Tag Archives: You’re Fired

“You’re fired” is NOT when you start looking for a replacement!

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You have to work with all types
It is hard working with all types of different people. Some are easier than others to work with, but if you want to get the job done, you have to work with all types. The mistake that I always made was that I started looking for replacements after I fired someone. That is as idiotic as putting your seat belt on after the accident. After a while, I wised up and started to look for replacements after I saw severe warning signs. The problem was that I couldn’t fire someone until the replacement was ready.

Tried & true replacements
As time passed, I learned that a replacement is no good unless they have been tried and tested for a few months. So, the more I learn, the more complicated the equation gets. Big companies have the advantage of having a huge and well qualified HR department that has a huge inventory of screened workers for all departments at all times. Unfortunately, my tiny company doesn’t have that luxury. I am the HR department, bookkeeper, marketing CMO, and cat sitter — all in one!

The first red flag is your cue
After a while, I decided that I should start comparing replacements when there is a small red flag in the behavior of whomever is doing the task at hand. Basically, if a worker has a bad attitude, according to a seasoned manager friend of mine — it’s all downhill from there and time to fire them.

Workers quit on a whim
Finally, I’m realizing that workers can quit on a whim without notice. Additionally, if a worker who starts out nice, starts exhibiting signs of a bad attitude, you need to replace them right away. There is no time to be testing out new companies and new workers if the old ones don’t function. The time to start looking for replacements is before you have any trouble with whomever you are working with.

Exceptions to the rule
If it is just too expensive or just not worth it to look for a backup for someone who has been with you for seven or more years, you might consider otherwise. I had a programmer for six years who just quit. I couldn’t find anyone I liked as much as him to this day. I had a sales person for eleven years. She shows no signs of wanting to quit. But, the others I have hired last between six months and two years. I would say that 80% of the people I have worked with have been in my opinion, short term. You need to have multiple backups for every type of job description that you have, and those backups all need to be tested. If your company has sales, data entry, and customer service positions, you need all three positions backed up by multiple freelancers or outsourcing companies that you have tried out. After all, if someone quits or gets fired, your first choice of a back up might be busy, or have quit them self. There are too many uncertainties, so start backing your labor force up today!

Don’t hire an employee, hire 5 and keep the best one!

Categories: Hiring & Firing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Smart companies realize that their strength depends on having great workers. Good workers don’t grow on trees though. Good people normally already have a job. Those looking for work are usually not the best workers, otherwise they would be already employed. If you sort through the bunch, you find a few good ones — or ones that you initially think are good. But, you don’t really know if someone is good unless you have seen them work for a few months through good times and bad.

You can not see how well a marriage would work after the first date any more than you can see how an employee would function after the interview. In an interview they tell you what they think you want to hear.

So, it is good to try a few people out with the intention of getting rid of most of them. Of course, MAYBE you could keep two of your newbies if you loved them so much.

Do you ever ask yourself:

What would I do if I were Donald Trump?

I believe that if you ask this question to yourself regularly, you will tune into Trump’s consciousness and become a much better businessman. I have seen Trump on his TV show “The Apprentice”, and he takes business to a very sophisticated level. He seems to think of everything and can see all of the angles while the rest of us are just in a very deep fog of confusion.

I can try to guess how Trump would handle this hiring situation. He might initially interview two dozen people and pick six contestants. Then, he would have them work on test projects to see how they functioned. He might have them work in small teams to see if they worked well with others. He might analyze their final work and then ask more questions and assign them a grade of some sort. If you didn’t do a good job, then he would definately point at you and say:

“YOU’RE FIRED”

I love it when he says that!

Do you put your new workers through a few tests and tribulations and then subject them to analysis?

Are you even paying attention? No? Well, that is how you end up with lousy workers that cost you your reputation. It is your own fault!

You might also like:

Steve Jobs watched his programmers carefully, so should you!
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/10/10/steve-jobs-watched-his-programmers-carefully-so-should-you/

To micromanage or not to micromanage, is there a question?
http://bpo.123outsource.net/2013/09/13/to-micromanage-or-not-to-micromanage-is-there-a-question/