Why do new hires fail?

Misrepresentation at the core of most new hire failures

Everyone seems to have a favourite theory as to why new hires fail. My observation over the years suggests that in many instances it’s because the employer has not accurately described the job, the challenges, the expectations or the compensation package for the role. 

(of course, not all new hire failures are the employer's "fault" - sometimes the job seeker misrepresents their ability and slips through the net - but for the purpose of this blog entry we'll look at the this aspect of the problem)

Although I am a strong advocate of presenting every opportunity in the best possible light, this doesn’t include blatant lying or omitting vital details. Most candidates have no shortage of confidence - in fact, I think most people really believe they are smarter than they really are. Therefore it is OK to tell them how “bad” things are because human nature means they will truly believe that they can fix it!

It is also critical to advise potential employees of things that exist within a specific role that can’t be changed. One example that I’ve heard many times over years involves family members within a business that are part of “the problem” but because of their family status, effectively have “diplomatic immunity”.

Making people aware of these challenges up front won’t automatically scare them off, and more importantly, removes the opportunity to use this as an “excuse” for failing to achieve the agreed outcomes…

The importance of having a position description (PD)

As a recruiter, the first thing we attempt to extract from any employer is a detailed position description / job order. Unfortunately, many employers fail to understand the importance of this concept and see it as “too hard” or “extra work”…

In fact, a detailed position description is the cornerstone of a successful recruitment campaign and hire! The importance of the PD is not diminished if you are doing your own recruitment; in these cases it is even more vital! Why? Well, if you are outsourcing your recruitment process, the likelihood is that the recruitment consultant will ask you the questions you should have asked yourself before they start on the assignment.

There are probably a million theories and ideas on what a great PD needs to contain, some are much more detailed than others and some are filled with HR buzzwords to the point of bursting…

If you have some form of template in your HR files then that is a good place to start. Even a “crappy” PD is better than none!

Why bother with a PD in the first place?

I can give you a long list of answers but here are the top 5:

1. It forces the employer to conceptualise and document their needs and expectations
2. It obliges the employer to address “difficult” areas like remuneration before beginning the recruitment process
3. It allows any hiring manager or recruiter to understand what you really want
4. It demonstrates to the job seeker that you are a serious, professional organisation that is not flying by the seat of its pants
5. It eliminates a lot of grey areas that can lead to bad hiring decisions and conflict after the job is filled.

So what info do you need in a PD?

Again, this is pretty flexible, but I believe that the following topics need to be addressed:

1. Position Title (this is probably more important than it might at first appear to be - the title can have a big impact on the quantity / quality of applicants, the remuneration expectations of applicants etc.)
2. Position Objective (this is the “big picture” / “why are they there” view e.g. a New Car Manager’s position objective might be “To manage the day to day activities of the New Car department; to ensure the dealership is promoted in a positive way; to build and maintain positive relationships with all internal and external stakeholders; and to meet sales volume and profit objectives”)
3. Actual Duties (this is the nitty gritty “detail” stuff i.e. what the person will actually do on a day to day basic)
4. Essential abilities / experience / qualifications (the “must have” non negotiable requirements for the job e.g. a Delivery Driver MUST have a drivers licence)
5. Desirable abilities / experience / qualifications (the “nice to have” things e.g. the Sales Manager with a marketing degree might be nice but isn’t essential - the Accountant who is a power user of your DMS would be nice, but unless you have no other DMS knowledge base in your Administration, it shouldn’t be essential)
6. Current situation / expectations / challenges / strengths (unless you live in Disneyland, your business is probably not “perfect” - you need to detail where you are, where you want to go, and what know challenges exist that will make that difficult and what known strengths will help that to happen)
7. KPIs (this is basically about how you intend to “keep score” - working on the old adage that you can’t manage what you don’t measure, it is vital to have clear and agreed “performance indicators” so that both the employer and the person doing the job can accurately assess their performance)
8. Remuneration package (after the job not being acurately or honestly represented at the time of hiring, the next biggest hiring failure trigger is renumeration - one thing promised and then changed - unattainable targets making bonus payments impossible etc - Employers need to research and understand what is being paid in their industry for various roles and have their remuneration packages aligned with those trends - If a situation needs some work to be made “profitable” a reasonable honeymoon period should be agreed to allow the new employee to survive during the hard work stage of the job)
9. Hours and conditions (people these days want to have some work / life balance - this does not mean they are unwilling to work hard, but the employers expectations regarding hours and conditions should be discussed before the hiring decision is made)
10. Future prospects (many people like to continue an upward career path, but others are happy to secure a certain type of role and enjoy job satisfaction with an employer they respect - I would advise employers to be honest when discussing this topic - if career advancement prospects are limited or non-existent then it’s best to be upfront and address the issue BEFORE someone starts working for you)

If you addressed those 10 pretty basic issues, you will have a great PD that will be invaluable in helping secure the right job seeker, irrespective of who is conducting the recruitment campaign.

One more thing….

When accepting a job order from an employer, we also address the following issues. Even if you are DIY, you will benefit by asking yourself the following questions:

1. Why is the position vacant?
2. How long has it been vacant?
3. To date, what actions have been taken to fill the position?
4. If a suitable applicant were to appear today, how soon could they be interviewed?
5. If a suitable applicant was identified who met all the relevant criteria, interviewed and reference checked to your satisfaction, how soon could you produce a written job offer?

Addressing these issues helps to confirm the employer’s “readiness” / “willingness” to make a decision. It might also help to identify other problems that are working against a successful outcome...

Written by Laurie Williams

Australia's Most Experienced Motor Industry Recruiter

LJW Employment Solutions - Melbourne & Adelaide - 0412 523 168