Two Weapons to Avoid a Bad Hire and Vanquish the Money-Eating Monster Forever – Part 1
Your Quality Assurance Manager just quit, and your company’s Peg Legs need to be on shelves in time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day in two months! Quick! Dust off the old job description, post the opening, pull together an interview team! And get your next fabulous employee in that chair ASAP!
But, wait!
Have you ever considered how much putting the wrong person in that empty chair could cost you?
Quite a lot, according the U.S. Department of Labor.
Take the annual salary for that potential mistake. Multiply it by 30% (or more, say some). And there you have it folks—the expense of a bad hire (not to mention the effects on your team’s morale).
How does that price tag for purchasing a revolving empty seat sound?
Years of experience have taught me that the money-eating monster I call Bad Hire has two parents: A poorly executed recruitment process and our own flawed human nature.
But I’ve got two weapons to help you defeat them! Read on, brave HR warrior!
Weapon #1: A carefully executed hiring process (like this one)…
- Evaluate the job at hand. Really.
Don’t just resurrect an old job description! Take the time to really consider the skills, behaviors, and personality traits a person will need to be successful in the job as it stands today. And make sure your hiring team is on the same page!
- Get the job description right.
Describe the job’s activities in detail. Clearly outline what a potential employee needs to be and do if they’re going to succeed in this role. Be sure to use words that will appeal to the right people. If it’s a role that works on commission, say so. Does the job require flexibility and independent work? Include that in the description.
- Evaluate whether you’re reaching the right people.
Once the resumes start rolling in, check that you’re attracting the desired profile of applicants for the position, and evaluate how well the submissions from each referral source fit your opening. Adjust your strategy as needed.
- Screen scientifically.
This can be one of the hardest parts to do without whipping out Weapon #2 (no peeking!) because our subjective psyches are hard to tame! But it’s critical to carefully consider the fit between each applicant and the requirements of the job. Don’t inadvertently pass up good candidates who are perfect for the role because they’re not the type you personally gravitate towards!
- Interview intentionally.
Ask specific questions to evaluate the candidate in areas that are most important. Be sure to get to the heart of their motivations and innate behaviors. And make sure all the members of your interview team are armed with targeted questions.
- Win over your top candidate.
Once you’ve found your top choice, understand what motivates her. Make her an offer that aligns with her needs.
- Onboard the individual.
Put your new employee on the path to productivity by tailoring your onboarding strategy to his temperament, learning style, and needs. (In other words, don’t stash your new people-person in an empty room with only recording and a projector for a friend!) And develop a personalized growth plan from the beginning.
But what if you’re already doing these things and still have high turnover rates? Or perhaps you don’t have the time and resources to dedicate to getting all this done.
That’s when it’s time for your next weapon. Read part 2….