Page 35 - Rana Sampson Issue (1)

Oops – The New Guy Isn’t Working Out!

By Kathy Weyer M.A.

Let’s face it – even if you are the most astute, intuitive, diligent recruiter, you will be hiring some duds. People say and show you things
in an interview that get them the job. References are always good. You “connect” with someone who really wants the job, not neces-
sarily someone who will do a good job. Think about your company culture during the interview, and that will help guide you in the right
direction.
Say you’re sold on a salesperson who shows grit, determination, enthusiasm, and when you think of them you think of a bull terrier who
won’t give up until he/she meets his/her goals. You’re convinced this person will get out there and sell, sell, sell.
But they don’t. And they don’t seem to play well with the others. And it’s clear you’ve made a mistake.

What did you do wrong? Absolutely
nothing. You did all your due diligence
and everything came up clean, including
the level of enthusiasm shown and the
track record they brought to the table.
How could you have known there was a
family issue, a medical issue, a sub-
stance abuse issue (or any other miti-
gating reason showing they just weren’t
up to scratch). While we do specialize
in helping with lagging performance, the
subject today is hiring.
Hedge your bets with a few questions
during the interview that will see if
this candidate fits into your corporate
culture. For instance, use a few well- San Diego
placed questions that point out priorities Woman
while you are asking the usual business
questions – and use a bit of humor to
make a connection: Best movie? Best
food? Biggest mistake? Best team? 35
Best experience? Best boss? Think
of outrageous scenarios to play this
game that opens up the door to their
thinking and priorities (stay in regula-
tory and common-sense guidelines). I
was once asked if I was willing to leave
my family to work in Asia for two years.
The answer was no, and that’s what
they wanted to hear – it was a family
business!

The answers to these questions give
you great insight if you’re willing to take
the time to evaluate them. Call Perfor-
mance Partners if you would like us to
pre-screen or help you evaluate your
hiring process. The cost of re-hiring, re-
training, and re-vamping the job is too
high – get it right the first time!

Be the first to call to get a free
pre-screening for the candidates for
your open position – test drive the
service and we’ll find you a candidate
that has more than a passing chance
of working out.

March/April 2011