No matter how many precautions we take when hiring staff, we still make calls that seem right at the time but turn out to be wrong – certain flaws or issues can fall through the cracks during the interview process, or the interviewer’s focus could be steered in a certain direction. Bottom line, things get missed.

While talking about this article, I recalled a tricky situation he experienced while wearing his recruitment agency cap. He had placed a temp with a medical supplier, who he thought was great! They were personable, confident, had all the necessary skills and were all round, a seemingly ideal fit.

Once placed in the role however, it became clear something wasn’t right. On the floor, the temp was easily distracted and lacked focus, which lead to mistakes which could have had serious repercussions for the company. It was apparent to everyone that the job wasn’t working out and other employees were noticing the temp’s mistakes, adding to the pressure on the whole team.

Fortunately, the company and I were decisive in our move to let the temp go, rather than waiting to see if things would improve. This meant we avoided any serious mistakes or disruptions to their team. I was in a position to offer the temp a new role in a different company and was quick to point out that being unsuitable for a role doesn’t mean they’re unemployable.

While this story ended happily, things could have been very different. A lot of the time, poor hires simply get left in their roles, in the hope that they will leave of their own accord or suddenly improve. Generally though, this doesn’t happen, and the employee is left to slowly chip away at the company’s staff morale, development and profit, until they are finally dealt with. In fact a study performed by the Harvard Business Review found that 80% of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions.

So How Will I know?

In an employee’s first few weeks, they should be still in ‘Sunday Best’ mode – they should be motivated, keen to learn and establish their position; wanting to put their best foot forward. Problems with following new procedures and adapting to new routines are understandable, but most employees will begin settle and show confidence in their new position, within the first few weeks. Monitoring and ‘on boarding’ new employees is key.

New Zealand law allows all employers to utilise a 90 Day Trial Period, in which they have certain protections with regards to letting go of new employees. According to HR experts, most managers should be able to identify a bad hire within 3-6 months and replace them in less than 6 months to avert further negative impact. So it is important on to it and to do all you can to identify a bad hire during that initial 3 month period.

Organising weekly meetings, or casual ‘catch ups’ with new employees is one way to ensure bad hires don’t go undetected.  Being hands on allows you to keep a close eye on what’s happening day to day – you’ll notice inconsistencies and be more aware of mistakes, rather than waiting for complaints to land on your desk from third parties.

It’s also a good move to document any issues with a new employer, no matter how minor. This has dual benefits of allowing you to notice any patterns that develop, and also gives you a record of issues, should you need to provide reasons for dismissal.

What to Look Out For
No employee is perfect, but there are some red flags which may be cause for you to consider letting them go. Keep note of any errors, problems and issues – annotating and dating evidence of problems as they occur, will help protect you, should the employee decide to challenge your decision.

‘I can’t because/I need/I used to always have…’

Are they trying to find reasons for why they can’t complete the tasks assigned to them? Do they always blame the tools? Employees who refuse to take responsibility for their mistakes or shortcomings are poor team players, and won’t learn from their mistakes.

 Absences

Employees who turn up late, take long lunches or leave early in their first few weeks aren’t going to change. If you give them fair warning, and things don’t improve, then they don’t respect you, and will work to their own schedule rather than yours.

Having engaged employees is crucial – a study found, Companies that foster engaged brand ambassadors in their workforce report an average of 2.69 sick days taken annually per employee, compared to companies with weak engagement efforts, reporting an average of 6.19 sick days. As you can see, it is important to have a good employee engagement strategy, but sometimes a bad apple will always be a bad apple, and you don’t want them working for you.

Skills not up to Expectations

On paper, they have all the desired skills. In practice however, it turns out they were trained, but never achieved any level of competence! In some cases this can be remedied, without too much trouble, however if they’ve exaggerated their abilities considerably, it may be time to suggest they look for more suitable work.

Repeat Mistakes

Everyone makes mistakes, especially while you’re learning the ropes, but repeated carelessness, or unreported errors are not acceptable. Employees should display a level of accountability and pay attention to their work.

‘This isn’t working’

When firing a new hire, it’s best done quickly, honestly and privately. Prior to your meeting, brush up on your employment laws and company policies – appearing uncertain will give the employee a reason to doubt your stance. Even if you’re decision is watertight, it will open you up to speculation. Make sure you emphasise the points where they don’t fit – if you’ve kept note of all the problems you’ve observed with them, you can raise these points here.

Remember to be considerate and courteous during this meeting, but stand firm – allow them to defend themselves, but make it clear that the decision has already been made, and is final. Generally, an employee will be aware things aren’t going well, and if you’ve given them previous warnings, this won’t be a total surprise, but being fired is a considerable blow to one’s ego, regardless of how much you might have seen it coming.

If possible, lessen the blow by suggesting a more suited role or company; perhaps give them tips on what they can work on to prevent this happening again. The more human you come across, the less unpleasant the experience will be for both of you.

Nobody likes firing staff, but the only thing worse than firing staff is tolerating employees who have long outstayed their welcome.

With a 90 Day Trial Period at your disposal, you’d be wise to take this time to monitor and assess all new staff, not only to ensure they can do what they said they could do, but that they are a good fit for the company and suit the role they’ve taken on. You only have one opportunity to fire employees this easily, so make sure you won’t regret passing up trial period.

With careful on boarding protocol, and clearly outlined red flags and steps to take if they are noticed, you can ensure you really do only end up with the staff that your company will benefit from.

This article was kindly supplied by Haystack Jobs.