Shawnee Love   •  
April 19, 2013

Have you ever hired someone who after a day or so you worry isn’t going to work out?

It happens.  No matter how carefully you select, sometimes people aren’t what they say they are (and sometimes the job and company aren’t quite what was sold to the employee either).

If you have spent a lot of effort in hiring, then starting over may not be very appealing.  Even if you have a second candidate you can easily call in, there is no guarantee that person won’t have worse problems.

In these times, I encourage you to think carefully about the root of the problem.  If it is a values issue (i.e., the employee doesn’t have the same values as your company), then cutting the cord early may be the best approach.  If it is lack of ability or skill, ask yourself if the person can learn it and if so how long will it take?  If it can’t be learned or would simply take too long to learn, then again, cut the cord sooner rather than later.

However, if the problem is the employee’s style of doing a task, take a breath because more times than not, the problems with the new hire resolve themselves once the new hire gets comfortable, gains confidence, and has time to practice meeting your standards and expectations.  You should definitely address the gap between your expectations and what is occurring.  A good approach is to discuss:

• Job standards and expectations (and the underlying reasons why they exist)
• Goals for the new hire, and
• Parameters to work within while achieving goals.

Once an employee can demonstrate understanding of those three points, then it is time to allow her natural talents and style to shine while she works towards a successful outcomes.  Your employee will appreciate your respect for her ideas and methods, and you might find you learn a new way to do the work in the bargain.