Oops. We Just Hired a Goofball. What Now?

You’ve had a position that’s been open for a while. You interviewed someone you think fits the bill. His answers were great. He was friendly and had an affable demeanor. After he toured the company, no one who met him had a negative thing to say. Awesome.

But now that he’s here… something isn’t gelling. He’s only been on the job for a few weeks and he’s already missed some work. He often comes in late or leaves a little early. He got into a verbal disagreement with a coworker in the break room last week and he never asks his boss for direction or feedback. It kinda seems like he charmed his way in during the interview process but it’s clear now that he took this job for a paycheck and isn’t invested.

Ugh. The thought of going back through the interviewing and hiring processes. What a bleeding nightmare. This position was open for six months and he was the best of a pretty unimpressive bunch. As much as you’d like to wipe the slate clean and start over, it seems too daunting. So you keep Lackluster Lenny on your team because, well, inertia seems better than making a change.

3 Ways He’s Destroying Your Business:

You’re Wasting Time & Effort.

Putting out fires that Lenny has caused with his teammates. Answering his questions over and over again because, despite your best efforts to train him properly, it doesn’t seem like he listens and retains the information you give him. It hampers you from doing your own job because you are dealing with his messes. You find yourself working late to catch up and walking in the office aggravated as you wonder, “What’s he done now?”

As We Know, Bad Behavior is Contagious.

Lenny’s tardiness and cavalier attitude is a poison. It may not be as obvious initially as someone who is an unabashed boor, but it’s a serious and insidious problem. “So, Lenny comes in at 8:20 and sneaks out the backdoor at 4:40 every day. Anytime he has a paper cut, he stays home. I mean, why am I trying so hard if this is acceptable around here?” You may look up and find you have a whole team of Lennys soon.

You’re Losing Money.

Like it or not, generating revenue is crucial for operating a successful business. It might be that Lenny is not so terrible that clients are calling every day to complain about what a goofball he is. But you have to keep it real with yourself: Lenny is taking up valuable real estate. If he’s skating by on the bare minimum and surfing Indeed for better prospects, he needs to move down the road. His seat on your team could be taken by a more motivated and invested employee.

Your inner monologue probably sounds like this:

We will have to go through the pain-in- the-neck process of replacing him. Maybe it’s better to have Lackluster Lenny than no one at all. (It’s not.) We hate having to terminate people—it’s awkward and uncomfortable for everyone. It will be painful to go back through the cycle of reading resumes, conducting interviews, being disappointed, negotiating an offer. What if we get someone even worse than Lenny? We’ve already onboarded him. Maybe we just let it ride a little while and hope he improves somehow. We’ll have to advertise the position confidentially and conduct interviews after hours or off-site so that Lenny doesn’t get suspicious that we’re about to can him. This is too much!

Fortunately, there is an easy button for this situation: Hire Someone to Help You.

The good news is that you don’t have to go back through an irritating, time-consuming process to replace Lenny. A qualified headhunter or search firm can help you find someone who’s not only a suitable replacement but who will truly drive revenue and improve processes in your company. They will also help to coordinate the interview process so that you can meet candidates privately and not worry about the confidentiality of the search. No muss, no fuss, no more deadweight on the team.

Are you a hiring manager in the food or agriculture industry? Stressed about a Lackluster Lenny on your team? Let’s talk. Email me directly at sara@sectechnical.com and I will personally respond with recommendations.