Stop the revolving door insanity

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, yet expecting a different outcome every time.

This lesson applies to many facets of life, including the world of work.

Anyone inadvertently caught in the revolving door of  "bad hires" is risking time, money and reputation, but niche recruiting firms can break the cycle, even for global corporations that hire through their HR departments.  How?  HR departments are wonderful, but at the same time, staffing and recruiting for niche professionals involves more than just assessing the skills and experience listed on a resume.

It's also about the "fit" of potential employees with company culture.

That's where HR departments can utilize specialty vendors who concentrate on specific industries, such as marketing and communications, IT, or accounting.

Niche recruiters are embedded in all relevant associations and organizations. They have their finger on the pulse of every mover and shaker within a particular trade.

Locating an industry-focused vendor in the region you're conducting business will reduce the risk of bad hires.

Here are some examples we have seen ourselves of how NOT to do it:

Close, But No Cigar

Company XYZ has a position to fill under contract.

Following mandated hiring protocols, the company blasts its need to everyone on an approved-vendor list.  After receiving numerous resumes, the hiring manager chooses a candidate who isn't perfectly qualified…but close enough.

It was a total failure.

Three months later, the company is back to the drawing board. This happened three times - three bad hires, three fires.

Eventually, Company XYZ sought the services of an industry-specific recruiting firm.

The hiring manager at Company XYZ had more than 50 resumes for the job. The niche recruiting firm narrowed it down to two strong candidates, and one was hired.

Fast forward two years, and that candidate has been promoted to full-time company employee – and the company has come back to the niche recruiting firm once again to backfill the contract role.

One company, five hires, same role, eight years

ABC Company has quite the track record – they've hired five times in eight years for one job. Every niche recruiting company in town has been calling ABC Company to help them slam the brakes on this revolving door.

But they don't want to pay a hiring fee, which is typically a percentage of the annual salary of the candidate they hire.

It's not that ABC Company can't locate candidates who have the skills necessary for the job. The candidates look great on paper, but once they are on board? Not so good.

As a corporation, is it more beneficial for an HR department to spin its wheels five times in eight years for one job, resulting in a revolving door or bad hires because they're not finding the right personality fit?

Of course not.

ABC Company needs to realize that a niche recruiter's fee is a one-time cost. Hiring, firing and hiring again cost a lot more in the long run, because each employee who comes through their doors requires time to:

• Acclimate to company environment
• Train on company computer system
• Familiarize with company policies, procedures, products, and services

By the time a new hire hits the ground running, thousands of dollars have been spent. Then, when that employee doesn't work out, more money is spent on the next candidate, just to get the wrong person again. Another failed hire, but the hire was set up for failure because it was the wrong hire.

When a company posts a position for the sixth time, it's tempting for the company to think short term, hiring to fill an immediate need instead of looking at the bigger picture down the road.  Nine times out of 10, it won't be the right fit. Anyone can do anything for three months, but ultimately, the honeymoon ends and it's going to be a waste of time and money.

Not only that, but people talk, especially those who are networking and looking for work. If candidates hear that ABC Company has re-filled the position five times in eight years, it becomes about reputation.

Anytime a position is open, there are questions that candidates or recruiting firms should ask to help determine whether or not this is a snake-bit gig:

• What's the longest tenure employee the company currently has on board?
• How many new hires have you had in the last 12 months?
• Is this position available because of company growth, backfill, or restructuring?

ABC Company has yet to find the personality that fits the company culture, but if they utilized a niche recruiting firm, they would see: Bad hires can be a thing of the past.

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Artwork by ADAM NEATE: "REVOLVING DOOR", 2011, acrylic, Perspex, metal and aerosol on board.  Adam Neate is a self taught British artist who began by leaving his paintings, on cardboard, on the streets of London and now has work in collections in 28 countries around the world.  A fearless painter, he has developed his own language of Dimensional Painting ; in Neate’s most recent work, space itself has become a medium, with the viewer activating their own ‘viewing space’ by moving and changing their vantage point, in order to get the full multi-dimensional effect.  See more at: http://elmslesters.co.uk/art-stage-singapore-12-2#-Images