Dealing With a New Hire Nightmare

Dealing With a New Hire NightmareDealing With a New Hire NightmareSo, your new hire isnt exactly working out. Your direct report isnt fitting in well with the team, doesnt quite understand the jobs responsibilities or reporting structure, and seems to lack key skills you thought he possessed. This is a delicate, disappointing dilemma no employer wants to face. Heres the information you need before writing off the new hire as a bad hireBe as patient as possibleInformation overload or early-week jitters may be causing the troubles. Remember It takes time for a recent hire to settle in, and orientation takes longer as the job complexity increases.Communicate constructivelyArrange a private meeting to give diplomatic but candidfeedback to your direct report. Make your comments constructive and productive, emphasizing that youre hopeful things will turn around soon.Offer the employee trainingIts costly to hire and onboard an employee. Before you throw in the towel, offer professional deve lopment in areas where your direct report seems to be struggling. This could range from sharing information via office brownbag lunches or even job shadowing.Provide a ratgeber to the new hireOffering mentoring is another good way for an employer to orient a struggling employee. A mentor can provide vital information about the company, office culture and the reporting structure. A mentor is usually not a direct supervisor, but rather a talented and well-connected employee whos been around for a few years.Consider a second chanceStill no luck? Consider issuing a formal verbal warning or putting the person on probation. Company policies and local and state laws vary, so make sure that you check in with your companys human resources department and/or legal department to make sure you are working with their guidance and advice. Generally before firing someone, this second (and final) chance is a clear glaubenszeugnis the employee has one more opportunity before facing consequences. Stat e how many days or weeks the person has to show improvement.Make the tough decisionWhen should an employer cut their losses? If its obvious that the new employee is detrimental to your organization - plagiarizes work, instigates arguments or has made multiple egregious errors, for example - it might time to terminate the relationship. If a signed contract is in place, the scenario gets much more complex for any employer. Consult your companys attorney, legal department or human resources staff for guidance.As an employer, firing someone is never easy. It shouldnt be your first option. But if termination is in the cards, dont beat yourself up over a bad hire. View the experience as a learning opportunity - a way to improve your recruitment process.Need information on the hiring environment? Read our free report, The Demand for Skilled Talent, now