It can happen to anyone. Some people just interview well or look good on paper. Then they come into work, and they’re just not well-suited to the role. Any hiring issue has to be dealt with delicately, even if someone is obviously not fit for a position. Here’s what you should do when you realize that a bad hire is bad.
Talk to the New Hire
If it’s still early in the new hire’s employment, it’s possible they’re encountering issues you aren’t aware of. Perhaps they stepped into a role with spectacularly bad documentation, or maybe they’re getting pushback from their team. Talk to the new hire openly and honestly. Let them know that their results aren’t what you expected, and ask them if there’s anything about the environment that needs to change. The conversation may expose issues that you didn’t realize existed.
Create a Performance Improvement Plan
A performance improvement plan is a transparent method of critiquing an employee and letting them know what they need to improve. It’s a first step before firing, and it’s important. Apart from showing an employee exactly what they need to do, it also creates a paper trail in the event that the employee does have to be let go.
Many employees do want to perform well, but they aren’t sure what their employers want from them. This can be especially prominent in employees who have just come into a new environment and a new company culture. By being clear in your documentation, you can help them excel.
Weigh the Pros and Cons of Firing the Employee
If it’s still not working out, you need to consider whether the employee has to be let go. This isn’t always a good idea: sometimes firing a “bad hire” can cause more complications than it can resolve, by upsetting group dynamics, and starting from scratch on training. Perform a cost-benefit analysis. If you believe the bad hire could eventually be useful to the company, it may be better to dig in and perform additional training.
Review “What Went Wrong”
How did a bad employee get hired? Sometimes it’s something as blatant as lying about their experience. But other times it could be that the interview process just wasn’t as rigorous or as cautious as it needed to be. Investigating the situation will help you avoid the same situation in the future.
Sometimes the answer to a bad hire isn’t firing someone. Sometimes it ends up being better to keep them on. But regardless, insurance can help. Staffing agency insurance can protect you from the consequences of a bad hire, such as a claim of wrongful termination. Get a quote today with World Wide Specialty Programs.
About World Wide Specialty Programs
For the last 50 years, World Wide Specialty Programs has dedicated itself to providing the optimal products and solutions for the staffing industry. As the only insurance firm to be an ASA commercial liability partner, we are committed to that partnership and committed to using our knowledge of the industry to provide staffing firms with the best possible coverage. For more information about Staffing Professional Liability Insurance or any other coverage, we have available to protect your staffing business, give us a call at (800) 245-9653 to speak with one of our representatives.