HIRE SLOW / FIRE FAST

I’ll never forget the first time I heard of the “Hire Slow / Fire Fast” concept. It was a little over 20 years ago. I was at a convention in Nashville, Tennessee for our family business. I attended a presentation on Human Resource Management and this was the only tip I can remember from all the material that was presented. Why? Because it made so much sense and it still does.

Being short-handed is never fun. But, having someone on your team that isn’t working out is even worse! So, what do you need to remember? Hire Slow / Fire Fast.

HIRE SLOW

Getting in a hurry to hire someone is easy to do. You need help. You’re tired of working long hours yourself. Or, worse yet, you’re tired of paying your staff over-time to cover for being short-handed. Plus, you don’t want your level of customer service to decline. So, you get in a hurry and hire someone very quickly. “What’s wrong with that,” you ask?

If you get in a hurry when hiring, you may not spend enough time talking to the job applicants. You may not spend enough (or any) time to check references. The result can often be a New Hire who simply isn’t a good fit. The New Hire may have desired skills, experience or knowledge, but doesn’t have the right personality or attitude to work well with your team.

It’s often better to be short-handed with a team that gets along well than to be fully staffed with a team that doesn’t. Plus, while taking your time to find a new team member, you may discover that your current team members have skills and abilities that you didn’t realize. You may be able to cross-train or develop your current team resulting in a stronger, more productive business.

Hiring slow will increase your chances of hiring someone that will work out well.

So, what should you do when hiring? Take your time! Hire slow!

Start with a customized Job Application so you can better determine each candidate’s experience and skills. (Check out my article regarding this by clicking here!)
Meet with the top applicants. Think of the interview as an opportunity to determine if the applicant and your business would be a good fit. Pay attention to an applicant’s attitude. Remember, if applicants complain about their current or former employers or co-workers, they’re probably going to complain about you too! There are so many things that you can train but attitude isn’t one of them.
Call former employers. Even if the employer will only verify dates of employment and job duties, by calling it ensures that the applicant actually worked there. Try to ask questions about things that are important to you, like dependability, ability to get along with others, etc. Sometimes it will surprise you what insight you can gather.
Invite applicants to meet your staff. Take top applicants on a tour of your business and have them meet your staff or at least those they’ll be working with closely. This will help ensure the applicant has realistic expectations regarding the job. And, your staff may have helpful insight regarding the applicant as well.
After selecting someone to offer the job to, sleep on it. Make sure you feel the same way the next day before extending the offer.

These steps will increase your chances of hiring someone that will work out well and, hopefully, for a long period of time.

FIRE FAST

Nobody enjoys firing someone. So most business owners and managers fire slow. In other words, they take too long to fire someone who isn’t a good fit for whatever reason.

While you can teach someone skills and teach someone company policies and procedures, you cannot often teach personality, work ethic, dependability or attitude. And, if those things, or other important things, are a problem with a team member, it’ time to fire fast.

Keeping someone that shouldn’t be on your team can negatively impact your business and your team. If the person’s attitude is bad, the person can negatively infect other team members. It can hurt morale and make other team members question your judgment. And, it’s not just your team that can be affected . . . your customers can also be affected negatively.

It often takes a long time to really train someone well. In most businesses, there’s a lot to learn. While you can teach someone skills and teach someone company policies and procedures, you cannot often teach personality, work ethic, dependability or attitude. And, if those things, or other important things, are a problem with a team member, it’ time to fire fast:

Document performance and dependability issues.
Attempt to correct behavior. Ensure the team member understands your expectations. Document discussions you’ve had with the team member.
If you’ve decided to fire the team member, have their final check and required paperwork ready, meet with the person in private, and let the team member know that you’ve made the decision to terminate the employment relationship. Don’t get emotional or feel as if you need to explain your decision. Have the person sign any required documentation. Then, have the person gather their belongings and leave promptly. (Even though most states are “at will” meaning you can hire or fire for any reason at any time, make sure you’re following all applicable laws etc. Also, if you’re under some type of employment contract ensure all laws are followed.) Honestly, most people will not be surprised that their employment is being terminated. I actually had one person hug me after firing him and thanked me for putting up with him for as long as I did!
Announce to your team that the person is no longer employed. Most of them will probably be relieved. Don’t discuss it. Move on!
Re-assign necessary tasks, adjust your staff schedule, re-set necessary passwords, etc.
Start your hiring process.

As I conclude this article, I can’t help but reflect on my own business. I haven’t had to hire anyone in almost three years. That’s exciting! It’s very satisfying to have a team that gets along well and enjoys providing excellent customer service. I haven’t always followed my own advice, however, and have made hasty hiring decisions that have had negative results. In fact, Human Resources are often a business owner’s biggest challenge. To grow your business, however, you need a team of people. And, by having a good team that gels well, your business will be a place that is more enjoyable for you, your team and your customers. Just remember, if you hire slow, the need to fire fast will probably not be common.

Best of luck with all your Human Resources activities. And, as always, leave comments below with recommendations for future articles.

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Sondra Kirtley

Sondra Kirtley, MBA, is an entrepreneur who owns and operates a retail and service business in Eureka, California. Known for her helpful nature and small business expertise, Sondra founded SmallBizpathway.com to share tips and experiences with other small business owners.