interview process perfunctory or lacking in focus? By fixing the process, you can ensure a better fit.
3. Include the staff member in fixing process. Depending on the reasons for the poor fit, you may be able to solve the problem internally. For instance, a staff member whose personality or skills are a poor fit may be happier when reassigned to a different team. Talk to the staff member about their skills and goals to see if you can find a place in the organization where they offer a better fit.
4. Define the job clearly. Work with staff on the team and the team’s supervisor to ensure the job is defined clearly. Although you may end up reassigning or releasing the poor-fitting staff member, this redefinition process can help you determine if the relationship is salvageable, and it will save you a great deal of trouble finding someone who fits the position in the future.
5. It’s never wrong to ask for help. To avoid repeating the same mistake, work with a staffing partner who can help you avoid poor hires and attract better candidates. Your staffing partner can help you identify what went wrong and ensure you don’t make the same mistake again.

At THE RIGHT STAFF, LLC, our Maple Grove recruiters can help you reach the best available talent in the area so you make better hiring decisions in less time. Contact us today to learn more about our recruitment services in the Twin Cities and beyond.