How to Hire Rotten Employees in 5 Easy Steps

by Ken Schmitt and Vicky Willenberg

Everyone knows the statistics. A bad hire can cost a company up to 5x the person’s annual salary. The current average tenure for employees is 4.6 years - less than 3 for sales professionals. Where employees were once expected to hold 2-3 different jobs in their professional lifetime, they are now expected to hold as many as 15 or 20.

Hiring is a messy business for both sides: candidates as well as companies.  Therefore, finding the most efficient and cost-effective way to develop a hiring process that will ensure top quality, committed hires who are satisfied with their jobs is a number one priority. In doing so, many industries have incorporated “One-Size-Fits-All/Straight-Out-of-the-Box Recruiting” practices, hoping to eliminate poor candidates early on in the process, bringing only A-players to the interview table. Strategies such as offshore recruiting, automated resume reviews, 1-question or 6-hour interviews have become the norm over the last decade.

Unfortunately, while this type of hiring process may work in some instances, it is far from fail-proof and in today's return to a candidate-driven market, it may actually be harmful!

5 Reasons One-Size-Fits-All Recruiting Brings You Rotten Talent

1. It does not reflect the current job market. The number of voluntary separations (quits, according to the monthly JOLTS report ) continues to rise year-over-year. According to the BLS,  April was a record for the number of online job postings. I am sorry to inform you, Ms. Hiring Manager, but we are in a candidate-driven market. The number of open roles outnumbers the amount of candidates available to fill them. This allows candidates to be in control and more selective. Over the last 12 months, 65% of our lead candidates have received multiple offers. Many are even considering hefty counter offers. Therefore, candidates are quicker to move on if your application process is too cumbersome. In addition, a slow-moving hiring process will ruin your hiring efforts. “Sixty-six percent of job seekers said they will wait less than two weeks to hear back from the employer before considering the opportunity a lost cause and moving on to another.” While you may have been able to put each candidate through an exhaustive, 5-7 step, 6-8 week process 3 years ago, that luxury is gone. Be sure your process matches the level of the position you are looking to hire, in addition to the current supply of qualified candidates.  Translation: You snooze, you lose.

2. Your company is too small. Boxed recruiting is a highly structured process. To execute it well, a company must have the resources and manpower to invest in that process.  Unfortunately, smaller companies who are looking to follow in the footsteps of the larger Fortune 500 counterparts, typically lack the infrastructure and the strong employer brand name to support those practices. In addition, employees are already wearing multiple hats within a smaller organization. Typically, they do not have the bandwidth to carve 6 hours out of their day for each candidate, simply because you are trying to follow the "One-Size-Fits-All/Straight-Out-of-the-Box" process.

3. Candidates can be victims of the process. First, in an attempt to weed-out embellished or even false resumes, many boxed recruiting strategies incorporate a strict process for acquiring a candidate’s work history. Candidates are asked to provide a detailed account of past employment. In some cases, this  includes the courses they took in high school, their salary history dating back to their very first job, and a list of every boss they have ever had (Do you remember your starting salary right out of college?).  If a candidate fails to remember any of these requirements, are you going to knock them out of the running? Additionally, some companies are forbidden from giving personal references for fear of litigation. Their refusal to discuss past employees does not reflect positively on the applicant. What about candidates who were dismissed from a role for reasons beyond their control? If the hiring process is simply about checking boxes, candidates may go elsewhere, and you, the hiring company, will lose out.

4. Every industry and role is different. The average tenure for a VP of Sales is twenty-four to thirty-two months. The average tenure for a CFO is twelve years. For a CMO, eighteen months. Obviously, there are many factors influencing these numbers- poor hires, shifting industries, changes in supply and demand. One key factor, however, is that a short or long tenure is simply the nature of the beast for many highly innovative and volatile industries. “One-Size-Fits-All/Straight-Out-of-the-Box Recruiting” attempts to utilize a rigid scientific approach to the hiring process, regardless of industry, geography, or market conditions, failing to take into account the unique nuances of the particular hiring need. 

5. Candidates are looking for a connection not a clinical process. At a time when highly qualified, employed candidates have quite a bit of leverage in the hiring process, it’s important that employers understand what applicants are looking for - and respect their time. Room for growth, an organization they believe in, flexible work structure, competitive compensation, autonomy, personal investment and connection… These are the things candidates are looking for in today's economy, regardless of their tenure or industry.  You can guarantee these are not the candidates who are willing to invest hours detailing every job they have had since high school or sit through a four to six-hour interview. Do you want team-players who will make an impact on your business? Here’s what you need to do: create a detailed, accurate, all-inclusive job description; include expectations and measurables; outline their role in the chain of command; lay out opportunities for growth and collaboration; offer a competitive compensation package; allow them to connect with you and understand your company from the moment they submit their resume.

Every company strives to hire the best and the brightest. Sometimes, businesses hold the power; and other times, the candidate is in control. Unfortunately, not all are in the business of effective, situational hiring.  Smart companies look to industry leaders who have developed successful tools for bringing on top talent. Companies must not lose sight of the importance of connecting with candidates. They must fully understand who their applicants are and what they have to offer. They must also showcase why their company is worth working for. While we are not advocating for a shortcut, less than complete hiring process, we implore you to be sensitive to your candidates' time, the current market, the level of the position and your sense of urgency.

Would it be better for your company to utilize an external recruiter? 

Ken Schmitt is the President and Founder of TurningPoint Executive Search and the Sales & Marketing Leadership Alliance. Specializing in placing sales, marketing and operations professionals across the country, Ken’s 18 years of recruiting experience have equipped him with the knowledge to serve as a thought partner to his clients for all recruiting, hiring and human capital-related initiatives. Ken sits on the board of Junior Achievement, San Diego Sports Innovators (SDSI), AA-ISP Orange County (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals), San Diego HR Roundtable and is an Advisory Board Member for the American Marketing Association.

Vicky Willenberg has served as the Social Media Manager for TurningPoint since 2011. In 2014, she was elevated to Digital Marketing Manager, broadening her participation across all things digital for the firm. A former teacher with a Masters in Education, Vicky is an active and published blogger at The Pursuit of Normal and a marketing professional. She has her finger on the pulse of the latest trends in the recruiting, hiring and leadership sectors.