How to fire an employee and how to hire them are topics that you may need help with, and here you’ll find an innovative approach to an antiquated system. The advice “hire slow and fire fast” has stirred up quite a bit of controversy in the business environment with one Forbes writer saying it’s the worst advice ever given and a Harvard Business Review writer claiming it’s a winning solution for organizations.
Recruiting the best talent, and finding a recruiter to help
With the unemployment rate low, the market for finding available top talent is low. You have to make some adjustments if you want to entice the best. Consider the following tips when fine-tuning your hiring criteria:
1. Consider the important qualifications.
Sometimes top talent doesn’t come with a degree. The manager who has been supervising for 10 years at the same job but only has his high school diploma may be a star. Comb through your job descriptions and see where adjustments can be made.
2. Be open about the job.
Top talent prefers communication. They want to know where they are at in the hiring process, so if you let their resume linger without a response, you may lose them to another company who is more responsive.
3. Audit your recruitment process.
Start from the time you hand in a resume and audit the hiring process until the time a recruit signs the paperwork. Is it difficult, convoluted, or frustrating? If so, your candidates feel the same way and you need to find ways to make it easier.
4. Hire a recruiter.
Recruiters can help you position yourself as a great company to work for. Their job is to find the talent, freeing you up to prepare for the interviews. You can post a job opening for a recruiter, search for them on LinkedIn, or look for a search firm that hires out recruiters in your area.
Recruiting process tools and templates
The recruiting process is typically straightforward—put out an ad, perform a few interviews, make an offer, welcome your new employee. But there are tools and templates that can make the process more efficient and easier on you.
There are some amazing recruiting tools, and this infographic, 6 Best Recruiting Tools of 2018, details several technological advances including AI that learns what a good candidate is and screens out bad ones and chatbots that funnel information to recruits about the job. A quick search on Google will show you several companies that can help you integrate automation into your recruiting process.
If you want great recruiting templates (or need more advice about recruiting), you need LinkedIn’s 2018 Ultimate Recruiting Toolbox. This free PDF has everything you need to make recruitment easier on you and your candidates.
Just remember, building up recruiting tools and finding top talent is the turtle’s race. You want to take it slow. Ask the right questions and don’t settle for wrong answers. Use the resources available to you to bring in star employees so that you don’t have to worry about the rest of this blog.
Dealing with performance issues
Sometimes performance lags, or was never up to snuff to begin with, and it’s time to consider how to deal with it. You can save the employee relationship and encourage a better direction if you deal with the issues right away.
Approach the issues from a feedback perspective, and lead with facts. Instead of “You aren’t pulling your weight,” you should be saying, “Last month, your numbers were this. Our goal is that.” Listen to the employee talk about what is preventing productivity. Sometimes the concerns are genuine like technology issues, difficult processes, or personal stress.
This must happen right away, though. Workers who perform a certain way for too long could fire back at you with “Well you didn’t have an issue with it last month.” Whenever you see an employee lagging, speak to him or her. Weekly or monthly one-on-ones can help you be proactive in confronting issues and working together to find solutions.
When dealing with the performance issues isn’t working, it’s time to start thinking about how to fire an employee quickly so that you can start the recruitment process.
How to fire an employee quickly
The process to terminate an employee differs by state. All states accept at-will employment, but there are limitations on it in some places. So, check your state laws regarding dismissal before you begin the process.
When you know you’re proceeding legally, start collecting the facts. Ensure employees know the rules, whether it is through a meeting, an email that explains the rules, or a sign hanging in a high-traffic area. If your rules are defined, it is easier to point out when they are broken.
Another way to protect yourself is to use progressive discipline. Warnings, write-ups, suspensions all lend validity to your firing. This can take time, though, and sometimes you need to end the employee relationship quicker.
First, you need your HR team. They can ensure compliance and provide you with the proper paperwork for the task. They also know the extenuating circumstances surrounding the employee that may affect your decision, so get with HR and ask for their help.
Second, schedule a private meeting with you, your employee, and HR as soon as possible. When the time comes, start with the bad news. Don’t launch into a diatribe about performance. Simply tell your worker that it is his or her last day. Then give the facts only. It is likely the employee will want to make a case for staying. It’s okay to let him or her speak, but don’t let it go on for too long. Be short and succinct as you say goodbye, but be kind. This situation is tougher for the employee than for you.
Follow these three tips that help you know how to fire an employee quickly:
- Don’t delay the termination of a poor performer if it will cost you more to keep the worker than to the amount of disruption at letting him or her go.
- Avoid waffling or talking too much. You should be brief and point to the facts.
- Remember, HR is there for support and compliance, not to answer questions for you or let the employee go. Be prepared to hear the employee out and answer any questions he or she may have.
Your hiring and firing processes will affect the culture of your company. Treating candidates with respect through open communication and careful examination of qualifications and fit will not only bring in top talent, but will show others that you value your employees. Drag it on until you have the right candidate.
Similarly, the respect you show employees when it is time to sever the relationship will go a long way with other workers. When issues arise, deal with them quickly and factually, but show the worker you appreciate their time on the job. Don’t drag it on so you can pursue the right candidate.
For more help regarding Hiring and Firing, Employee Engagement, Performance Management, Employee Relations, Leadership and Executive Coaching and Development, and all things “HR,” The Pendolino Group is here to support you and your team. Contact us today!
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