Hiring Regret – Your Options

Recent research shows that business regret almost half of the new hires they make.

If you’ve found yourself in the same position, you’re probably wondering what your options are moving forward.

In this article, we’ll explore your choices. But first…

How big of an issue is hiring regret?

The latest report highlighting the issue reveals some interesting statistics:

1. In the past 12 months, nearly half of senior decision makers feel they have made a bad hire
2. 61% of these employers felt that the reason for this was settling for a candidate whose skills didn’t match the role
3. 56% felt the hire was bad because they rushed the hiring process

Of those who responded, 82% reported severe negative impacts to their business.

Why is this happening now?

One of the main reasons employers are experiencing this now is because of the great resignation. The employment market is flooded with candidates and many businesses are experiencing gaps in their workforce.

A sudden exit could cause business owners to make a snap decision to fill the role. In other cases, employers have been so overwhelmed by the number of applicants that they end up hiring poorly.

So what can you do about it?

What to do about a bad hire

First of all, is the new employee on their probationary period?

Most probationary periods tend to last between three to six months. This functions as an extended job interview. You can measure performance, cultural fit, and more. If there are any major issues, bring them up in an official review halfway through the period. If you need to extend the employee’s probation, you can. However, this can lead to tension and a drop in their morale, so consider whether this is the best option.

It's important to that you give the new hire a fighting chance. If you haven’t onboarded them correctly, or not provided the correct training, you’ve set them up to fail. Give them a chance to raise their concerns and follow up on them. If you do everything you can to support the employee and they’re still not the right person, then you can consider your options.

It’s important that you take time to assess whether there is a way to better integrate the new team member. That being said, there is a difference between weighing up options and stalling. If you are certain they aren’t a good fit, don’t give them false hope or waste time. This will make the final decision more difficult and have a negative impact on the team in the long run.

If the employee is still within their probation period, you can let them go with minimum statutory notice. If they aren’t within their probation period, you can still let them go, but you need to take somethings into consideration. You must follow a full, fair process and hold a meeting with the employee to discuss alternatives. Perhaps they could move to another department? You might even find that they aren’t feeling like they fit in well, and have been having the same concerns.

If you have concerns about approaching a conversation such as this, a Croner advisor can walk you through the process. Call today on 01455 858 132.

How to avoid regretting a hiring decision again

If you’ve made a bad hire, then you can learn from it. Review what went wrong the first time and ensure it doesn’t happen again.

• Did you job ad not accurately reflect the job role? Update the job description before you re-post the vacancy.
• Were there gaps in the interview process? Have a second party sit with you in the interview to ensure you cover all relevant points.
• Did the onboarding process miss a key element? Review your onboarding plan and highlight any additional training or support that you could give.

That’s not all. Whether it’s a personality, or an essential skill, you can test whether they’re a good fit at the interview stage. Do this by providing an exercise to complete, or throw them an unexpected question that isn’t in the standard interview template. Actions speak louder than words, and it will be a good assessment of their decision making process.

You can also utilise different interviewing techniques and styles to get the most out of the candidate.

Getting the best candidates for the job

Employers across the country are experiencing hiring regret as a result of the great resignation. Whether you have experienced a bad recruit yourself doesn’t matter—you can still learn from it and improve your recruitment process.

So, whether you regret hiring an employee, or just want to improve your recruitment process, get free initial advice from our expert HR consultants today on 01455 858 132.