Nobody sets out to make a bad hire. The brief is agreed, the interviews take place, and everyone is optimistic that they've found the right person.
But sometimes, a few months down the line, it's clear that things aren't quite working out. The person isn't delivering what's expected, deadlines are slipping, projects are stalling and the team is starting to feel the strain.
Of course, there's a financial cost to getting a hire wrong. But that's not always the biggest headache for a business. The real impact is often felt in the day-to-day running of the team, the work that doesn't get done and the pressure that builds when someone isn't delivering as expected.
When someone isn't right for a role, the impact rarely stops with them.
Colleagues may have to pick up extra work, deadlines get pushed back and projects that should be moving forward start to lose momentum. Team morale can suffer, particularly when people feel they're carrying the load or constantly working around problems that shouldn't be there in the first place.
Meanwhile, the hiring manager is left trying to keep everything on track. They may have to shoulder the blame for a decision that hasn't worked out, spend valuable time managing the situation or take on more of the work themselves. And that's on top of the job they were already supposed to be doing.
Admitting that a hire isn't working out can be difficult, particularly when you've been involved in the decision to appoint them. Nobody wants to feel they've made the wrong call, so there can be a temptation to give things a little longer, hoping the situation will improve. Sometimes it does, but sometimes that extra time simply adds to the disruption and delays the inevitable decision.
There's also the opportunity cost. Perhaps the role was intended to support a product launch, deliver a key project or help the business capitalise on a commercial opportunity. While the business deals with a hire that hasn't worked out, the window may be closing. Resources can be diverted elsewhere, priorities shift, and before long the original need for the role risks being overlooked altogether.
It's a frustrating position to be in, especially when the original intention was to strengthen the team and move the business forward.
A good CV doesn't guarantee the right hire. Someone may have the right experience on paper but struggle to adapt to a different business, culture or set of circumstances. Technical skills matter, of course, but so do judgement, motivation, adaptability and how someone works with others.
That's why a clear brief needs to go beyond a list of skills and experience. What does success look like in the role? What will the person need to achieve, and what challenges will they face? It's also important to be realistic about salary, expectations and the talent available in the market.
Getting the brief right is an important first step. We've explored this in more detail in our article on getting your recruitment brief right, including why being open to a different kind of candidate could make all the difference.
These conversations can sometimes be uncomfortable, particularly if the brief needs rethinking. But it's far better to challenge assumptions at the outset than to discover months later that someone who looked right on paper wasn't right for the job. A good recruitment partner should be prepared to have those honest conversations.
At Tarsh & Partners, we know that recruitment doesn't always go to plan, which is why we offer a guarantee on our permanent placements. If a candidate leaves within their first three months, we offer a pro-rata refund of the fee, or a replacement if preferred.*
Ultimately, though, no rebate can give you back the time spent recruiting, lost momentum on a project or the extra pressure placed on the rest of the team. Getting the match right from the outset is always our priority.
Need support with your next hire?
At Tarsh & Partners, we help FMCG businesses find the people who can make a difference. Get in touch to discuss your next hire.
*Subject to the conditions of our guarantee.
