3 ways to avoid hiring the wrong person for a job

Hiring the wrong person for a job might just be the ultimate lose-lose-lose proposition:

  • Instead of relying upon that bad hire to alleviate team stress and workload, a bad hire compounds such problems.

  • Resentment among current employees can grow as frustration with the situation festers.

  • Everyone enjoys being appreciated. But the ill-fitting new hire gets day after day of a lousy work experience devoid of genuine appreciate. A paycheck only goes so far; hating your job goes much farther.

 A recent survey quantifies the financial hit employers take in such situations: an average of $14,900 on every bad hire in the last year. That number increases when you consider another fact the survey uncovered. Nearly 75% of employers admitted to hiring the wrong person for a position.

 Reasons for making such a costly mistake include:

  • The employer took a chance on a nice person (32% of survey respondents)

  • There was pressure to fill the role quickly (30%)

  • Finding qualified candidates was difficult (29%)

  • Too much emphasis was placed on skills rather than attitude (29%)

 What makes a bad hire? Here are a few examples:

  • The worker didn't produce the proper quality of work (54% of respondents)

  • The worker had a negative attitude (53%)

  • The worker didn't work well with other workers (50%)

  • The worker had immediate attendance problems (46%)

 Avoid money- and morale-bashing hires 

Here are three steps an employer can take to avoid hiring the wrong person:

1.     Work with HR

Of the employers who said they hired the wrong person, 7% admitted it was because they did not work closely enough with HR. This is understandable. Sometimes team members are needed so quickly that hiring managers look to cut corners. Cutting HR out of the process as much as possible can be one of those corners.

Another 10% said they did not conduct a complete background check. This is a big no-no; an incomplete background check can open the door to hiring people fired from a previous job for embezzlement, lying about credentials and even convicted felons.

2.     Develop robust procedures

It’s easier to say and more difficult to do, but resist the urge to bow to pressure to fill a role quickly. In addition to a thorough background check, consider having more than one manager conduct the interview. Involve team members who will be working alongside the person filling the role, as well, to ensure a good fit.

3.     Hire freelancers 

Hiring a qualified freelancer to fill a role has a lot of upside and no genuine downside. With freelancers, employers can:

  • More rapidly onboard them. There’s no need for a new hire orientation or team lunch to introduce the newest employee. Freelancers are ready to hit the ground running.

  • Feel confident about their choice. More often than not, top professional freelancers have websites that highlight previous work, testimonials and current certifications (if applicable). They tend to invest more time in promoting their “bona fides” than someone looking to move from one employer to another.

  • Replace them faster. For better or worse, many companies are slow to terminate an employee. Too hasty a move can result in legal action. If a freelancer is hired and then determined to be a poor fit due to their having the wrong technical knowledge or inability to meet aggressive deadlines, the relationship can quickly be ended and another one begun. Yes, this will cost some time. But it almost certainly won’t cost $14,900. If your team needs support right away, we know just where you can start your search.

Hire the Homefront is committed to placing qualified professionals in front of employers ranging from startups and small business to Fortune 500 companies. It’s good for the employers, great for the military spouses who constitute our talent pool and even better for the economy.

 And that’s a win-win-win situation we can all believe in.

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