In this article, Kirstin Lynde explains how to avoid four pitfalls of dealing with a new hire who isn’t performing as needed.
Jackie had aced a grueling interview process with Chuck and 11 potential colleagues. Everyone liked her immediately and thought she would be an excellent fit. She had the perfect work experience & industry depth for Chuck’s new Product Manager opening. Chuck enthusiastically offered Jackie the role. Jackie enthusiastically said “yes.”
Fast forward four months.
Chuck is concerned. Jackie is struggling. She is already two weeks late delivering her biggest assignment to date: a competitive review. She seems disorganized, not yet recognizing who-she-should-talk-to-about-what or moving ahead independently with her assignments. She managed to annoy the head of Marketing last week by making some inappropriate assumptions. Although she was brimming with energy and ideas at her interviews, Jackie has seemed quiet – even pensive – of late. She has been burning the midnight oil to familiarize herself with the company and its products. But there has been no obvious payoff yet.
Chuck ponders. Did he not provide appropriate support and training in Jackie’s early weeks? Or is he overreacting? Does he just need more patience with his new hire’s learning curve? Or should he jump in and give Jackie a verbal or written warning — or put her on a 30 day “Performance Improvement Plan”? Would such actions this early in the game deflate Jackie’s confidence and enthusiasm, just making the situation worse?
Leaders fall into some common “traps” when confronted with the new hire who is stumbling. Here are 4 of the most most common pitfalls, why they set you back, and how to avoid them.
PITFALL #1: RETREATING FROM RELATIONSHIP-BUILDING.
Humans invest less in getting to know someone if they suspect that person may not “be around” in the future. Why waste the time? When you’re frustrated with someone, inviting them to grab lunch may be the last thing you want to do. From Chuck’s perspective, getting to know Jackie better will just make the process of letting her go harder if that’s what’s ultimately needed, right?
Recommendation: Buck those instincts and take extra time to build a relationship if you have a struggling new employee. This may save the day for you, them, and your company. Some newbies perceive (or misperceive) that their new boss doesn’t care about them or their success. This can lead to lowered confidence, lower motivation to perform, fear of speaking honestly about any job frustrations, or reticence to tell you what they need most from you to turn things around.
Key points include:
- Performance improvement plans
- Termination as a solution
- Admitting the fit is wrong
Read the full article, Suspect Your New Hire Won’t Make It? 4 Mistakes To Avoid, on CatalyzeAssociates.com.