The Business Lesson She Learned From a Bad Hire

I recently hired someone whose enthusiasm and availability made them seem like an excellent fit, but ongoing attendance and performance issues placed an added strain on the rest of the team and me. The experience taught me an important lesson: Enthusiasm may get someone hired, but reliability and accountability are what make someone a valuable part of the team.

Follow the process because shortcuts CAN cut deep. Sometimes abusers show themselves early on. When they do, you need to take action early on before you end up stuck with them so I always advised management in this type of situation the quote: "If you can't fire them; don't hire them".

One hiring decision I lived to regret was actually one where I was the second level supervisor over the hired. My Operations Director and his team needed to hire a plant manager. After they determined who they wanted to hire my interview was supposed to be a formality. I did not feel the candidate was the right fit but I didn't stop the hire. Instead allowed the team's decision to move forward. That was a BIG mistake. The hired failed horribly. I learned to always trust my gut and to challenge the team to be sure the correct decision is made.

One of my biggest hiring lessons came from hiring for skill instead of fit and personality. Skills can be taught, but the way someone communicates, works with others, and fits the culture is much harder to change.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned in hiring is that people can be so much more than what a résumé can capture and sometimes, the reverse is true. The best decisions I've made have come from looking beyond the page, understanding the person, and sometimes being willing to bet on potential.